Abstract:
This study was designed to investigate the strategies for marketing library services in universities in South-East Nigeria. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. The population consisted of one hundred and seventy four library staff, made up of one hundred and one academic librarians and seventy three library officers in the chosen zone. A population of these library staff was used for the study. Seven research questions guided the study. Sixty- four item questionnaire was used as instrument for data collecton. In addition structured interview was used for the Public Services Librarians and Reference Librarians of the university libraries. Mean scores were used to analyze the research questions. Responses obtained from the interview were used in discussing the findings. The result of data analyzed revealed that: Library services are marketed mainly to achieve high level of customer satisfaction and to maintain library relevance.The library services that are marketed most are online services and photocopying services.The most widely used promotion methods are exhibitions and displays.The most commonly used channels for distribution are newsletters and newspapers. Librarians mostly consider the cost of providing services and the extent of competition with other information service providers while fixing price in marketing.Furthermore, the study showed that having no budget and having no policy for marketing, are the greatest impediments to marketing library services. Based on the findings, it was recomended that library administration should have marketing policy and also budget for marketing of library services. Librarians on their part should re-learn and re-tool and use other promotion methods and other distribution channels available for the type of services they need so as to gain competitive advantage.
