Australian Academic Librarians’ Perceptions of Marketing ... · PDF fileSchool of Information Studies Australian Academic Librarians’ Perceptions of Marketing Services and Resources

School of Information Studies

Australian Academic Librarians’ Perceptions of

Marketing Services and Resources

Zhixian (George) Yi, Damian Lodge and Sigrid McCausland


Charles Sturt University

16 January, 2013


Overview

Introduction

Literature review

Methodology

Findings and discussion

Conclusions

References


INTRODUCTION


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.


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.


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?


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.


LITERATURE REVIEW


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).


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.


METHODOLOGY


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%.


Variables

Dependent Variables: Approaches used to market

services and resources

Independent Variables: (1) demographics; (2) human

capital; and (3) library variables


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).


FINDINGS & DISCUSSION


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).


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


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


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


scale)

3.0a 3.0b

Techniques for marketing electronic

resources (5-point scale) 3.0a 3.0b

Strategies used to market library


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.


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


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


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.


CONCLUSIONS


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


Thank You So Much!

Questions or Comments?

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Australian Academic Librarians’ Perceptions of Marketing ... · PDF fileSchool of Information Studies Australian Academic Librarians’ Perceptions of Marketing Services and Resources