MARKETING STRATEGIES TOOLS IN PROMOTING LIBRARY SERVICE DELIVERY IN RESEARCH LIBRARIES

1.1 Introduction

Marketing is being considered one aspect of competencies needed and critical among library and information science (LIS) professionals (Odine, 2011). Osinulu, Adekunmisi and Okewale (2017) stress that librarians should be competent in all aspects of librarianship which include , basic foundational knowledge in librarianship, readers’ services, information and communication technologies (ICTs) handling and use, reference services etcetera, before library professionals can adequately and effectively market library services and information products, librarians must be knowledgeable, skilled and must possess good attributes or disposition in these core aspects of librarianship.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

Marketing in a library setting has been viewed from different perspective for instance Ravichandran and Babu (2008) views marketing of library services as the process of planning, pricing, promoting and distributing library products to create exchanges that satisfy the library and the clientele.

Libraries are the knowledge and information foundation of any nation. A library collects, organizes and makes information resources accessible to all kinds of users regardless of their ages, background and interests. Islam (2004) defined library as a learned institution equipped with treasures of knowledge, maintained organized and managed by trained personnel to educate the children, men and women continuously and assist in their self improvement through an effective and prompt dissemination of information. There are different kinds of libraries and each performs different kinds of functions to meet the determined purpose and needs of the people they serve (Ode and Omokaro 2007). These libraries include the following: academic libraries, public libraries, special libraries, school libraries, and private libraries.

Uwaifo (2010) stated that academic libraries are the ones established and maintained by higher institutions of learning such as universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, schools of nursing, petroleum training institutes and schools of health technology. He also noted that the essence of establishing an academic library is to enable it support the curriculum of the tertiary institutions which established it. They are essential part of the learning community. He went further to state that the academic library is the information nerve centre of its parent body. Aina (2004) stated that the main purpose of academic library is to support the objectives of an academic environment in the areas of learning, teaching and research service. Jubb and Green (2007) observed that academic libraries have for centuries played critically important roles in supporting research in all subjects and disciplines within their host universities and colleges. The following are the services provided by an academic library: Circulation of materials, shelf management, user education programmes, provision of information services, and operation of the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC), exhibitions and displays, reader’s enquiry services, Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI), trainings and internet services, bibliographic services, Indexing services, abstracting services, access to electronic resources and document delivery services.

The effectiveness and efficiency of services provided by an academic library are mainly determined by library users. Aina (2004) recognizes this fact when he stated that the user is very critical in the practice of librarianship. No library can exist without the patrons. The entire human and material resources in a library are put in place at considerable expense for the overall purpose of providing effective services to the library users. On its part the library has a responsibility to ensure that its resources and services are used (Edoka, 2000). The user is regarded as the most logical source to determine whether the library is playing its role satisfactorily or not. The mission statement of any academic library should be the provision of excellent service to its users. In higher institution libraries there are various categories of library patrons. They are undergraduates, postgraduates, lecturers, researchers, external users from all walks of life and many professions.

However, Academic libraries are faced with the need to market their services to users. Libraries are no longer the only information providers. They now have to compete for customers with the internet, bookshops, online book dealers and demand for more efficient services and needs of users. Academic libraries must understand clients needs, plan service provision, promote the available services and deliver them efficiently and effectively. To achieve this marketing is the essential tool.

Therefore, in Edo State where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Marketing Strategies Tools in Promoting Library Service Delivery in Research Libraries.

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1.3 Statement of the Problem

Users are not aware of the several services available in libraries. Libraries have failed to provide the required information to users. Services provided are not user-oriented. Users now prefer to turn to the internet to source for information than coming to the libraries. Libraries must redesign their services to cope with this era of information technology. Libraries must change from the traditional to digital method of providing information to users.

The importance of marketing library and information services cannot be over emphasized. However, the existence of libraries is being challenged. This is because access to information is now very fast and relies on technology. These have resulted to non-utilization or under-utilization of services available in the library. The consequences of these are enormous. It results to users not able to locate access and recognize their information needs. This can also result to low quality of teaching, learning and research activities in our higher institutions.

As a result they are unable to meet up with development in the global society. These services when utilized will help them in their careers and also make them life-long learners. Currently, it seems no study has been carried out to determine the efficient and effective way to market library services in Academic libraries in Niger state. Marketing is not emphasized in most library schools curriculums therefore librarians may have problems in marketing their services. It therefore, becomes necessary to examine the effective and efficient ways to market library services, in academic libraries.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to Implement of Marketing Strategies Tools in Promoting Library Service Delivery in Research Libraries in Edo State. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To assess the Marketing Strategies Tools in Promoting Library Service Delivery in Research Libraries
2. To investigate marketing of Academic libraries services in Edo State Nigeria.
3. To determine the need for marketing library services in academic libraries in Edo State.
4. To determine library services for marketing in Academic libraries in Edo State.
5. To examine the extent of marketing library services in Edo state.
6. To examine strategies for enhancing marketing of library services in Edo state.
7. To determine current techniques employed by academic libraries in marketing of library services in Edo state.

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1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Is marketing academic library services needed in Edo State?
• Does the problem militate against marketing of library services in Edo State?
• What library services are available for marketing in academic libraries in Edo State?
• To what extent are library services marketed in academic libraries in Edo State?
• What current techniques are employed in marketing of library services in academic libraries in Edo State?
• What competencies are required of librarians in marketing of library services in Edo State?
• What are the strategies to be adopted for the enhancement of marketing of library services in Edo State?

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1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

H0: There is no significant Strategic Tools in Marketing Promotion in Library Service Delivery in Edo State

H1: There is significant Strategic Tools in Marketing Promotion in Library Service Delivery in Edo State

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1.7 Significance of Study

The findings of this study will be significant to the following: all academic institutions, administration, library committees, librarians, users and researchers.

In specific terms the findings will be significant to academic institutions administration 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 that it will create awareness to the library committee as regards the strategies to enhance effective marketing of library services to users.

This work will also educate librarians on how to effectively and efficiently market library products and services. It will also assist them in identifying their lapses and hence improve on their services by attracting, satisfying, and retaining users in the library. The findings will also be useful to users by creating awareness on the various services available in the library. The users will get an improvement in the services offered as a result of the recommendations of this study. The research will also contribute to the existing body knowledge in marketing library services and build on the knowledge of the problems in academic libraries in Nigeria. The findings of this study will provide background information for other researchers researching on various marketing techniques in Nigeria libraries.

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1.8 Scope of Study

The study focuses on the Marketing Strategies Tools in Promoting Library Service Delivery in Research Libraries in Edo State.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).