The Department comprises of three divisions namely:

•Planning and Development 

•Research

•Statistics:

Its core functions include:

i.Systematically formulate long-term , short-term and rolling plan for the National Library of Nigeria based on anticipatory national and global trends in socio-economic and technological development;

ii.Identify and liaise with foundations, trusts, grants and other funding agencies worldwide that may be willing to offer scholarship awards and short courses for staff tenable within or outside the country;

iii.Promotion of research in the field of information;

iv.Ensuring close collaboration among Library resource centers;

v.Co-ordination of activities and projects dealing with relevant databases;

vi.Education and training of staff of the National Library of Nigeria in the relevant areas;

vii.Promotion of new technologies in information transfer;

viii.Co-operation and affiliation with institutions, international bodies and associations in the field of information and library profession. 

ix.Analyse and interpret statistics of other Nigerian libraries and information centers;

x.Create and maintain database on reliable data and statistics on resources and uses of the National Library of Nigeria;

xi.Editing of informative abstracts, subject bibliographies and indexes for publication;

xii.Production of national library of Nigeria publications e.g Nigerbiblios, directories of libraries in Nigeria, national Digest of Library Statistics etc.