APPLICATION OF ENTREPRENEURIAL PRACTICES IN MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION OF LIBRARY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.

Mrs. Sonal Khakhar Ms.Swapna.S.Athavale

Library marketing - thinking outside of book…We don’t

sell things but we provide service after all . --Jill Stover

Library Marketing is finding out what people really wants and

providing them a proper product or services which satisfy there

needs or wants.

WHY MARKET LIBRARIES AND DOCUMENTATION CENTRE?

Two important reasons to market Library :

Sound judgment describe that in this condition of increasing users

choices, librarian needs to advertise what libraries offer.

Yesterday’s social support for libraries and documentation centre

falters with today’s new economic preferences, social modification

and technological innovation. Librarians must know what users want

and let them know their needs can be met through their libraries.

WHY MARKETING IS REQUIRED TO PROMOTE LIBRARY SERVICES With the introduction of Information communication technology (ICT),

the approach and request of the users has suddenly changed.

Today’s users of library are showing a very mature approach.

By the start of internet, any user can’t wait for long to access to any

information.

Institutes/Universities are paying huge amount on subscribing to many

electronic resources.

In India, the user is not very much alert about the services offered by

the library

To bring the notice of government agencies towards the library.

To boost the status and position of library professionals.

WHAT INVOLVED IN PROMOTION OF LIBRARY SERVICES Know the use of the library .

Categories the core business of the library.

Value the varying connection between the library and its immediate

and Broader situations

Identify sufficient information about library patrons to establish

significant and equally useful relationship with them.

Evaluate and keep an eye on the information needs of library clientele

from time to time.

Establish the relationship between products and services that would best

meet the information needs of customers.

Plan and design identified products and services within the limits of

accessible resources.

4 PS MODEL FOR LIBRARY MARKETING

Libraries and documentation centre in India adopt following

methods to design and promote marketing mix for ensure a impulse

role in the modern information society.

Product

Place

Promotion of Information

Price

Once upon a time, before the rise of the Internet and the

emergence of hundreds of television channels, the library was where

people went for both information and entertainment.

But then the library became a victim of rapidly changing lifestyles,

and was on the verge of being wiped out. That is until it

rediscovered itself in a new avatar: the online library.

Knowledge of technology, internet tools and innovative way of

thinking has made possible to market library product and

services online.

 

INNOVATIVE PRACTICES IN MARKETING LIBRARY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Librarywala.com and doorsteps.com is one of the innovative and

Entrepreneurial practices in Marketing and distribution of library

products and services

First online libraries in India and was founded in Mumbai in 2007

by Hiten Turakhia and Hiten Dedhia,

Members can choose from the various plans available on the website

and have books delivered to their homes.

Librarywala .com is one of the great models of innovative library

services.

Librarywala has a collection of 30,000 unique titles and

approximately 11,000 active members across Mumbai, Bangalore

and Pune.

People can register online after paying registration charges .

They can choose from different plan, browse catalogue and make a

list of books they want to read Depending on the availability of books.

Books delivered at doorsteps.

No late fees or charges for home delivery and books can be kept as

long as we want.

A same model is followed by doorstep books. Com, a Kolkata-

based start-up. One step further - by delivering books to cities in West

Bengal using courier services.

CONCLUSION

Marketing is very useful in information society. The 21st century is

age of continues development of new technology. Earlier in library

focus was on the preservation of reading material but now concept

of focusing mainly on marketing of library products and services. In

today’s age library is consider as the market place for the

Information seeker. The survival of the library of the future depends

very much on the marketing.