Introduction

The previous chapters of this part discussed the importance of management skills and the involvement of the librarian in policy development and implementation. Yet all of this work is largely for naught if a library has no users. Thus marketing has become increasingly important for libraries of all kinds as they seek to reach potential library users with news about the services on offer.

On completion of this chapter readers should understand:

The importance of marketing to libraries

Libraries exist to provide services to users; in this way they can be compared to service industries. Indeed some commentators have argued that when discussing libraries and users we should adopt the language of the private sector and refer to library users as customers (Koontz, 2002). The majority of libraries are in public service roles, but whether public or private enterprises, the concepts of services marketing are indeed relevant. As one commentator has put it, ‘Librarians and information professionals are in the people business’ (de Saez, 2002, 1). Thus marketing theories neatly complement those of management, and an understanding of both is crucial for the modern professional charged with ensuring that his or her service is of high quality and well used.

The 4 Ps of marketing

One of the best-known aspects of marketing theory relates to the four Ps, otherwise known as the marketing mix. The four Ps are:

How these obviously commercial terms relate to libraries is discussed below.

Product: in the context of libraries, the product is whatever the user needs. In a public library it can be the latest Harry Potter book, a DVD film or a music CD, or it can even be an entire range of stock. In a college library it can be a book, a database, or a successfully answered reference enquiry. In a corporate library it can be a quick online database search for a client. There are many products that are on offer when a library service is provided.