AN EXAMINATION OF ACADEMIC LIBRARY SERVICES AND THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE MARKETING OF THE SERVICE

AN EXAMINATION OF ACADEMIC LIBRARY SERVICES AND THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE MARKETING OF THE SERVICE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background To The Study

The academic library is the information hub for its parents. The primary purpose of an academic library, according to Aina (2004), is to support the academic environment’s objectives in the areas of learning, teaching, and research service. Jubb and Green (2007) observed that academic libraries have played an important role in advancing research across all subjects and disciplines at their host universities and colleges for millennia. Material circulation, shelf management, user education programs, information services, and operation of the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC), exhibitions and displays, reader inquiry services, Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI), training and internet services, bibliographic services, indexing services, abstracting services, access to electronic resources, and document delivery are all provided by an academic library.

The utility and effectiveness of The majority of an academic library’s services are determined by its customers. When Aina (2004) asserts that the user is essential in librarianship practice, he acknowledges this reality. There can be no library without clients. A library’s human and material resources are heavily invested in order to provide excellent services to library customers. For its part, the library is responsible for ensuring that its materials and services are used (Edoka, 2000). The user is thought to be the most logical source of information about how well the library is performing its functions. The goal statement of any academic library should aim to provide exceptional service to its patrons. At larger institutional libraries, there are several types of library users. Students, postgraduates, lecturers, researchers, and outside consultants are among them.

Users from a wide range of professions and walks of life.

Academic libraries, on the other hand, are required to charge customers for their services. Libraries are no longer the only place to get information. They are now competing for customers with the internet, bookstores, and online book dealers, as well as an increasing desire for more efficient services and a better understanding of user demands. As a result, academic libraries must understand their patrons’ needs, plan service delivery, market available services, and provide them in a timely and effective manner. Marketing is a critical tool for accomplishing this.

Marketing, according to Kolter (1994), is the social and management process by which individuals receive what they want and desire through the creation, offer, and exchange of goods and services. Without A library is nothing without its patrons. Marketing is the interaction and informing of customers about resources and services that are relevant to their interests. The success of academic library marketing is dependent on convincing customers that the tools or databases are desirable. They must understand the nature of the services and be enthusiastic about their potential application (Noel & Waugh, 2002). Academic librarians must promote their services and resources to students and potential users in order to raise awareness of the academic library’s importance. Major segments of the potential library services market are likely unaware of all available services or have no idea what is provided. That is why marketing is critical to the success and survival of an academic library. The primary goal of every library should be

to provide excellent customer service. Excellent service may be equated to an excellent marketing effort, which is why marketing is so important for libraries. A successful marketing strategy informs users about the library’s services and the significance of using them.

Marketing in a library, for example, has been examined through a variety of lenses. Marketing of library services, for example, is defined by Ravichandran and Babu (2008) as the process of developing, selling, promoting, and disseminating library goods in order to facilitate exchanges between the library and its patrons. Similarly, Nwegbu (2005) defined library marketing as developing and presenting the library’s books and non-book materials in terms of the wants and desires of library users, as well as employing successful strategies to encourage, educate, and inform library users.

service the library’s current and prospective clients. According to Basanta and Sanjah (2008), the ultimate goal of marketing is to provide the right information to the right user at the right time. The services provided determine a library’s success and efficiency, not the size of the library, the number of staff materials, or the amount of information available.

Because of financial constraints, most academic libraries place little emphasis on marketing library and information services. The problem of insufficient funding is exacerbated by the fact that academic library administration does not always have a timely and consistent budget for library management, let alone marketing library services. Furthermore, internet connectivity is sporadic and insufficient. Furthermore, the vast majority of libraries

Management lacks a fundamental understanding of marketing, viewing it as a function of profit-driven corporations rather than libraries. With these obstacles in mind, academic libraries must employ specific marketing strategies for library services. Developing a library website, communicating with users via e-mail, holding exhibits and displaying new arrivals, distributing flyers and posters, conducting user education, providing electronic access to information, and planning library week are all examples of these tactics. Funds should also be set aside for library marketing.

In order to properly identify, fulfill, enlighten, educate, and market the genuine value of library services to users, libraries must provide user-oriented services. Users should be educated on the library’s various services and how they can assist them in becoming lifelong learners. Librarians must use technology to achieve these objectives.

The marketing mix is made up of four components: place, product, pricing, and promotion.

1.2 Problem Description

The importance of marketing library and information services cannot be overstated. However, the very existence of libraries is being questioned. This is because information access has become extremely fast, thanks to technological advancements (Aina 2004). Users increasingly prefer to obtain information online rather than through libraries. Libraries’ services must be redesigned to meet the demands of the information age. Libraries must transition from paper-based to digital-based information delivery to users. People, on the other hand, are unaware of the numerous services provided by libraries. Libraries have failed to provide the necessary information to users. The services offered are not aimed at the end user (Green,

2007). This has resulted in a lack of or underutilization of library services. The implications are enormous. As a result, users cannot identify, access, or realize their information needs. This may also contribute to our universities’ poor quality of teaching, learning, and research. As a result, they are unable to keep up with global society’s evolution. When these services are used, they will assist people in their jobs while also assisting them in becoming lifelong learners.

1.3 The Study’s Objectives

The overall goal of this research is to critically examine academic library services and the need for effective service marketing. As a result, the research will be focused on the following specific goals:

1. Determine the need for marketing academic library services.

2. Determine the extent to which academic library services at Abia State University are marketed.

3. Identify the techniques used by academic libraries to market library services.

4. Identify the issues impeding the marketing of library services at Abia State University.

1.4 Research Issue

The following questions will guide the research:

a. Why is it necessary to market academic library services?

b. To what extent are academic library services marketed at Abia State University?

c. What are the techniques used by academic libraries to market library services?

d. What are the issues impeding the marketing of library services at Abia State University?

1.5 Importance of the Research

The study’s findings will have an impact on the following:

Administration, library committees, librarians, users, and researchers from all academic institutions. In particular, the findings will be important to the administration of academic institutions in the area of policy formulation by providing a road map on the information resources and services to be provided to users in order to satisfy their information needs. It is hoped that it will raise awareness among the library committee about strategies for improving effective marketing of library services to users.

This work will also teach librarians how to market library products and services effectively and efficiently. It will also help them identify their flaws and thus improve their services by attracting, satisfying, and retaining library users. The results will also be beneficial to

Users are educated about the various services available in the library. As a result of the study’s recommendations, users will see an improvement in the services they receive. The research will also add to the existing body of knowledge in marketing library services and expand on the knowledge of problems in Nigerian academic libraries. The findings of this study will be useful for other researchers studying various marketing techniques in Nigerian libraries.

1.6 The Study’s Scope

This study is designed to look at academic library services in general and the need for effective marketing of those services. However, the study will determine the extent to which academic library services are marketed and the need for marketing academic library services.

Identify the techniques used by academic libraries in marketing library services in Abia state University, and identify the problems impeding library service marketing in Abia state University.

Abia State Universities will provide participants for this study.

1.7 Study Restrictions

The researcher encountered some constraints while conducting this study, including time constraints, financial constraints, and the respondents’ attitudes. However, the researcher was able to manage these just to ensure the study’s success.

1.8 Terms Definition

Library

A library is a collection of materials, books, or media that are readily available for use rather than display.

University Library

An academic library is one that is specialized.

attached to a higher education institution and serves two complementary functions: curriculum support and research support for university faculty and students.

Marketing

This is defined as a social and managerial process by which individual groups obtain what they require and desire by developing, offering, and exchanging goods and services.