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Full Project – MARKETING LIBRARY PRODUCTS AND THE UTILIZATION OF LIBRARY SERVICES BY UNDERGRADUATE IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Students at the undergraduate level represent a broad population with a wide range of individual requirements. It’s possible that certain library patrons are more interested in studying and research than in pleasure reading, multimedia materials, or group study areas. As a result, advertising should stress the breadth of tools and support offered. Digital marketing methods have the potential to be especially successful in reaching this group. Campaigns on social media, email newsletters, and advertisements on sites often visited by students are all viable options. Library services including online databases, e-books, and research aid should be highlighted in these advertisements.

The necessity for marketing is becoming more and more apparent to libraries in the industrialised world. Products and services offered by libraries and information providers are increasingly being framed as tradable assets. Modern libraries are recognised as important service providers and genuine information resources. Thus, the importance of advertising is paramount. With the rise of social networking media and websites, ICT has also greatly aided the promotion of library and informational products and services. There is a growing trend among developed-world university libraries to use social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to advertise the library’s collections and services to students and faculty (Khan & Bhatti, 2012).

According to Gupta, Koontz, and Massisimo (2013), marketing library and information service is a well-established subset of management practises that focuses on determining customer desires and requirements and satisfying them within the available resources of the organisation. The marketing of libraries and information centres has traditionally been based on four pillars: relationship marketing, internal marketing, image development, and consumer loyalty. Marketing, in the eyes of many, is the management process that finds, predicts, and satisfies client needs financially and efficiently.

Academic libraries in the words of Nnadozie (2007); are those established in institutions of higher learning such as universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and other higher institutions that offer education at tertiary level. Opara (2007) opines that academic libraries are established to support their parent institutions in achieving three (3) cardinal objectives which are to: conserve existing knowledge; transmit knowledge through teaching; and create new knowledge through research.

Fawowe (n.d) states that the library occupies an important position in the university. Collaborating this, the Association of University Teachers of Great Britain (AUTGB) – (nd) summed up the importance of libraries within the university system as the provision of an absolutely fundamental services which function as a center for teaching and research.

Oduagwu (2002) reveals that academic libraries have homogenous clients. They are Students- undergraduates and post graduates; Faculty members- lecturers; Non- teaching staff in institutions of higher learning; Other researchers- within and outside the community. Libraries (academic) stock a good array of information resources which are used to meet the information needs of the client (Nnadozie, 2007).

Academic libraries therefore, give attention to patrons, engage in activities and discharge a good number of duties that are tailored to benefiting the patrons and meeting their needs. In recognition to this, Queen (2009) views these duties rendered to patrons as library services.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The problem lies in the underutilization of library services and products by undergraduate students. Despite the wide array of resources available, many undergraduates are either unaware of these services or do not fully utilize them. This could be due to a lack of effective marketing strategies targeted towards this demographic. The challenge, therefore, is to develop and implement marketing strategies that not only raise awareness about the library’s offerings but also encourage active utilization by undergraduate students. This issue is critical as it directly impacts the academic success and resource optimization within the educational institution.

Academic libraries have a lot of services which can benefit the students, lecturers, non- teaching staff, research, researchers etc. it has been discovered that these services are not known to the patrons due to their poor exploitation. It can be said that academic libraries lack virile Marketing strategies.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study is to examine the Marketing library products and the utilization of library services by undergraduate in academic libraries . However, the specific objectives are to:

find out how Marketing of library products affect library services to undergraduate students?
How will the effective utilization of library services in academic libraries affect undergraduate students?
What are the benefits of marketing library services to undergraduate students?

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The research aims at finding answers to the following questions:

To what extent will Marketing of library products affect library services to undergraduate students?
examine the effective utilization of library services in academic libraries by undergraduate students?
find out the benefits of marketing library services to undergraduate students?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

The following Research Hypothesis was stated for the study:

H_o: Marketing of library products has no significant effect on library services to undergraduate students.

H₁: Marketing of library products has significant effect on library services to undergraduate students.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The research report would benefit the library patrons as it would reveal to them the different kinds of library services available for exploitation.

The significance of studying marketing library products and the utilization of library services is multifaceted. Firstly, it provides an understanding of the current state of library services utilization among the target audience, in this case, undergraduates. This understanding is crucial as it helps identify the gaps in service utilization and the potential reasons behind these gaps. It could be due to a lack of awareness about the services offered, perceived irrelevance of the services, or even accessibility issues.

This study is significant as it can guide the development of effective marketing strategies for library products and services. By understanding the needs and preferences of undergraduates, libraries can tailor their services and products to meet these needs. This could involve enhancing digital services, providing more relevant resources, or even rebranding the library to appeal to this demographic.

Again, the study’s significance extends to the broader academic community. Libraries are essential resources for academic research and learning. By improving the utilization of library services, we can enhance the overall academic experience and outcomes for undergraduates. This could potentially lead to improved academic performance and a more enriched learning environment.

Furthermore, the study’s findings could be significant for policy-making in the education sector. If the study reveals systemic issues in the utilization of library services, it could prompt a review of current policies and the development of new ones to address these issues. This could lead to more inclusive and effective library services that cater to the diverse needs of all students.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study examines Marketing library products and the utilization of library services by undergraduate in academic libraries. The study is on the strategies for the Marketing of library services with the Cross River state University library as the case study. It would concentrate only on the main library.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

The terms below are defined for effective understanding of the study.

Academic Library- It is a library attached to an institution of higher learning.
Library: An organized collection for knowledge, information, education, research, etc.

Marketing: The process of analyzing the competition, positioning, pricing, promotion, advertising sales of library product and service.

Library Services: They are duties rendered to the patrons of the library.
Markeing: Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection

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