In this volume, strategic planning is looked at with a broad perspective. Whether because of cuts in funding, enrolment decline or academic cutbacks, the necessity for strategic planning in a university comes out of unfavourable circumstances. The chapters cover the planning process from start to finish, with an emphasis on a final goal of bringing the library's status from one of an economic competitor to a deserving equal in the eyes of the academic community. The development of programmes and long-term goals for various programmes with realistic results in mind are stressed in this book. Strategic planning can be an effective management tool in the midst of uncertainty and constant change. Co-operation, collaboration and communication are all key factors for reaching these goals, and the authors of the 13 chapters describe past instances in which these were successful. Several major themes tie the diverse chapters of this book together, such as becoming successful in applying for limited institutional resources, giving the library's goals a more prominent position among the members of the campus administration and using the planning exercise to help the members of the academic community better understand the administrative decision-making process. Written by college and university presidents, campus planners and librarians, this book outlines both the benefits and the drawbacks of strategic planning and provides a picture of what can be achieved when the process is used.