Marketing Library and Information Services II: A Global Outlook

Citation

Kay Neville (2014), "Marketing Library and Information Services II: A Global Outlook", Library Review, Vol. 63 No. 1/2, pp. 165-166. https://doi.org/10.1108/LR-10-2013-0122

Marketing Library and Information Services II: A Global Outlook examines the issue of marketing university library and information services using a variety of real life examples from academics, researchers and library practitioners around the world. Marketing is currently a hot topic in libraries, as information staff from academic libraries are discovering it to be essential to promote their libraries to the “Google Generation” of library patrons. This book provides discussion and highlights solutions to the problems associated with the successful promotion of libraries in the modern world using web-based marketing methods via social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. This book is published by IFLA, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, an international body that helps to promote the interests of library and information services and which has produced many books on subjects relevant to the industry.

This book is divided into five broad categories, beginning with the basics of library marketing and contemporary theories of marketing, followed by a discussion of the four key issues in branding libraries with an emphasis on the challenges of managing the digital or online library brand. Section 3 discusses the topic of marketing across different libraries and countries and outlines case studies from various locations including Algeria, Germany, Brazil and China in different library settings including university and higher education libraries. Section 4 discusses e-marketing, and finally the book concludes with a short overview of the literature on marketing in library and information science (LIS) and ends with a discussion on the global outlook in library marketing.

In the preface, the editors Gupta, Koontz and Massisimo emphasize that marketing to internet-savvy library users (specifically Generation Y and the Google Generation) requires new, innovative methods of promotion through ‘engaging’ library patrons via online social media such as blogs and webinars. Marketing is more than library displays and designing library websites; it involves all aspects from book selection, professional “stock arrangement” and social media in addition to new add-on services like refreshments and entertainment facilities. Librarians need to consider many aspects of marketing including library branding, providing quality service, sustainability issues and e-marketing.

Academic librarians must learn new skills to promote their library similar to the ways a commercial commodity is marketed. Traditional methods like newsletters and displays can be complemented with social marketing using Facebook, Twitter, RSS Feeds, blogs and YouTube to engage with the target group of younger library users. Social media provides a collaborative virtual community, a two-way dialogue that is facilitated by “Virtual Community Managers”, states Rajesh Singh, elevating the services and activities of the library to “design robust, enjoyable and memorable experiences for their community” (p. 366). E-marketing can be relatively cost-effective and as simple as the use of online promotional calendars that highlight new resources, services, news items and activities that complement the core services.

In Section 5, library marketing literature is examined in a global context by authors G. Mahesh and Dinesh K. Gupta using Google Scholar articles on LIS marketing. They discovered an average of 38 articles per year (from the year 2000 when library marketing began appearing in the literature to 2011), and most of the journals come from the United Kingdom, USA and China (p. 392). Marketing is increasingly appearing as a topic in library management journals, indicating it is an important issue in the field of academic librarianship. Traditionally, librarians are not skilled at promoting their library or themselves; however, in the present environment, this has to change, as libraries need to demonstrate their value to the academic community, policy makers and senior public servants and show how they contribute to the academic success of the students at their academic institution.

This book provides thought-provoking ideas, interesting case studies and practical applications of all aspects of library marketing. Topics discussed include changing marketing concepts and the latest thinking in web-based marketing for libraries. It is recommended for any academic librarian wishing to improve the promotion of their library with many practical examples that could be adopted in a number of settings. The discussion of e-marketing using blogs, online advertising, viral marketing, webinars and other types of social media is especially useful for the library professionals hoping to engage younger library patrons using innovative, low-cost methods.