Purpose A comprehensive analysis of the LIS education system was carried out covering the 2004‐2007 period and it was established that currently 24 LIS education programs are conducted in Sri Lanka by eight educational institutions. The purpose of this paper is to present a critical evaluation of the curriculum development strategy of the LIS education programs in Sri Lanka based on the major research. Design/methodology/approach The research used both quantitative as well as qualitative research methods to determine the present status of affairs and the study was based on primary and secondary data collected by means of questionnaires, semi‐structured interviews, participatory observations and review of documents. Primary data were collected from the LIS course co‐ordinators, teachers and policy makers. Researcher's own reflections were also used. Findings The empirical survey identified that six main subjects are taught across most of the LIS programs; that most programs provide a general knowledge in LIS but not opportunities for specialisation; appropriate levels of complexity were not evident across the different levels of programs; and there is no national core in LIS so that all programs cover a set of common subjects at appropriate depths and breadths suitable for different levels of programs. Findings with regard to the curriculum development strategies identified that most of the curricula documents are not comprehensive, and that the Sri Lankan LIS curriculum developers do not use any formal curriculum development model. Analysis of the curriculum development teams indicated that most members have no training in curriculum design, and the teams lack contributions by other stakeholders except LIS professionals. Several recommendations are presented to eliminate the weaknesses of the curriculum development strategy in the LIS programs. Research limitations/implications This paper is based on a broader empirical study of the LIS education system of Sri Lanka and throws some light on specific research on identifying the most appropriate curriculum development model for Sri Lanka. Practical implications The findings of the research are directly applicable to the tasks of the curriculum developers and the LIS education policy makers in Sri Lanka and they can use the findings for the improvement of the LIS education programs. Originality/value Contents or the curriculum development strategy of the current Sri Lankan LIS education programs have not been critically analysed before and this paper presents the original research findings relevant to all the programs conducted in 2007.
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