Researchers’ Profile for Effective Marketing of Library Services in University Libraries in North East, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the researchers’ profile for effective marketing of library services in university libraries in North East, Nigeria. The study was guided by three purposes which include: to explore the methods employed in obtaining researchers’ profile for effective marketing of library services in university libraries; to ascertain the extent to which researchers’ profiles contributes to effective marketing of library services in university libraries, and to determine challenges associated with obtaining researchers’ profile for effective marketing of library services in university libraries. In line with the purposes, three research questions were formulated. The descriptive survey design was employed for the study. A total of one hundred and ninety librarians working in the university libraries in the North East were used as the population of study using purposive sampling technique, while a questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation was adopted for data analysis. The study found that the methods or ways employed  in obtaining researchers’ profile for effective marketing of library services include: interaction with researchers as they visit the library by librarian designate, telephone calls; analysis of individual interviews/chats to establish profile; use of faculty notice board to call for researchers’s profile to the library. The study also revealed that researchers’ profile contributes less to effective marketing of library services. Some of the challenges faced are: lack of adequate staff, inadequate ICT facilities, ineffective network access in the library, lack of appropriate profiling software, lack of appropriate ICT facilities for profiling, lack of trained staff with marketing skills, poor power supply to the library, inadequate funding, etc. Other recommendations made include: university library staff especially the professionals should cloth themselves with humility in order to accommodate every researcher regardless of their manners of approach since the methods mostly employed in obtaining researchers’ profile for effective marketing of library services rest on professional library staff, etc.