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Marketing Of Library Services In Academic Libraries
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
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.
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 5]
Page 1 of 5
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