Australian Academic Librarians’ Perceptions of Marketing ... · PDF fileSchool of...
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School of Information Studies
Australian Academic Librarians’ Perceptions of
Marketing Services and Resources
Zhixian (George) Yi, Damian Lodge and Sigrid McCausland
School of Information Studies
Charles Sturt University
16 January, 2013
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Overview
Introduction
Literature review
Methodology
Findings and discussion
Conclusions
References
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INTRODUCTION
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Background to the Problem
With the rapid development of information technology and
increasingly intense competition with other non-profit and
profit organizations, academic libraries are facing a pressing
need to market their unique services and resources and reach
their client base utilising various marketing techniques.
Currently, many print and online marketing techniques are
being used. However, little has been shared about which
marketing techniques are most effective and the factors
influencing the effective marketing approaches used.
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Purpose
This pilot study examines how Australian academic
librarians market their services and resources, which
marketing techniques are most effective, and the factors
influencing the effective techniques used.
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Research Questions
1). What do academic librarians perceive as effective
approaches for marketing their services and resources?
2). What approaches do academic librarians use to
market their services and resources?
3). Which marketing approaches do they perceive are
most effective?
4). What factors influence the choice of marketing
approaches used?
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Significance of This Pilot Study
Librarians may use the results to reflect on the effectiveness of the
marketing approaches used, to balance the weight of the factors’
influences, and to better understand various effective marketing
approaches to enable them to market academic library services
and resources more effectively in the future.
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LITERATURE REVIEW
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Current Books & Articles
Some current books and articles are concerned with
marketing library services and sources using various
techniques (Gupta & Savard, 2011; Jones, McCandless,
Kiblinger, Giles, & McCabe, 2011; Ojiambo, 1994;
Schmidt, 2006; Schontz, Parker, & Parker, 2004;
Verostek, 2005; Xia, 2009).
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Literature Gaps
Little is known about how academic librarians actually
market their services and resources.
Little information is given about the factors influencing
the effective marketing approaches used.
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METHODOLOGY
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Data
An online survey was sent to 37 academic librarians
in two Australian universities. The response rate was
54.1%.
The information sheet and consent form for phone
interview participants were emailed to 17 participants
and 10 signed consent forms were emailed back to the
chief researcher. The response rate was 58.8%.
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Variables
Dependent Variables: Approaches used to market
services and resources
Independent Variables: (1) demographics; (2) human
capital; and (3) library variables
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Data Analysis
The qualitative data were analysed using content
analysis.
The collected quantitative and qualitative data were
analysed using descriptive (frequencies, percentages,
means and standard deviations) and inferential statistics
(correlations).
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FINDINGS & DISCUSSION
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Survey
Of the 20 surveys returned, 15 (75%) respondents
successfully completed the survey. The pilot study
excluded 5 incomplete surveys.
The personal and organizational information of the 15
respondents are provided in Tables 1 and 2.
Table 3 shows the descriptive statistical results of
variables used in the analysis.
The correlation between independent variables and
dependent variables (techniques used to determine clients’
needs and wants are displayed in Table 4 (Parts 1 and 2).
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Table 1: Pilot Survey Results of Academic Librarians’ Personal Information (n = 15)
Personal
Information
No. of Responses
(%)
Female 11
(73.3)
Male 4
(26.7)
Age (Years)
<24 0
25-29 1
(6.7)
30-34 0
35-39 0
40–44 3
(20.0)
45-49 3
(20.0)
50–54 3
(20.0)
55–59 5
(33.3)
60-64 0
>65 0
Education Level
Less than a bachelor’s degree 1
(6.7)
Other bachelor’s degree 1
(6.7)
Bachelor’s degree in LIS 5
(33.3)
MA/MS not in Library Science 3
(20.0)
MLS 5
(33.3)
Formally Studying Marketing 2
(13.3)
Not Formally Studying Marketing 13
(86.7)
Attending a Workshop on Marketing in
the Last 5 Years
2
(13.3)
Not Attending a Workshop on
Marketing in the Last 5 Years
13
(86.7)
Legend: No = Number
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Table 2: Pilot Survey Results of Academic Librarians’ Organizational Information (n = 15)
Organizational
Information
No. of Responses
(%)
Mean
(SD)
Job Responsibility (multiple responses)
Access services 2
(13.3)
Acquisitions 0
(0)
Cataloguing 2
(13.3)
Collection services 2
(13.3)
Information literacy 4
(26.7)
Library administration 4
(26.7)
Reference services 5
(33.3)
Other 3
(20.0)
Work Service
Years at present position
5.5
(3.4)
Years of library services 19.0
(11.3)
Number of different professional library
positions
5.4
(3.5)
Number of staff in libraries 69.7
(35.8)
Number of library branches 5.3
(2.0)
Type of Institution Where Respondents Work or Worked (multiple responses)
College libraries 3
(20.0)
Profit-organizations 1
(6.7)
Public libraries 6
(40.0)
School libraries 1
(6.7)
Special libraries 6
(40.0)
University libraries 15
(100)
Other 2
(13.3)
Total Population that Respondents’ Libraries
Serve
27009.9
(12928.9)
Legend: No = Number, SD = Standard deviation
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Table 3.
Descriptive Statistics of Variables Used in the Analysis
Variables Percent/Mean SD
*DEPENDENT VARIABLES
Techniques used to determine
clients’ needs and wants (5-point
scale)
*2.0a *3.0b
Approaches to breaking down library
users into smaller groups (5-
point scale)
3.0a 4.0b
Techniques for promoting library
services and resources (5-point
scale)
3.0a 3.0b
Approaches to evaluating marketing
activities (5-point scale) 3.0a 3.0b
Web 2.0 tools used to market library
services and resources (5-point
scale)
3.0a 3.0b
Techniques for marketing electronic
resources (5-point scale) 3.0a 3.0b
Strategies used to market library
services and resources (5-point
scale)
3.0a 4.0b
INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
Female 73.3%
Age (10-point scale) 7.0a 6.0b
Education level (7-point scale) 4.0a 3.0b
Years at present position 5.5 3.4
Total years involved in library
service 19.1 38.0
No. different professional library
positions 5.4 10.0
No. library staff 36.7 61.4
No. library branches 5.3 9.0
Legend: SD = Standard deviation; ª Median, b Range
*The results of medians and ranges of dependent variables were for the first dependent variable of each category.
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Table 4 (Part 1): Correlation Matrix for Variables Used in the Analysis
Techniques used to determine clients’ needs and wants
A B C
D E
1 -.084 -.281 .093
-.065 .032
2 .242 .266 .297
.348 .287
3 .022 -.009 -.365
.038 .408
4 -.060 -.090 -.219
-.465* -.373
5 -.071 -.147 -.028
.110 .271
6 .026 -.164 -.068
.377 .189
7 .466* .050 .065
.258 .188
8 .472* .242 .234
.096 -.170
Notes:
A=Online Survey, B=One-on-one Interview, C=Phone Interview,
D=Focus groups, E=Other
1=Female, 2=Age, 3=Education, 4=Years at Present Position,
5=Total Years of Library Service, 6=No. of Different Positions
7=No. of Library Staff, 8=No. of Library Branches
*p ≤ 0.05; **p ≤ 0.01; ***p≤0. 001
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Table 4 (Part 2): Correlation Matrix for Independent Variables Used in the Analysis (N = 15)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 1.000
2 .612** 1.000
3 -.185 -.302 1.000
4 -.143 .040 -.350 1.000
5 .416 .590* -.380 -.143 1.000
6 .388 .547* -.112 -.228 .669** 1.000
7 .539* .379 .280 -.117 .139 .364 1.000
8 .334 -.021 -.030 -.138 -.284 -.184 .408 1.000
Notes:
1=Female, 2=Age, 3=Education, 4=Years at Present Position, 5=Total Years of Library Service,
6=No. of Different Positions, 7=No. of Library Staff, 8=No. of Library Branches
*p ≤ 0.05; **p ≤ 0.01; ***p≤0. 001
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Phone Interview
The average years of library service was 16.5 years. 80% of
participants said that marketing is a part of their official roles.
The main approaches used to identify library user needs and
expectations included client surveys, online enquiries, one-to-one
interactions with the users, face-to-face meeting, orientation
session, and physical tours.
The most effective social media tools used to market services
and resources were the library website, library blogs, library
forums and email.
The factors influencing the marketing techniques used were
technology, time, cost, librarian’s skill levels and client groups.
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CONCLUSIONS
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Summary of the Findings
Academic librarians were involved in a variety of marketing
activities and had varied perceptions of the effective approaches
used to market services and resources. As one participant
mentioned, “I am not a marketing person, but I do a lot of
marketing activities.”
Correlation analysis confirms that demographics, human capital
and library variables play significant roles in predicting librarians’
perceptions of the effective marketing techniques used.
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Practical Implications
This pilot study provides a better understanding of
academic librarians’ attitudes, views and effective
techniques with regard to marketing their services and
resources.
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Limitations
Because of very small sample size, the results may lack
generalisability.
There was no hypothesis development and some
predictors such as formally studying or not studying
marketing and attending or not attending a workshop on
marketing in the last 5 years were not incorporated in the
analysis of correlations.
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Future Research
The future research is a large-scale study to survey
academic librarians in other Australian universities using
the revised questionnaire based on the results of this
pilot study.
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REFERENCES Gupta, D., & Savard, R. (Eds.). (2011). Marketing libraries in a web 2.0 world. Berlin: De Gruyter Saur.
Jones, Y., McCandless, M., Kiblinger, K., Giles, K., & McCabe, J. (2011). Simple marketing techniques and
space planning to increase circulation. Collection Management, 36, 107-118.
Ojiambo, J. B. (1994). Application of marketing principles and techniques to libraries and information centres.
Library Review, 43(2), 46-51.
Schmidt, J. (2006). Marketing library and information services in Australian academic libraries. In D. K. Gupta,
C. Koontz, A. Massisimo & R. Savard (Eds.), Marketing library and information services: International
perspectives (pp. 120-130). Munchen: K. G. Saur Verlag GmbH.
Schontz, M. L., Parker, J. C., & Parker, R. (2004). What do librarians think about marketing? A survey of public
librarians’ attitudes toward the marketing of library services. Library Quarterly, 74(1), 63-84.
Verostek, J. M. (2005). Affordable, effective, and realistic marketing. College & Undergraduate Libraries,
12(1/2), 119-138.
Xia, Z. D. (2009). Marketing library services through Facebook groups. Library Management, 30(7), 469-478.
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Acknowledgments
This pilot study was supported by the School of
Information Studies Research Fellowship.
Thank respondents and participants so much for
participating in this pilot study.
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Thank You So Much!
Questions or Comments?