What Exactly Do You Do Here? Marketing-Related Jobs in Public and Academic Libraries

ABSTRACT

This study analyzes the presence of marketing-related job duties in public and academic library job listings and the experience required for these positions in order to better understand how libraries currently embrace marketing. A content analysis was performed on job listings from the American Library Association (ALA) JobLIST. The findings revealed 37% of job listings included marketing-related content, while only 11% of those listings also included stated experience or training in the marketing field. The findings will be of interest to library administrators looking to improve marketing strategies within their library without compromising the productivity of other library activities.     

Demonstrating the impact of your teaching: benefits of Higher Education Academy Fellowship for librarians

This feature suggests that health librarians who teach or support Higher Education (HE) students can and should gain accreditation and recognition for their teaching by the route of HEA Fellowship. We outline the process by which Fellowship could be attained by those working within HE and those in NHS libraries who work with HE students, suggesting which aspects of librarianship practice could provide the necessary evidence for Fellowship. The synergies between Fellowship and Chartership are examined and the criteria for HEA (UK Professional Standards Framework or UKPSF) are mapped against those for Chartership (Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB). D.I.     

The Undergraduate Prospectus as a Marketing Tool for Academic Libraries

There is widespread use of the undergraduate prospectus as a decision-making tool for prospective university students. Surveys have examined factors that affect student decision-making; none have specifically examined the use of the prospectus as a marketing tool for academic libraries. This study aimed to examine the usefulness of the prospectus as a marketing tool for academic libraries. A content analysis of twenty prospectuses was carried out to determine the portrayal of the library within them. A questionnaire was used to uncover the perceptions of prospective university students. This was distributed to 44 sixth-form students. The prospectus was identified as the most important source of information for prospective students. The library was deemed important in the prospectus in terms of decision-making, but it ranked behind other information, such as course content or entry requirements. The exposure of the library varied within prospectuses; some featured the library heavily, others excluded the library altogether. The most heavily referenced features of the library were information technology, printed and electronic resources, and study space. The prospectus has potential for library marketing, increasing the exposure, and highlighting the value of its services. A “best practice” policy for library marketing and promotion within prospectuses is presented.     

The NHS Lanarkshire Intranet site (FirstPort) and its effectiveness as a knowledge management tool

The use of intranets as knowledge management tools in the NHS has been applied with varying success. This study set out to evaluate the effectiveness of the NHS Lanarkshire intranet site FirstPort as a knowledge management tool and to capture opinions on what would be required of a new FirstPort 2 site to be launched in the summer of 2012. The research was conducted in June 2011 by Paul Herbert as part of MSc in Health Informatics at the University of Sheffield, supervised by Nigel Ford. At the time of the study, Paul was working at NHS Lanarkshire and he was able to give his employers a useful set of recommendations. He moved to his present post with Healthcare Improvement Scotland in June 2012. This article is the first in the Dissertations into Practice series to investigate web‐based tools for information and communication inside the NHS, but there are more in the pipeline. AM     

A Study of the Variables Influencing Academic Library Staff's Attitudes Toward Marketing

This article aims to present an insight into some of the factors influencing the attitudes of academic library staff in three UK university libraries toward marketing and how these factors could be incorporated into an existing model. An online questionnaire about attitudes to marketing and personality was completed by 54 academic library staff from three UK universities. Four academic library management staff were also selected for in-depth interviews. The results indicated that academic library staff have a positive attitude toward marketing and feel that it is vital in the current environment. The research found that personality factors such as extroversion and openness to change, experience and training influenced marketing attitudes. It also revealed that academic library staff were unclear of the definition of marketing, leading to a possible misunderstanding and mistrust of the terminology. The research discovered a gap in marketing knowledge and understanding that must be addressed for marketing success to be achieved. The findings supported the definition of marketing for individual academic libraries as a prerequisite to strategic marketing planning and the importance of considering the attitudes of staff when implementing marketing strategy.     

Understanding Academic E-books Through the Diffusion of Innovations Theory as a Basis for Developing Effective Marketing and Educational Strategies

Academic libraries are choosing to purchase electronic books (e-books) rather than print more frequently for multiple reasons. Unfortunately, e-books are not being used as much as they should be. With increasing academic e-book collections, many studies have examined student and faculty use of and attitudes towards this innovation. This paper will analyze the results in this area of research and align them with the Diffusion of Innovations Theory that includes the Rogers Diffusion of Innovations Curve, innovation categories, and the factors affecting the diffusion process of an innovation. This analysis will give libraries a better understanding of who is using academic e-books, why academic e-books are being used, and how to influence the behaviour of the academic libraries' patrons to increase their use of academic e-books. An analysis of these three areas will help libraries to develop effective marketing and education strategies aimed at increasing e-book usage.     

Clinical librarianship in the UK: temporary trend or permanent profession? Part II: present challenges and future opportunities

BACKGROUND: This article is the second part of a two-part series reporting a study of the role of the Clinical Librarian (CL) in the UK. METHODS: A qualitative method of semi-structured interviews was used to explore in-depth the role of the CL. The interviews provided a rich source of data and give insight into this new and emerging role as practised in the National Health Service (NHS). Similarities and differences are examined between the CL population and reported within themes, specifically: personal qualities and skills required, training for the CLs, marketing the CL service, working in the clinical environment, monitoring and evaluation and the acceptance of the CL in the NHS. RESULTS: A common understanding of the skills and knowledge required to undertake the CL role was shared by the respondents. However, practice differed as this was often dictated by local circumstances. The study confirmed the need for the CLs to work with clinical colleagues in the clinical setting to enhance patient care. CONCLUSION: The importance of using best evidence to support patient care is a message that is slowly becoming the norm in the NHS and the CL role in this practice is demonstrated by this study.     

Connecting with Community: The Importance of Community Engagement in Rural Public Library Systems

While the topic of community engagement in public libraries has been researched in urban public library systems, little research explores community engagement in rural library systems. The Canadian province of Nova Scotia is largely rural and sparsely populated, with a dwindling and aging rural population. This report examines how community engagement can connect Nova Scotia’s rural public libraries with their communities. Librarians from eight predominantly rural library systems across the province were interviewed regarding the community engagement practices currently being used within their libraries and how their patrons (particularly youth) were reacting and responding to these practices. This article synthesizes the information derived from these interviews and provides a summary of the community engagement efforts being made throughout Nova Scotia. This study ultimately determines that while librarians in rural communities face a number of challenges when attempting to implement community engagement (e.g., small budgets and low staffing numbers), they remain extremely passionate about the topic and dedicated to serving their communities in the most meaningful and relevant way possible.     

Do you Facebook? Usage and applications of Facebook page among academic libraries in Malaysia

This paper explores the use and application of Facebook among Malaysian academic libraries in order to provide academic libraries with ideas for best practices in using social networking sites to better profile themselves and communicate effectively with their users. The research questions guiding this study were: (a) What are the extent and nature of institutional Facebook use by Malaysian academic libraries? (b) What information do Malaysian academic libraries deliver through Facebook page? This study employs content analysis to examine current uses of the library Facebook page. A checkpoint was developed to analyze the libraries’ usage and application of Facebook page. A total of 14 academic libraries in Malaysia are using Facebook page as part of their services to users. However only three libraries are fully utilizing their Facebook page, and they have been identified as “Skaters” based on the 8-S Framework of Category Development for Facebook user. Most libraries are using their Facebook page for marketing and creating awareness of library services to their users.     

An investigation into the feasibility of designing a framework for the quantitative evaluation of the Clinical Librarian service at an NHS Trust in Brighton,UK

This feature presents research undertaken by Archana Deshmukh for her MA dissertation at the University of Brighton. She worked closely with Tom Roper, the Clinical Librarian at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, in a project to explore the feasibility of applying quantitative measures to evaluate the Clinical Librarian service. The investigation used an innovative participatory approach and the findings showed that although an exclusively quantitative approach to evaluation is not feasible, using a mixed methods approach is a way forward. Agreed outputs and outcomes could be embedded in a marketing plan, and the resulting framework could provide evidence to demonstrate overall impact. Archana graduated in July 2014, gaining a Distinction in the MA in Information Studies, and she is currently looking for work in the health information sector.     

Instructor Use of Educational Streaming Video Resources

Although a substantial majority of academic libraries now provide streaming video, the literature contains few studies which focus on how such resources are used. This article presents the results of a qualitative research study consisting of in-depth interviews with 18 instructors who use of one category of streaming video resources, educational videos, which are important because they are sold a higher price than most individuals can afford, and thus are typically only available to instructors through the library. The study's main findings are that instructors think educational streaming video resources compare favorably to commercial and non-streaming alternatives in most respects and use them whenever possible, that the primary benefit of these resources is to facilitate better use of limited class time by enabling instructors to assign videos as outside-of-class viewing, and that the library is not the primary means instructors use to discover new educational streaming video resources. Additional insights are provided into factors that academic libraries should consider when deciding which resources to invest in, which acquisition models to pursue, and what marketing strategies to employ to ensure maximum usage.     

Books,Children, Dogs,Artists: Library Programs for the Entire Family

The promotion of library resources and services is a continuous process for all libraries, especially hospital family resource center libraries. Like public libraries, a family resource center can utilize programs as a pathway for connecting with and developing awareness of library resources and services available to patient families. This column describes the programs currently offered for All Children's Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine patient families, marketing initiatives to promote these programs, and utilization of grant funding to supplement a program.     

Communicating Value and Impact through Advocacy: Dealing with the Scalability Issue in the Province of Ontario

This article explores the progress being made in Ontario for marketing, advocacy, influence, and results about the high impact and value of the over 300 library systems in the province. It covers the challenges we face, our goals, and our tactics and strategies to collaborate and achieve results on a province-wide scale. We are building our skills by understanding the components of good marketing communication processes, its foundation in relationships and influence, and how to take data and statistics and transform them into powerful narratives, visuals, and talking points that have an impact on audience and help with progress towards advocacy goals. This is a new early stage case study of the Ontario Public Libraries strategies for building these lobbying processes, gaining community input and support, and building province-wide collaboration and effort using affordable and powerful social media tools.     

The role of an NHS library service in the UK: the perceptions of clinical managers in Portsmouth, UK

BACKGROUND: Portsmouth NHS Library Service is exploring methods of raising its profile within its host organization and wishes to demonstrate its contribution to achieving organizational goals, perhaps by means of an impact study. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this small scale study, regarded as a possible precursor to an impact study, was to identify areas where there is potential to increase awareness among clinical managers of the Library's contribution. METHODS: An e-mail survey was sent to clinical managers to elicit their opinions regarding the contribution of the Library Service to organizational goals. RESULTS: Perhaps unsurprisingly, the role of the Library Service in education, research and effectiveness was most widely recognized. Of responses, 30/42 (71%) rated it as 'very important' and a further 11 (26%) rated it as 'important'. The low appreciation of the Library Service to Clinical Services is a disappointment in view of the body of research evidence. Only 12 respondents (29%) thought that the Library Service contributed 'significantly' by 'supporting informed and timely clinical decision making'. CONCLUSION: The study suggested areas where there might be scope to raise awareness of the Library contribution. In considering how best to achieve this, the benefits need to be weighed against the resource implications. Portsmouth NHS Library Service decided to increase its marketing efforts but not to carry out an impact study in the short term.     

Basic Marketing and Promotion Concepts

SUMMARY

Librarians need to embrace marketing and promotion to better understand customers' needs and to communicate with them regarding the services libraries offer. This chapter discusses basic marketing concepts and adapts them to the non-profit library environment. The marketing process, including the development of a marketing plan and the utilization of the marketing mix to develop tactics for promoting library services, is reviewed. The chapter lays the groundwork for subsequent articles, where authors employ these promotional techniques to develop and implement successful campaigns for promoting electronic resources.     

Marketing Gets Personal: Promoting Reference Staff to Reach Users

ABSTRACT

With a growing population of part-time and distance education students, changing technologies, and evolving user expectations, it is becoming increasingly challenging to reach users through traditional marketing approaches. This article will review previous trends in library marketing and promotion and explore new initiatives, including partnering with marketing courses, roving reference, and highlighting staff expertise to raise awareness among users.

This article originally published in Journal of Library Administration, Vol. 51, Issue 3, pages 291–300, 2011. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2011.556945.     

Showing Students We Care: Using Empathetic Marketing To Ease Library Anxiety And Reach Distance Students

Marketing to distance students can be particularly challenging, but a new marketing trend called empathetic marketing provides academic libraries with a new and innovative way to reach these students. Empathetic marketing focuses on the core emotional needs of students and demonstrates how the library’s staff and services can help meet those needs. This article explores how using empathetic marketing in outreach efforts to distance students builds a connection between the library staff and distance students and can help alleviate library anxiety for distance students.     

美国高校图书馆实时参考服务试验项目研究

文章从人员配置、宣传推广、软件选择、咨询问题类型、服务评估等方面对8个美国高校图书馆的实时参考咨询试验项目进行了研究分析与经验总结。     

Factors that Increase the Probability of a Successful Academic Library Job Search

Finding a position in an academic library can be challenging for recent Library and Information Science (LIS) graduates. While LIS students are often encouraged to seek out experience, network, and improve upon their technology skills in hopes of better improving their odds in the job market, little research exists to support this anecdotal advice. This study quantifies the academic and work experiences of recent LIS graduates in order to provide a better understanding of what factors most significantly influence the outcome of their academic library job searches. The survey results demonstrate that the job outlook is most positive for candidates who applied early, obtained academic library experience (preferably employment), participated in professional conferences, and gained familiarity with committee work.