Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
8-12-2018
Document Type
Article
Abstract
This study examines marketing library and information services in academic libraries. Specific objectives includes; the need for marketing library and information services in university libraries in South West Nigeria; techniques being employed by university libraries in marketing of library and information services; competencies required of librarians in marketing of library and information services; challenges being faced by the librarians in marketing of library and information services and strategies for enhancing marketing of library and information services in South West Nigeria. Relevant literatures were reviewed. Survey research design was adopted. The target population for the study comprises of all librarians in university libraries in South West Nigeria. Six (6) university libraries were selected based on proximity to researchers. There are a total of eighty-seven (87) librarians in the Six (6) selected university libraries; Out of eighty-seven (87) questionnaires distributed, only sixty-four (64) copies were returned. Data collected through the distributed questionnaire were analysed using descriptive statistics. In other words tables, frequency counts, simple percentage and mean were used to analyze the data. The finding shows that; techniques being employed in marketing library and information services are; provision of electronic access to information, staff friendliness to users, exhibitions and display of new arrivals, creating a library web page, organizing user education, and one on one discussion with users. Competencies required of librarians in marketing library and information services as perceived by the respondents are; good communication skills, information technology skills, ability to answer users’ query, ability to sell idea/library services, ability to question and evaluate library services as well as interpersonal skills. Major challenges militating against effective marketing of library and information services are; in-adequate fund, management lack of marketing policy, lack of facilities to market library services, lack of media access to market academic library services, poor access to information technology, lack of training in marketing, and lack of effective communication between librarians and users.