This document discusses the importance of planning for libraries. It defines planning as deciding in advance what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and who will do it. Planning gives direction and meaning to a library's operations and helps it achieve its goals and objectives. The key aspects of planning discussed are: establishing planning objectives and premises, examining alternative courses of action, evaluating alternatives, selecting a course of action, developing derivative plans, and creating budgets. Good planning is important for any organization to succeed, while unrealistic planning can lead to failure.