Strategies for Marketing Library Resources and Service: An Overview

INTRODUCTION

The news is very important for a person to know what is happening in and around the world. It makes him informed about his surroundings. News, in the beginning, was through public announcements using a drum. Later it has developed into hand written copies. During the freedom struggle of India, our freedom fighters have used handwritten newspapers to spread the messages. Then Print media played a vital role in spreading knowledge and sharing information. Now it has gone beyond print. Electronic media has occupied the prime place (Ramakrishnan, & Johnsi Priya, 2016). The concept of marketing has applied to libraries add a new dimension to the profession. The topic of marketing strategy for library resources and services is much more relevant to the when the area of marketing itself is being redesigned to create and sustain more customers through creative, anticipate and response style of marketing. Libraries are a source of offering their resources and services in a way that more users are able to access them with much ease and flexibility (Murugesan, 2017).

The main aim of marketing is to identify the customer base, and to decide and fill its needs, requirements, and demands by planning and conveying appropriate products and services. The main focus of the concept is the customer, and the objective is customer satisfaction. It is the way toward arranging and executing the origination, valuing, advancement and distribution of goods, services and ideas to create exchanges with target groups that satisfy customers and organizational objectives (Madhusudhan, 2008). Marketing "as a social and administrative process by which persons and groups acquire what they need and want through making, offering and trading result of significant worth and others". Marketing in service organizations includes seven concepts, such as product, place, promotion, price, process, persons, and physical evidence (Nooshia, Tajafari, & Nowkarizi, 2017). The rapid growth of Internet has drastically changed and transformed the way and manner which library and information product and services are offered and as well put the libraries and librarian at the centre of hyper-competition. If librarians and libraries must survive, then marketing must be seen as a necessity. Library and information centers have begun to realize that by using marketing principles and techniques, they can understand better their user’s needs, justify finding, communicate more effectively with a variety of external audiences and achieved greater efficiency and optional result in delivering product and services that meet the identified needs of their

Marketing is planning and managing the organization’s exchange relations with its clientele. It consists of studying the target market’s needs, designing proper products and services, and utilizing compelling price, communication, and circulation to inform, motivate, and serve the market (Jestin & Parameswari, 2005). Gupta recognized some regular explanations behind require marketing orientation in library and information services, such as it helps in managing libraries better; it brings commitment to customer focus; publicizes the benefits of the library services and listening to customer’s needs; it helps in making users feel better that they use library again and again; and it improves the library’s image (Gupta, 2003).

Modern libraries must understand to market the available library resources and services for the following main reasons: ► Libraries are not any of the main information benefited industry. The ample book shops, online book sellers, information advisors, the Internet specialist, free web suppliers and individual customers will not dither to market to potential library clients. ► Libraries have to emulate with different organizations or departments for raising funds. Promoting library services and resources benefits as libraries can get underpins from clients and others. ► Libraries need to showcase their market the products and services on account of the need to keep up significance and stay associated with the networks they serve and make them bear on the present day's occasion and real problems. ► Librarians need to market the library products and services to achieve a specific goal and enhance the image of their libraries and themselves. ► Librarians likewise need to change the understanding of clients and others toward them as being information specialists. ► Librarians should consider themselves as resource personnel go to for information and must to be very much willing and prepared themselves as specialists in the field. subsidizing authorities to give information about what the library is doing and to empower the library to find out about the community its serve. Library clients expect acknowledgement, consideration and appreciation for their individual information needs. As clients dependably have regularly changing wants and needs, there is the requirement for the dynamic to market as powerful as retail markets and therefore make a situation in libraries that cultivate client's awareness and satisfaction among them (Aderibigbe, 2015). Marketing also important in libraries by the following manners: ► Increasing the library credit; ► Increasing the exposure of library to the present competitive environment; ► Increasing the utilization of library resources and services; ► Conducting training/orientation program for library users; ► Changing the users’ expectations; ► Raising the clients' consciousness of the accessible library resources and services; ► Save libraries from cheapening; ► Save libraries from refusing client-support; ► Promoting the users’ positive perceptions about libraries; ► Marketing is always user-centered; ► Marketing anticipates the changes from time to time.

Blogs: It allows a user to share thoughts and opinions on subjects in a diary-like fashion in a series of posts, create discussions or an informational site publishing online and consisting of discrete entries of posts, Twitter: Twitter allows users to communicate with a handle or username that the user creates, and can write short messages, typically 140 characters that are sent to the user’s followers,

to edit wikis, Facebook: The enormously prevalent and most generally utilized social networking sites, Facebook is a free long range social networking site launched in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg. It permits building on the web networks for sharing information, RSS Feeds: The really simple syndication comprises frequently updated web feeds that indicate news, events and blog entries that a user can subscribe to and follow. RSS takes current headlines from different websites, LinkedIn: Registered users of LinkedIn can make and deal with their profile which will connects with their professional networks, YouTube: Content distribution of videos, typically available for free to the public access and subscribe the videos, Whatsapp: Messenger is a cross-platform instant messaging application that allows iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone and Nokia Smartphone users to exchange text, image, video and audio messages for free. This tool used for fastest and easily create networking and also allows to create the user groups. Purpose of Using Social Media in Library: Social media is using for marketing of library resources and services and established s connection between discussion groups and collaborative works. It should be used for, to spread news and services alerts, to provide quick updates to online users and to drive library news and press publication among online users. • A library can use Blogs for periodically post messages; share information on a particular subject or issue, and allows users to contribute to content. They can write articles, news on topical issues and expect an instant reaction from their users. • A library can use Facebook for sharing information; the libraries can share their newly introduced activities and services for their users. Facebook is an effective platform for sharing information and providing reference service. • Libraries can use YouTube to market their distinctive program, seminars, conferences, and workshops by transferring/uploading their videos on the YouTube. • Libraries can make accounts on Twitter and utilized it for fast and brief information sharing. Twitter can be utilized by the library • Libraries can utilize Wikipedia to make and keep up description about the library and the parent organization for historical purpose. • RSS feeds are using by libraries for users give to updates on the new item in a collection, new services, and new content databases. • Libraries can use Whatsapp for creating various user groups based on different criteria and share with the user’s important information like new collection, new arrival of books, and photos of library events and so on. • LinkedIn can be utilized by libraries to make professional communication and also marketing of library services among different expert working in various libraries of the world (Kumar & Gupta, 2016).

• Extending library hours: Extended library opening hours can helps the library clients, particularly in the examination period, to use the library resources optimally and thereby fulfill the first law of library science i.e. books are for use. • E-library statistics: This practice includes maintenance of usage statistics in all areas of the library. Maintaining the library visitor’s tracking system and purpose of visit helps in knowing what number users are daily visiting and for what reason. • Library tour: Take a library tour, all the new registered users are taken to the library visit in a small groups to physically demonstrate them the library resources, how to get these resources and different library services that they can get benefit during their studies. The live demonstration of e-resources access training is one of the vital part of the library tour. • Virtual library tour: A general tour will also expose user to the distinctive structures and areas of library section and resources, e.g. encourage work area, racks for current periodicals, reference shelves, and stacks for recently added resources. • Orientation Programs: Librarian should organize intensive program for orientation of newly registered students at the start of

library. A libraries role in higher education on digital presentation is made to acquaint them to the available facilities, rules, resources (print and electronic), and services of the library. • User/e-resources awareness program: The academic libraries have an incredible part and obligation in creating awareness among its clients which will helps to make the use of the library resources, services, facilities, more effectively and efficiently. Library brochures, notices, circulars are also useful. • Intellectual property rights / copy right / plagiarism: Conducting information literacy program to create awareness of IPR, copyright and plagiarism for how to utilize resources, quote references, author benefits, plagiarism policies for the users to reduce the plagiarism is very important in today’s ICT age (Sumadevi, 2014).

The components of marketing are the explained as the “Four P’s” of marketing which in recent times have been stretched out to “Seven P’s”. The seven P’s are the products, price, place, promotion, people/participants, physical evidence facilities and the process. Those seven P’s comes altogether, it makes constitute to what is termed are follow for marketing the products and services. The tools and techniques used with social enterprises to achieve the marketing objectives. Following components of marketing explained by (Busari, Ayankola, & Ladipo, 2015)

7Ps 7Ps Definition Product: A product is viewed as anything that can be offered to a market to fulfill a need or want of customers/users. Price: This alludes to the prevailing component that decides the income or benefit or market share for the organization. It is an essential factor in marketing which the client considers before obtaining a specific product. Cost for the item is generally set when the organization introduces or acquires a product. Place: This represents the dissemination channel through which a product/benefit is passed on to the client. It is normally connected with

Printed Resources Printed Resources Books E-books Journals E-journals Conference proceeding E-magazines Newspapers E-Newspapers News bulletin Online/offline databases Patent E-patent Technical reports Television/films Manuscripts CDs/DVDs Encyclopedias and dictionaries Audio/video materials

► Home lending of library books ► Reference services ► Reprographic services ► Book displays and exhibitions ► Abstracting & Indexing services

► Inter-library loan ► Translated basic information packages for foreign library users

Marketing of library resources and services is the main requirement in today’s ICT era. Library users are not aware of all the library resources and services available for their use. Marketing is a very important tool in the library to interact with the users. Marketing gives promotion to use up-to-date library resources and services. Present day libraries are getting to be proactive and client-centered by having a tendency to characterize the market before planning their products and services. A minimum charge based library services could enhance library capacities. Library services ought to be founded on client orientated whereby clients' needs are given priority in the schemes of things in the library. The library work force should also be aware of the importance of marketing in libraries.

1. Aderibigbe, O. A. (2015). Strategies for marketing information resources and services in federal university libraries in the North-West Zone of Nigeria. International Journal of Academic Library and Information Science, 3(10), pp. 303–309. 2. Benson, O. ., Udo-Anyanwu, A. J., & Onuoha, C. O. (2016). Strategies used in marketing library and information services in tertiary institutions in Imo State. Journal of Applied Information Science and Technology, 9(1), pp. 144–152. 3. Busari, I. T., Ayankola, I. A., & Ladipo, S. O. (2015). Analytical approach to effective marketing of library and information products and services in academic libraries. Journal of Library and Information Sciences, 3(2), pp. 133–145. 4. Gupta, D. K. (2003). Marketing of library and information services: building a new discipline for library and information science education in Asia. Malaysian Journal of Library and Information Science, 8(2), pp. 95–108. 5. Jestin, J., & Parameswari, B. (2005). Marketing of information products and services for libraries in India. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-Journal), p. 32. 2(4), pp. 18–20. 7. Madhusudhan, M. (2008). Marketing of library and information services and products in university libraries: a case study of Goa University library. Library Philosophy and Practice, pp. 1–6. 8. Murugesan, M. (2017). Marketing strategies for library resources and services to the engineering college students. International Journal of Advance Research, Ideas and Innovations in Technology, 3(6), pp. 1125–1127. 9. Nooshia, M. R., Tajafari, M., & Nowkarizi, M. (2017). An investigation into promotional methods of public library services and resources: users’ perspective. Annals of Library and Information Studies, 64, pp. 268–275. 10. Ramakrishnan, N., & Johnsi Priya, J. (2016). Net news reading habit among arts and science college students. International Journal of Research - GRANTHAALAYAH, 4(9), pp. 50–56. 11. Sumadevi, S. (2014). E-marketing of library services best practices in libraries. International Journal of Digital Library Services, 4(4), pp. 126–133.

Librarian, M.V.P. Samaj’s GMD Arts, BW Commerce and Science College Sinnar, District-Nashik-422 103 Maharashtra, India