This project is on product marketing - A strategic step for libraries in the information age. The study aims at presenting product marketing as a strategic step that all types of libraries must take in order to remain relevant in the information age and also highlights some of these strategies which are already in used in Imo State library board, Owerri. In the course of the study, several relevant literature were reviewed the librarian and library offices of Imo state library board, Owerri made up the population of study and the survey research method as used. The result of the study shows that product marketing strategies in use in Imo State library board are not enough for the library to remain relevant in the competitive digital era. This inadequacy has been found to be engendered by inadequate library stock etc.

Library fund incompetence of Liberians inadequate library stock etc.

Recommendations made in this study includes adequate library funding through alternative means adequate training and retaining of staff, staff motivation, etc in order to equip the staff with adequate skill and knowledge in library product / service marketing strategies and to enable the library to afford library product marketing tools staff motivation and a balanced library stock.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page i

Certification page ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgment iv

Abstract v

Table of contents vi

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction 1

1.1 Background of the study 2-6

1.2 Background information in Imo State library board,

Owerri 7-8

1.3 Statement of the problem 9

1.4 Objective of the study 10

1.5 Research questions 11

1.6 Scope / limitation of the study 11

1.7 Significance of the study 12-13

References 14

CHAPTER TWO

Literature Review

2.0 Introduction 15

2.1 Marketing in the 21 century; the library

understanding 16-17

2.2 Unique reasons that require marketing orientation

in the library 18-24

2.3 General implication for libraries in marketing library service in the information age 25-27

2.4 Marketing strategies applicable in libraries in the competitive era 28-39

2.5 Limitation to marketing library service in the

information age 40-43

References 44-46

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Research methodology 47

3.1 Research design 47

3.2 Population 48

3.3 Sample / sampling technique 48

3.4 Instrument for data collection 48

3.5 Method of data collection 49

3.6 Method of data analysis 49

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 Data analysis 50-63

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 Summary of findings, Conclusion and

Recommendation 64

5.1 Summary of finding 64

5.2 Conclusion 65

5.3 Recommendation 66-67

Bibliography 68-72

Appendix 73

Questionnaire 74-77

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

According to Nwokoye, (1981:95) product is bundle of physical and psychological satisfaction that a buyer receives from a purchase”. To Nwokoye, a product includes notably the tangible object but also such supportive elements as packaging, convenience of purchase, post-sale service and others that buyers value thus product can take a variety of forms including physical object, service, a place an organization an idea or a personality. What is certain is that product does not necessarily mean a physical object manufactured by a firm, service like those of the libraries are also regarded as product.

Therefore, library products are what the library does for Its community of user, those tangible goods and services that the library offers, for example:

Provision of the building, the book and the Bain
Provision of resources for life buy learning
Provision of local, regional and national access resources
Provision of reference and research resources, service and collections
Provision of services for users in the online community
Provision of information, cultural and social literacy and so many others too numerous to mention.

According to Johnson, (1991) marketing is the sum of all those business activities that promote the movement of product and services from producer to the customers or other users, together with study of consumer circumstances, preferences and attitudes and the systematic use of the knowledge create goods and services for consumption. This definition emphasizes marketing research in other must produce the right kind of product for their clientele.

According to Wehmeier, (2000) strategy” mean done as part of a plain that is mean to achieve a particular or to fain an advantage”.

In many organizations strategic planning is viewed as a process for determining where an organization is going over the next year or more. In many occasions it is used to refer to a pan of action designed to achieve a particular goal.

In order to determining where it is going, the organization needs to know exactly where it stands, then determine where it wants to go and how it will go there” http//.www.en.wikipedia.org/wik/strategy

Having found itself in a world full of competition for money relevance and supremacy the world of information management for the digital generation the library community has grabbed strategic planning as an inevitable tool the struggle.

According to Wikipedia free Encyclopedia, (2010)” information age is used to refer to a period beginning in the last quarters of the 20^th century when information because easily accessible through publications and through the manipulation of information by computer and computer networks.

From this period, books became widely available and till date information availability and accessibility has continued to grow people can stay in the comfort of their homes and offices and access whatever information they need. But the question is, how comprehensive and relevant could such information sought by a user by himself be, compare to that packaged by a specialized institution such as the library. Library acquisition of information materials is rational and systematic to meet the information needs of users.

No wonder Opara (2007) state that “an information hatus in any society that if information is unavailable or inadequate. Information can however be available but be totally or nearly inaccessible. Libraries are institutions that provide access to information in divert formats to the clientele. It is where users can obtain current and unbiased answers to their information needs. Yet, no mater rich a library is, it much make efforts to announce this to its community of existing and potential users if it must be relevant.

Wikipedia further explains that the information age is the opposite of the previous eras such as the industrial age in which most endeavours were related to some physical process or product” the information age is one of an economy based on the manipulation of information.

Oduagwu, (2008) state that “with the evolution of social order or what we now also commonly call information society, knowledge and information are assuming central role in every aspect of life. “As the importance information is increasing in the society more and more fields, researchers, professionals and businesses are turning to information.

One can also look at information age as the age of literature proliferation. Due to the ever-increasing importance of information, more researchers are carried out which engender more and more publications, and this in turn increase the volume of world information.

This large volume of information needs to be tracted professionals and made easily available to users. in summary, the library must develop the right kind of product for its uses by finding out what they need through user study and make the product easily accessible to them bearing in mind that library is no longer the only university involved in the business of information management and dissemination. The library must announcers supremacy in this business.

For the library to remain relevant in the information age it must imbibe the culture of strategic planning such as developing the right kind of product in the right place and for the right people as well as promote it.

Some of these strategic come in form of radio and television advertisement, direct mailing, news talks, web listing of services, seminars, conferences, personal contact with users etc.

1.2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON IMO STATE LIBRARY BOARD OWERRI

The creation of Imo State on 3^rd February, 1976 necessitated the establishment of a library board in established by edit No. 12 of 1977 during the military administration of the then Lt. commander Ndubuisi Kanu it will be recalled that the first board of the library was a pointed on the 10^th November, 1976 it consisted of prof. Anya O. Anya as chairman of the board, and seven members namely; prof. D.I Nwoga, Dr. Eze Ogueri ii. Ms Gloria I Ofo Mazi F.wosu Ezi, Mrs.Rozina Umelo, Mr. N.C. Okorokwo the then permanent secretary, ministry of education and information, and Kalu Okorie as the director of library services.

The library board is situated in the heart of Owerri metropolis. It occupies a storey building to accommodate 85,000 volumes.

It is made up of the children’s library, the acquisitions and the cataloguing department, an auditorium of 120 capacity, the mobile library Garage, the loaming Bay, the Reference Library, the Audit Lending Library, the Handicapped Section and the Administrative Offices.

The library board provides basic study and research cum reference materials on most subject and areas and stocks classic and popular literature for both adults and children. Presently it provide internet services to the host of its users.

The library board is determined to provide adequate library facilities to serve the educational informational, entertainment and recreational needs of the people of the state and environ.

Present members of the library board include chief (C.D.B /Williams as chairman, and fivels / members namely-:

Dr. Samson Nzeribe
Hon Mike Okoro
Sir. .C. C. Onwuneme
Hon Augistus Chikezie and
Hon. P.N Iwu.

Information on Imo State library board can be on www.imostategov.njln.

1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The library is a store house of information needed societies of the information age but regrettably, library dedicates little resources to activities that inform their clientele of the availability of this information.

Some problems identified to be at the root of this vacuum in Imo state library board include unavailability of professional marketing and public relations offices high cost of product marketing tools and unorientation of libraries towards taking aggressive measures toward product marketing strategies, and most importantly inadequate fund.

1.4 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The study has the following objectives:

To find out if public libraries carryout public relation (P.R) activities
To ascertain the need for libraries to take strategic steps to market their products in the competitive era
To ascertain workable methods for marketing library products in the digital era.
To detect factors militating against the application of product marketing strategies in libraries
To proffer solutions to the detected problems.

1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The study has the following question

Is there need for libraries in the information age to take strategic steps in marketing their product?

Are there workable product marketing strategies for libraries to adoption in order to market their product?
What are the factor militating against the application of product marketing strategies in libraries?
What are the solutions to these problems?

1.6 SCOPE / LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The study covers product marketing as a strategic step for libraries in the information age.

It specifically covers product marketing strategies adopted by Imo State library board, Owerri.

This research will examine the meaning of product marketing strategy in the library understanding.

The process of the study was not without hitches. My manager resources as a student had its effects on the processes of search for and acquisition of relevant literature.

There were also time constraints; battled with the project together with other of my academic programmes starting my time as a student accordingly.

Despite all these, the result of the student is dependable.

1.7 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The finding of the study will help librarians to appreciate the need for marketing of library products and services.

Again, the result of the study will help librarians to ascertain suitable product marketing tools for their various libraries.

The result of the study will also serve as an information source to libraries seeking to intensify their product marketing strategies. The result of the study will also be of great use to researchers lecturers and student of library and information science.