Vision
To be the leading National and Public Library in Africa.

Mission
To establish library facilities and provide appropriate reading and information materials to all communities in Kenya.
In line with its vision and mission, the Kenya National Library Service (KNLS) Board recognizes that information is a basic commodity in every-one’s life, and that reading is the most fundamental way through which knowledge is acquired. KNLS therefore strives to ensure that the services provided are responsive to the user needs.
KNLS appreciates that in the fast changing global environment, information is a vital resource for decision making at all levels of human activity. This is particularly so in current era of information age. Hence, the success or failure of individual activities today depends heavily on the handling of information. All areas of social, political and economic development call for the timely provision and use of relevant and reliable data and information.
However, our clientele is quite complex and ensuring maximum satisfaction of every individual client is such an uphill task, given our limited resources. Our clients range from baby class toddlers who want to find toys and games to play with in the library, to professors who want to find the latest and sometimes the most ancient information for research purposes. Nonetheless, using the available resources, KNLS provides a wide range of services, which reflect its dual-purpose roles of both National and Public Libraries.

National Library Services
The National Library Division is charge with the role of collecting and preserving for posterity books and periodicals published in Kenya or outside but with an interest to Kenya.

• Legal deposit center for Kenya – KNLS is a depository center for all publications that are published in Kenya or outside but with an interest to Kenya. Books and Newspapers Act Cap 111 (1987) of the Laws of Kenya states that “Every publisher in Kenya is required to deposit two copies of every new title published, with the Director, KNLS within 14 days of the publication”, for purposes of preservation of the National Imprint.
• Production of Kenya National Bibliography – KNLS compiles records of the Kenyana collection published in any given year. This gives a statistical account of Kenya’s publishing output and reveals the strength of Kenya Publishing industry.
• Issuance of International Standard Book Number (ISBN) to publishers. KNLS is the national agency for ISBN. ISBN is a unique international identification number assigned to each title of a publication.
• National reference services offers reference and referral services to researchers in different fields of study, inter-library lending and resource sharing, acts as a depository library for: World Bank, United Nations, International Labor Organization and UNESCO publications.
• Custodian of rare books and specialized collections – government publications and legal notices, constitutional review materials from various countries, microfilms and microfiches of serials, bibliographies.

Public Library Services
• Lending: Individual lending for adult and junior readers, bulk lending to schools, prisons, Institutions for visually impaired persons, among others.

• Provision of reading space

• Outreach services: these services target people who for one reason or the other cannot conveniently access library services. Mobile motorized services, Non-motorized mobile services, Book box services.

• Reference and referral services

• Community information services: Community lectures on topical issues, HIV/AIDS information services, repackaging indigenous information.

• Consultancy and advisory services: KNLS provides consulting services in the area of library establishment/ development and management. On request, KNLS gives technical assistance in organization of library materials as well as planning and designing of a library at a minimal fee. KNLS also provides opportunities for intern-ship in all its branches.

• Children Services: Story telling, reading and writing competitions, games, drama and cultural activities, among others.

• Special services: Some of the services have been established in consideration and appreciation of the cultural values and social dimensions of various communities. These are aimed at reaching specific disadvantaged communities in Kenya. Establishment of these unique services by the KNLS Board has been an attempt to ensure that reading and information materials are accessible to as many Kenyans as possible. They include:

The camel library service in Garissa and Wajir
The camel was chosen because it is a culturally acceptable and treasured mode of transport among the nomadic communities. It is also able to walk through the harsh terrain in the region and is adaptive to the community’s nomadic way of life. In Garrissa, the Camel library operates under three camel caravans. Our special appreciation goes to Safaricom who donated a complete camel caravan in 2004.

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Donkey library service
Donkey library service in Nyilima, Bondo District has been received enthusiastically by the community and schools around the area. The donkey is commonly used as a mode of transport in that area.

Services to the Visually Impaired Persons (VIP)
KNLS provides a variety of services to the VIPs. These include: Braille lending to individuals and institutions, reading stories and news-papers to those with visual impairment, provision of talking books, transcription of popular materials into Braille, typing services, among others.

HIV AIDS information service
The Board in its efforts to participate in inculcating behavior change in relation to HIV AIDS scourge has established AIDS information units in all its 36 branch libraries. Specific activities offered include:
• Convening forums for peer groups to discuss various issues on HIV AIDS,
• Lectures and video shows,
• Dissemination of HIV AIDS information through folk media such as drama songs and dances, and
• Lending of information materials on HIV AIDS, among others.

KNLS also recognizes the importance of information and therefore the need to avail it to all people. As a result, KNLS Board has obtained copyright permission from various authors of books and information materials related to HIV AIDS to transcribe them into Braille.

Recently, KNLS was granted copyright permission by NASCOP to transcribe the book “HIV Surveillance Results. Vol. 1.” The book has already been transcribed at African Braille Centre and will be distributed to the KNLS branches for use by VIPs countrywide. Other books for which copyright permission has already been obtained by KNLS are (1) “Nutritional Aspects of HIV Infection” edited by Tracie L. Miller and Sherwood L. Gorbach; and (2) “Breaking the Silence: Kenya Families Coping with AIDS” published by Family Planning Private Sector. These two books are undergoing transcribing at the Kenya Union of the Blind. Another book that is earmarked for transcribing is “AIDS Pandemic” by Richard Willis. The transcribing process has been funded by the government.

. Visually impaired persons reading braille books at the KNLS headquarters.

Book Donation
KNLS donates books to deserving institutions on behalf of Book Aid International (BAI) of UK. Once the books are received by KNLS distribution is done on a first come first served basis. Deserving institutions are expected to apply for the books to the Director, KNLS. An agreed percentage of the BAI donations is retained and distributed to the KNLS branches.

Partnerships
In its determination to effectively use the available resources to ensure that library and information services are accessible to all Kenyans, the KNLS Board continues to strengthen its partnerships with other stakeholders. Some of the partners who have assisted the Board in enhancing library and information provision to Kenyans include, among others:
• Book Aid International of UK who have continuously provided book donations for several years.

• Carnegie Corporation of New York who help to initiate the creation of five model libraries.

• Safaricom (Kenya) who donated a complete camel caravan to Garissa KNLS library.

• The Nation Media Group who provided free advertisement for four months in a Drop a Book Project for KNLS. Through the project, KNLS received over 7,000 books plus several periodicals from well-wishers.

• Various communities and individuals who have contributed greatly to the development of CBLs.

. Off loading newly acquired books at the KNLS Headquarters, Nairobi.

There are various ways that individuals, institutions and other well-wishers can provide assistance to the Board.
• Donation of books and other relevant information materials for distribution to KNLS branches or to a particular branch.
• Donation of computers to the branch libraries especially the community based libraries.
• Donation of television sets, video decks, DVDs/VCDs to branches. These will be used to disseminate HIV AIDS information and for children programmes or for any other relevant activities by library users.
• Donation of other library facilities and rehabilitation of the existing library buildings where an agreement will be arrived at, such that the rehabilitated building can appropriately & strategically be branded with the donor’s services/name in recognition of the kind gesture.
• Donation of toys and children’s indoor games for the junior library.

The Board values the contribution of stakeholders and other development partners as the sure way of enhancing accessibility to information by all. There is no doubt that information is the doorway to achievement of the United Nation’s Millennium Development goals.