World libraries: The British Library launches its strategy for 2011-2015

The British Library is launching its new strategy, setting out how it plans to develop its collections and services over the next four years.

“Growing Knowledge: The British Library’s Strategy 2011-2015” outlines the UK national library’s key objectives and strategic priorities to the middle of the decade.

The new strategy follows the publication of the Library’s “2020 Vision” in 2010, which highlighted the key trends and opportunities for the next decade. “The 2020 Vision” was based upon twelve months of extensive research and consultation; it presented five themes that would help deliver the Library’s ten-year vision of becoming “a leading hub in the global information network, advancing knowledge through its collections, expertise and partnerships, for the benefit of the economy and society and the enrichment of cultural life.”

The Library’s strategy for 2011-2015 contains five strategic priorities, based on the 2020 Vision’s themes:

- Guarantee access for future generations;

- Enable access for everyone who wants to do research;

- Support research communities in key areas for social and economic benefit;

 - Enrich the cultural life of the nation;

- Lead and collaborate in growing the world’s knowledge base.

Although operating with reduced operational and capital budgets the Library will deliver a range of key objectives during the period covered, such as opening a state-of-the-art Newspaper Storage Building, digitising up to 20 million pages from the national newspaper collection, developing selected collaborative stewardship arrangements to collect and connect to content, developing the Library’s digital infrastructure, and achieving regulations that will enable the implementation of legislation for non-print legal deposit.