Public libraries and development planning in Pakistan: a review of past efforts and future needs

Surveying the growth of public libraries in Pakistan prior to and following independence, this paper shows that development has been at best a piecemeal affair and at worst non‐existent. Although some libraries seek to fulfil their goal of providing quality service to the public, most are hampered by overwhelming economic, social and educational problems. Notwithstanding this gloomy scenario, it is suggested that library planning based on awareness of indigenous needs and with realistic aims can achieve far more than has been the case in the past. Six factors are suggested as essential in any effective public library planning process in Pakistan; these may be valid in other developing countries as well.