What is marketing in libraries? Concepts, orientations, and practices

Information Outlook, Nov, 2002 by Dinesh K. Gupta, Ashok Jambhekar

Putting the customer first

WHAT DOES MARKETING MEAN FOR LIBRARY AND INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS?

In recent years, marketing has been gaining importance in libraries throughout the world. Self-support policies, increasing competitiveness in the marketplace, rising customer expectations, and widening access to information are some of the main reasons for this trend. To survive in such an environment, Library and information centers must identify their users' needs and integrate this information into the everyday workings of the library.

The first requirement for successful marketing in library and information services is a clear appreciation for what marketing is and what it can do. Although marketing is not new to library and information services, there are many opinions about what role it plays. Some people equate it with the pursuit of sales rather than customer satisfaction. Others view it as the production of brochures and other low-level marketing communications.

The term "marketing" is established in our vocabulary, although it has been less than three decades since marketing was first applied to the field of library and information services. The premise of marketing is simple and appealing: The customer is at the center of every library activity. This idea is not new--library science thinkers and philosophers were advocating such a philosophy as far back as 1880.

Marketing as Metaphor

There is continuing debate as to whether concepts derived from the business world can readily be transferred to public service organizations such as universities, hospitals, and libraries. It is argued that conventional organizations are funded differently, have different objectives, and operate in a different environment. But while in the past libraries might have been slow to respond to outside influence, they are now as active as their business counterparts in adopting a strategic marketing and commercial outlook. Examples of this activity are the growing interest in marketing techniques, the revamping of services, and the production of corporate videos. At the same time, librarians are also more concerned about having a good reputation and a positive public image.

Satisfying the customer is the primary concern in the marketing process. Users will only come back for more service if they are satisfied; if they are not, they will find a different resource. Thus, the ethos of the organization should value satisfying the customer, and everyone should have a role to play in rendering maximum satisfaction.

A library has to have sufficient understanding of existing and potential users to create superior value for them. This value comes through increasing the benefits to the users. One way to do this is at a customer orientation, which requires that the library understand value to the customer as it is today and as it will evolve over time. This makes marketing more than just finding customers for the available information sources, services, and technologies. It makes marketing a partnership with the user, who becomes a central part of the total service efforts.

Marketing as Philosophy

Philosophy is an inquiry into truth. The philosophy of librarianship encompasses the fundamental principles on which the practices, techniques, and activities of libraries and information centers are based. These principles serve as guidelines for successful librarianship and as a means for resolving problems. The integration of marketing into library services is helpful because it reinforces and reiterates the basic values and beliefs of the profession in a changing environment.

The most widely held belief about library services is that the primary aim is to provide the right information to the right user at the right time. Achieving this goal means reducing barriers to access, enhancing the use of information, and empowering users to access information on their own, particularly through the use of modern technologies.

Approaching marketing from a philosophical standpoint can help any organization achieve the objectives for which it was established. In library and information services, marketing can help us clarify the following aspects of our work:

* A focus on the users' goals and on helping users articulate these at every level.

* A focus on providing an environment in which users can study and work.

* The belief that each user has unique needs, requirements, and expectations when her or she visits the library.

* A commitment to helping the user develop skills to acquire information from various sources.

Marketing library service is not just a question of money, but of the attitudes of the staff and the entire organization. Goods are used, but service is experienced. The public image of service is born primarily out of the experiences of the people who receive the service. This image crystallizes gradually.

We who work in the library are the most important marketing resource. The deciding factors for success are our attitude and our commitment to our users, clients, customers, patrons, or employers. Implementing a marketing approach requires that top management establish the marketing concept and that the frontline departments share responsibility for the customer with the rest of the organization. The marketing concept must guide all functions and departments of the library and must be understood and accepted by everyone--from the chief librarian to the circulation clerk. This process must also establish carefully designed measures of customer satisfaction.