The study was conducted to determine the state of marketing in medical libraries. The study highlighted that the inadequacy of information resources was a major factor affecting marketing in medical libraries.
Introduction
Background to the study
Gupta and Savard (2010) believed that marketing consists of the processes that bring people, technology, methods, techniques and environment together to provide users with information resources and services. Furthermore, there should be a close link between the marketing of information resources and services and user expectations.
Historical development of the universities under study
- History of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria
- History of Bayero University, Kano
- History of Kaduna State University
- History of Usmanu Danfodio University (UDUS)
- Distribution of universities by the zones and the universities in the zone
- Contextual history of marketing in the libraries
The adoption was due to the apparent need to promote higher education in the state. Long-term campaign strategy to improve awareness of and role of the library as a primary source of information resources and services to the community.
Statement of the problem
Effective marketing of library information resources and services will attract funds to purchase quality information resources. However, medical libraries are not exempt from issues affecting the use of marketing strategies in academic libraries.
Research objectives
Research questions
The significance of the study
The research will contribute to the existing knowledge/literature and fill a gap regarding the empirical study that has been done in Africa, specifically in Nigeria, in the marketing of medical libraries. Very little literature was found on the marketing of medical libraries and there was none on the marketing of medical libraries specifically in Nigeria, thus the justification for this research.
Originality of the study
While the current study differs from that study in terms of the study area, subject, level and method. At the same time, the study was supported by 4Ps, 7Ps and 4Cs marketing mix and SERVQUAL model respectively.
Preliminary literature
This will increase the literature in marketing of information resources and services as no study has been done in the marketing of medical library resources and services in the North West Nigeria.
Research methodology
Limitations and suggestions for further research
Scope and delimitations of the study
Definition of key terms
Ethical considerations
Outline of the thesis
SPSS software was used in the analysis of quantitative data, while Nvivo software was used in the analysis of qualitative data as well as the summary of the chapter. This chapter discusses the results of the research based on the variables of the theories and the summary of the chapter.
Summary
Introduction
The 4Ps marketing mix theory
Therefore, the aspects of the theory aligned with the components of the library's overall goals of providing users with information resources and services. Therefore, the presence of these three constructs will tackle the major problems of the 4Ps highlighted.
The 7Ps marketing theory
So the theory was used along with the later version, which is the 7Ps. The subsequent section presented the 7Ps marketing mix model. The services marketing mix is an extension of the conventional marketing mix model, from four (4Ps) to seven (7Ps) elements.
The 4Cs marketing mix theory
Price is irrelevant and is only one aspect of the total cost of providing resources and services to customers, which is the primary goal of the library (Jarad 2020). Communication: This includes the interaction between the user and the librarian in relation to resources and services to reflect and exchange ideas that will improve the quality of services and increase user satisfaction.
Service quality model
However, in the case of the current study, information resources and services are not getting the attention they deserve in the medical community. The elements in the theory of the SERVQUAL model are therefore operationalized below over the current study.
Justification for the integration of 4Cs, 4Ps and 7Ps theories/SERVQUAL model
What factors negatively affect the effective marketing of information resources and services required by users in medical libraries. What measures can be taken to facilitate the effective marketing of information resources and services to medical library users?
Summary
Introduction
List of databases consulted and search terms used for the literature review
The Concepts, purpose and application of marketing in libraries
Determination of information resources and services that must be adequately presented for the client's needs of information resources;. The need for a well-established market structure in libraries to promote efficient use of resources and services is critical.
Literature review map
Resources and facilities that are available to facilitate the marketing of information resources and services, including medical libraries.
The resources and facilities that are available to facilitate the marketing of
Resources for marketing in medical libraries
Therefore, in order to obtain effective marketing resources, the library should provide the resources and services that would meet the needs of its users. The resources provided include electronic resources and services, journal articles, multimedia, blogs, personal experiences, expert opinions, encyclopedias, and web pages, as well as some of the resources available for marketing at the library.
Services for marketing in medical libraries
In other words, medical libraries can use social media to market their information resources and services to help reach library patrons with the relevant information resources and services available. We would attract medical library users to come to the library to take advantage of the resources and satisfy their information needs.
The facilities used for marketing in medical libraries
The following section discussed the facilities available for marketing information resources and services in medical libraries. It will also encourage users to come to the library regularly and use its available resources and services.
The marketing strategies /techniques employed to meet the users’ needs in medical
In this regard, Murugesan (2017) highlighted the following as strategies for marketing information resources and services. Factors that adversely affect the effective marketing of information resources and services in libraries, including medical libraries.
Factors adversely affecting the effective marketing of information resources and
The Challenges of marketing information resources and services in medical libraries
The following section discussed the factors that negatively impact the effective marketing of information resources and services in medical libraries. Above are some of the challenges of marketing information resources and services that have been highlighted by the scholars from all angles.
The Measures employed to facilitate the effective marketing of information resources
The measures taken to facilitate the effective marketing of information resources and services to users, including medical libraries. Agboke and Effong (2020) suggested that library managers should provide more funds for marketing information resources and services.
Synthesis of the literature review
Enweani (2018) suggested that librarians should be innovative and pragmatic to ensure that library resources and services are marketed to all existing and future library users. In addition, librarians should be encouraged to successfully develop marketing skills and competencies in order to market their library resources and services.
Summary
In addition, the chapter highlighted IFLA's position on the marketing of information resources and services in libraries, which focused on the use of Web 2.0 and social media for the marketing of information resources and services. In addition, a review of scholarship has shown that the marketing of LIS as a means of promoting the use of information resources and services is a worldwide concern that is gaining in popularity.
Introduction
As a result, it is very important to describe the methods used by a researcher because it justifies why the research study was undertaken, how the research problem was defined, the population of the study and how it was obtained, how data was collected, the particular method, was used. and how data were analyzed.
Research paradigm
- Interpretivism
- Positivism
- Post-positivism
- Pragmatism
It also helped research to dissect the research problem and find the aspects of the problem that respondents found. Based on the foregoing, it can be understood that the use of the pragmatism paradigm is not generally a common paradigm in LIS research in Nigeria in general and marketing in LIS research in particular.
Research methodology and methods
The study reported that LIS research there was dominated by positivist (quantitative) epistemologies and relevant survey research methods. There has been limited use of qualitative and mixed methods research methodologies (Ngulube and Ukwoma 2019).
Research design
- Qualitative research method
- Quantitative research method
- Mixed methods research
- An explanatory sequential mixed method
Triangulation is broader in the types of methods that are combined, as it is often used as a combination of several qualitative methods (Flick 2018). Triangulation incorporates many different viewpoints, helps prevent biases of a single technique or researcher, and complements the links between observation and theory building (Plastow 2016). The term "multiple method", as pointed out by Plano Clark and Ivankova (2016) is used to combine multiple qualitative approaches, multiple quantitative approaches, or multiple qualitative and quantitative approaches. Convergent mixed methods design - is a form of mixed methods design where the researcher has converged quantitative and qualitative data to obtain a comprehensive analysis of the research problem.
Population of the study
In accordance with UKZN's research ethics policy (UKZN 2007), permission was sought from participants to collect data for this study. Although provided, respondents were also asked to consent to participate and given the choice to withdraw from the study.
Sampling technique and sampling for the study
The respondents for the present study were drawn from the two groups of the study population. According to Mohammed (2019), proportional random sampling is the process that ensures that the sample is representative of the population under study in some ways.
Data collection methods
Data collection Instruments
- The Survey questionnaires
- Interview method
- Observation Checklist
This shows that an interview is a data collection instrument that enables the researcher to gain in-depth knowledge of the problem being investigated through face-to-face, face-to-face or any other form of interview. In other words, non-participant observation implies that the observer is watching and not playing an active role (Urquhart 2015). The observation covers Research Objective Number One of the present study.
The administration of research instruments
It also ensures the independence of participants who are not subject to collusion of any kind. Observation technique has the characteristic of directness that can supplement information acquired through primary techniques such as questionnaires and interview.
Data analysis techniques
The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS)
Data analysis is a time-consuming and challenging activity, but it can be easily handled and operated using SPSS by applying a number of technical methods (Gogoi 2020). SPSS has the advantages, one of which is the simple to use, handle a large number of variables in a short time by applying a series of technical instructions to generate a set of appropriate output and so on (Gogoi 2020).
The NVivo software
Linking: Allows you to represent a process (for example, floors, sequence of events, causes and effects in a process) and make connections between variable aspects of data;. For this study, data from a set of interviews conducted with (4) respondents were analyzed using NVivo.
The Categorization of variables
Bivariate: examples of this include student gender, educational attainment by student age, and the relationship between student age and marketing information resources. Multivariate: examples of this include how useful facilities are for informing one about the resources and services used for marketing in a library and so on.
The Validity and reliability of research instruments
Pre-testing of research instruments
Therefore, the researcher conducted a pretest of the research instruments to ensure their validity and reliability. The reliability of the instrument was established in the calculation of the Cronbach Alpha, the Spearman-Brown coefficient and the Guttman Split-Half coefficients.
Ethical considerations
In the process of conducting an interview; the researcher was able to observe the study area as a non-participant observer. The collected data were coded and subjected to statistical analysis to determine the reliability of the instrument and the internal consistency of the items.
Evaluation of research methodology
Easy understanding of the collected data in such a way that the researcher can gain confidence;. In fact, the interview at some of the medical libraries had to be rescheduled twice because of the labor strike at the library.
Summary
The main objective of this study was to investigate the marketing of information resources and services in the medical libraries of the public universities. The section below discusses the presentation of the qualitative and quantitative data from the study.
Descriptive analysis of the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents
- Gender
- Level of study
- The Educational qualifications and working experience of heads of libraries
- Library use
- Frequency of use
- Purpose for which you use the library
We asked the research participants what problems they have in marketing library information resources and services. In addition, one of the managers of the medical libraries considered that the number of employees is a major challenge in library marketing of information resources and services.
What resources and facilities are available to facilitate marketing quality resources
What types of information resources are available in your library?
Their responses were consistent with the views of all the heads of medical libraries interviewed from the four universities involved in the study. A comprehensive library guide with the library's acquisition policy was found in one of the medical libraries.
Are the following resources accessible for use in your library?
Two of the participants interviewed agreed with the view that the acquisition policy requirement can only be met when there are funds available in the library. Once there are sufficient funds, the medical library will acquire adequate resources as per the provision of the policy].
How current are the library resources?
Only 11(4%) of the students were aware that the libraries made deliberate efforts to market information resources and services. This is a way to inform users about the availability of the new information sources in the library.
To what extent are you satisfied with the following services provided by the library?
To see improved student productivity especially those who are registered library members. The research question on this topic aimed to seek the opinions of students to assess the degree of user satisfaction with library services provided in medical libraries.
Which of the following facilities help you find out about information resources and
Which of the following devices helps you learn about the information resources and services in your library? In the hierarchy of available objects are library websites with 129 (47%), followed by leaflets and posters (106 or 38%). The least available platform considered for marketing information resources and services available to libraries is the radio program, as indicated by 41 (15%) of respondents.
The relationship between the ages of students and marketing of information
For example, patronage of bulletin boards (V2) was highly correlated with the use of radio programs (V4), the university notice system (V5), newspapers and magazines (V8), leaflets and posters (V10), and other marketing information resources by the libraries. Student patronage of library websites (V9) was significantly correlated with leaflets and posters (V10) along with others that market libraries' quality information resources.
How useful are the following facilities for informing you about the resources and
The result of the investigation did not reveal that the age of students would be significantly related to the patronage of marketing information resources of libraries in general (p > 0.05), but it was found that the patronage of individual marketing information resources by students is significantly correlated (p < 0, 05) based on pairs. Platforms such as SMS alerts, leaflets and posters, among others, were not useful for marketing the available information resources and services of such libraries.
Awareness of marketing activity in the library
The findings showed that none of the four media libraries included in the study had written documents on the marketing policy of information resources and services. The study showed that the most desirable measure to improve the marketing of information resources and services to users of medical libraries is a better supply of the necessary information resources.
What marketing strategies and techniques are currently employed in meeting users’
What factors adversely affect the effective marketing of information resources and
The most adverse factor militating against the effective marketing of information resources and services in medical libraries is the inadequacy of information resources. What measures can be taken to facilitate the effective marketing of information resources and services to users in medical libraries?
What measures can be employed to facilitate the effective marketing of information
The measure most agreed by the students to improve the marketing of information resources and services to the users of the medical libraries is better provision of the necessary information resources. However, creating awareness among library users about what the library has to offer was the measure with the least support (only 79 (29%)) for improving the marketing of information resources and services.
Summary
The results show that there are significant challenges in the marketing of information resources and services in the medical libraries, such as scarcity of information resources, mainly due to the expensive nature of medical resources, budget cuts and the insufficient provision of financial resources. All the Participants agreed that improved funding is the primary factor that will equip the medical libraries with the available resources and services.
Introduction
What factors negatively affect the effective marketing of information resources and services to users in these medical libraries? The findings also revealed various factors that negatively affect the marketing of library information resources.
The socio-demographic data of the respondents
Students’ level of study in the selected universities
The results of the survey indicated that students at their 400 level of study in the universities constituted the highest number of respondents namely 95 (31%). This variation in numbers is related to the students' presence in libraries where the questionnaire was administered.
The Educational level by gender of students
The Educational qualifications and working experience of the heads of medical
After all, the last head of medical library A had only been in office for two months. This indicates that most medical librarians have varying levels of experience as medical librarians.
Frequency of the use of medical libraries
A visit to the libraries revealed that only one of the medical libraries involved in the study had a prototype library structure and the rest (three) were converted structures. The researcher also noted that there was a significant degree of library patronage among the students in all four medical libraries.
An assessment of the purpose for using the library
It was observed that in the four medical libraries studied, relevant books were available to varying degrees in most of the subjects studied, such as medicine and other health programs run by the universities. Assessment of available resources and facilities to facilitate the marketing of quality resources and services in medical libraries in the Northwest geopolitical region.
The assessment of the resources and facilities available to facilitate marketing quality
Efforts by the researcher to obtain acquisition policies from some libraries were unsuccessful. This confirms that the implementation of the procurement policy depends on the available funds.
The accessibility of information resources in the libraries under study
An assessment of currency of library resources
As a result, they found it difficult, if not impossible, to fund this very important aspect of the library's routine. An assessment of the available services in your library that you are familiar with. This question is the second part of the first research question of the study and is also based on.
An assessment of the available services at your library that you are aware of
These findings symbolize the critical need of users for up-to-date information to be aware of what is happening around them. This implicitly means that there are services that are not marketed in some libraries, such as the NITT, COE Gidanwaya and The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria libraries.
An assessment of the awareness and the use of the information services available in
An assessment of the accessibility of the information services in the libraries
Assessment of the level of satisfaction with the services provided in the libraries 183
An assessment of the facilities available for marketing the available information
An assessment of the relationship between the age of students and marketing of
An assessment of the usefulness of the marketing facilities/tools in the libraries
An assessment of students’ awareness of marketing activity in the library
An assessment of strategies employed for marketing information resources and
An assessment of the measures needed for facilitating marketing of information
Introduction
Summary of findings
Demographic profile of respondents
The resources and facilities available to facilitate marketing of information
The strategies/techniques employed in marketing in the library
The challenges for the effective marketing of information resources and services to
The measures employed to facilitate the effective marketing of information
Conclusions
Resources and facilities available to facilitate marketing information resources and
The strategies/techniques employed in marketing in the library
The challenges for the effective marketing of information resources and services to
The measures employed to facilitate the effective marketing of information
Recommendations
The resources and facilities available to facilitate marketing information resources
The strategies/techniques employed in marketing in the library
The challenges for the effective marketing of information resources and services to
The measures employed to facilitate the effective marketing of information
Contribution and originality of the study
Contribution to theory
Contribution to policy
Contribution to practice
Contribution to methodology
Summary
Informed Consent Letter
Questionnaires for Medical Students
Informed Consent Letter for Interviews
Interview Schedule for Heads of Medical Libraries
Observation Checklist
Introduction Letter (ABU
Gatekeepers Letter (Abu)
Introduction Letter (BUK)
Gatekeepers Letter (Buk)
Introduction Letter (KASU)
Gatekeepers Letter (KASU)
Introduction Letter (UDUS)
Ethical Clearance
