Fee-Based Business Research in an Academic Library

This paper examined marketing of library and information services and products in academic libraries. Narrative content analysis, with extensive literature review was adopted for the study. The paper discussed the importance and need for marketing library and information services and products in academic libraries. The study discussed the concepts of marketing, and academic libraries. Literature was reviewed on information products, information services, reasons for marketing library and information products and services, strategies for marketing library products and services, challenges of marketing library and information products and services in academic libraries. The paper concludes among others that, in order to remain relevant in this digital age, academic libraries and librarians in university libraries should device functional means of letting prospective library users know that, they exist, and that, their products and services function effectively. The paper recommends among others that, the academic libraries and librarians should draw attention to their libraries, products, services, and their worth to their communities, institutions, staff and users; that academic libraries and librarians should market their products and services effectively to attract and encourage users and keep up with competition; academic library’s management should encourage librarians to attend development programs to acquire marketing and collaborative skills. These will make academic libraries and librarians to remain relevant in this technology changing world.

A Review of the Literature on Assessment in Academic and Research Libraries, 2005 to August 2011 Jon R. Hufford (bio) Introduction Assessment in United States higher education has become very important in recent years. Virtually all colleges and universities are now striving to prove through empirical evidence that they are committed to improving student learning. Created in late 2005, the US Department of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education was charged with the task of "developing a strategy for higher education to meet the needs of America's population and address the economic and workforce needs of the future."1 The Commission's final report, A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of United States Higher Education, makes several recommendations for reform and states in a summary that "improved accountability is vital to ensuring the success of all the other reforms we propose. Colleges and universities must become more transparent about cost, price, and student success outcomes, and must willingly share this information with students and families." Though the report was not an early wake-up call for assessment, since articles on the need and importance of assessment in higher education had been published in the literature before 2006,2 it was an important document on the topic from a political and administrative perspective and has had a significant impact on campuses across the nation. This is because, in response to the Commission's report, the regional accreditation organizations made changes in their standards, and these changes have been directly responsible for the trend toward assessment. As might be expected, some of the standards of several of these regional organizations relate to academic libraries and have changed the way they are assessed. This article reviews the literature on assessment in academic and research libraries that has been published since the Commission on the Future of Higher Education was created in 2005 and up until August 2011. Much has been written about assessment [End Page 5] over the years. The author felt that coverage of the literature of the most recent six years would include sources that would still be reasonably relevant for academic professionals in 2011. The author was also interested in providing an examination of the coverage since the Commission's report to disclose new developments, ideas, and directions in the assessment of academic and research libraries. Also, to offer a competent and manageable review of the literature, the article focuses on assessments concerned with the management or administration of libraries and their collections, public services, and issues or projects affecting more than one department within a library. Assessments in the acquisitions and technical services areas have been excluded. The author's goal was to treat the topic comprehensively. However, some sources were not considered significant enough to be included, and it is possible that other sources that perhaps should have been included were inadvertently left out. A representative selection of noteworthy older monographs and textbooks generally recognized for their contribution to academic and research library assessment has been included, along with a selection of publications on assessment in higher education that provides a more comprehensive perspective of the topic. Though the majority of the sources reviewed in this article were published in the United States and cover developments in the United States, some sources published in international or foreign publications that cover developments in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, or South Africa were included because they discuss developments similar to those taking place in American academic and research libraries and provide important insights into the topic. Assessment is often equated with evaluation. To education professionals, assessment occurs when a researcher wants to discover what a student knows or can do, while evaluation is used to determine the value of a course or program. Authors of books focused on academic and research libraries normally use evaluation when they discuss the measurement (or evaluation) of a library's operations and services. In The Measurement and Evaluation of Library Services, F.W. Lancaster explains in his definition of evaluation that it "consists of the comparison of performance with the objectives of the agency, in order to determine (a) whether there has been any change in performance for a...

<p>Electronic resources (ERs) in academic libraries have become a global phenomenon, and as libraries rely more on these resources managing them effectively becomes crucial. Electronic resource management (ERM) has consequently become a core function which many academic libraries around the globe appear to find challenging to implement effectively. Challenges of managing ERs are particularly pronounced in developing countries such as Ghana where the introduction of ICTs has typically been characterised by inadequate resources. Although there is an extensive literature on both the management and use of ERs, little research has studied how the two aspects could affect each other. Ineffective management of ERs could negatively affect their use; likewise, low usage of ERs could negatively impact on the management of these resources. Studying the concepts of management and usage of ERs together would result in better recommendations to inform practice and eliminate the challenges. In addition, the literature on the management of ERs is predominantly centred around libraries in the developed country context. Moreover, academic libraries in Ghana do not appear to be effective in managing ERs. There is a lack of understanding on how academic libraries in Ghana are managing ERs, and the ways in which this is affecting their usage and vice-versa. The study therefore fills the gaps by exploring the connection between the management and usage of ERs in academic libraries in a developing country context. Placed within a post-positivist worldview, this mixed-methods research employed a multiple case study approach, involving two public and two private universities in Ghana. Stakeholders included in the study were library staff, faculty, students, and consortium executives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with library staff and members of the governing council of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana (CARLIGH) concurrently with surveys of faculty and postgraduate students of the institutions investigated. These were supported by document analysis. To guide data collection and analysis, the Techniques for Electronic Resource Management (TERMS) framework (Emery & Stone, 2013), and an initial conceptual model of factors developed using constructs from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis & Davis 2003) and the literature underpinned the study. The interview findings revealed inadequate planning for ERs in the case institutions owing to operational challenges including inadequate policies for ERs, inadequate funding, and understaffing. Although efforts were being made to follow standard procedures some components of ER workflow were absent in both public and private case libraries, whereas other aspects of the workflow were responsibilities of parties external to the libraries. The document analysis showed that, the total average completeness of collection development policies of case libraries was 25% which indicated the lack of vital elements in these policies. The survey findings showed a generally low awareness and usage of ERs by faculty and students due to inadequate promotional efforts by the case libraries, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of relevant content. Consequently, respondents had a negative perception on the usefulness of the ERs which may have caused the observed low usage. The study also found three main factors as affecting the management and usage of ERs in academic libraries in Ghana which were governmental, organisational and individual factors. Governmental factors such as regulations on staffing, inadequate funding, and nationwide rationing of electricity supply were hindrances. At the organisational level, an enabler was collaboration with stakeholders, whereas obstacles included inadequate policies, staffing challenges, resource-related factors, lack of investment for sustainability, centralised management structure, low institutional commitment, poor communication, and low usage of ERs. Enabling individual factors consisted of religious beliefs, social influence, oral information, and interest in IT. Hindering individual factors comprised negative effects of oral information, resistance to change, fear of speaking against authority, reluctance to submit contents to institutional repository, negative perception on the ERs and lack of time. The findings also established various ways in which the management and usage of ERs affected each other. Low user input in the selection of ERs, access related challenges, inadequate publicity, training, and evaluation of ERs negatively affected the usage of ERs. However, case libraries that occasionally allowed users to schedule training sessions observed increased attendance to training with a corresponding increase in ER usage, which provided a basis for institutional budgetary support. On the other hand, failure of users to attend training programmes after signing up, low referral of students to the ERs by faculty and low usage of ERs of the library negatively affected ERM particularly in the areas of budgeting for ER subscription and sustainability. However, faculty and students facilitated the management of ERs of the library in terms of creating awareness of the ERs among their colleagues and peers, and also accessing the resources using mobile devices to supplement the library’s inadequate computers. The TERMS framework and initial conceptual model of factors were revised based on the findings. The study adds to the Library and Information Science research relevant to the understanding of the management and usage of ERs, factors affecting both concepts and how these two concepts are related. In addition, the study contributes to practice by recommending strategies for effective ERM to encourage increased usage of ERs. It is also hoped that academic libraries in other developing countries can draw lessons from the findings. The study also provides advanced countries with a deeper insight to guide them in providing support to developing countries. The findings also have implications for policy and decision makers in terms of prioritisation and allocation of resources for effective ERM and usage in academic libraries as contemporary issues are revealed. Keywords: Academic institutions, Academic libraries, Electronic resources, Electronic resources in Africa, Electronic resource management, Electronic resource usage</p>

The main objective of this study is to investigate the perceptions of academic librarians towards the marketing of library services through social networking sites (SNSs) and their understanding of using electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) as a marketing tool in academic libraries. This study follows a qualitative data-gathering approach of structured interviews with ten academic librarians in Malaysia. The qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The academic librarians showed very positive perceptions for the implications of eWOM. Librarians expressed the view that academic libraries could use eWOM as a marketing and promotional tool for creating awareness of library services, promoting library services and building relationships with user communities through SNSs. Academic librarians indicated that eWOM could be used as a very fast medium of communication and for instant responses; it could also be worked as a virus. This study is limited to the perceptions of only ten academic librarians, thus it cannot be generalized to all academic librarians in Malaysia. This paper will be helpful to academic libraries in the marketing of libraries through SNSs. This study also contributes to the growing body of knowledge on the marketing of library services in academic libraries.

This article discusses the concept of marketing library and information services as an important library activity. It also stresses the need for librarians and information specialists especially those in academic libraries in developing countries to become proactive and to take marketing as a serious and obligatory library function. With the emergence of new information providers and diverse avenues that enable information users/seekers to access information even outside library premises, the s argue that it is very likely librarians with lose potential clients. Marketing of library services is therefore considered to be a tool that can be used by librarians to fight and compete and also attract both new customers and old library users. The article also suggests a number of media that can be used to market library services in academic libraries. University of Dar es Salaam Library Journal: 2003 4(1&2): 33-42

Academic library collections and services have contributed to the development of education in journalism and mass communication for almost a century in North America. Their character has followed the lead of academic programs, beginning in midwestern state universities, where a small number of departmental libraries developed to support on-site needs of journalism instruction and academic study of the journalism profession, and to encourage current periodicals reading (Wilhoit, 1993). Today, the traditional role of journalism/communication libraries is changing radically with the availability of CD-ROM and on-line database services (see Wilhoit, 1991).(1)While academic libraries operate in an era of shrinking budgets and struggle to maintain their book and serial collections (Cummings et al. 1992), they are challenged to accommodate the expansion of electronic-based services that would supply extensive bibliographic or full-text sources of information. Some academic libraries are progressing toward a cybrary model with the development of local area networks (LANs) and digitalization processes, in which users would access library materials and databases anywhere on- or off-campus (see Bauwens, 1994; Kurzweil, 1993).(2) Students could consult reserve materials directly at their terminals in residence halls or apartments instead of reviewing them on-site in the library.Here lies the dilemma for library decision-makers in a time of budgetary cutbacks or stagnation: As some sources of information shift from print to cyberspace,(3) academic libraries are reallocating funds and stretching their staff resources to provide access to electronic sources. This do more with less strategy has led some libraries to consider alternatives to buying expensive serials subscriptions, such as electronic delivery of articles.Guideposts on how to create optimum journalism/communication library services are needed, but to date no research has even assessed how faculty and students in journalism and mass communication programs use the library. The few studies that surveyed U.S. journalism libraries deal exclusively with administration and operation matters (Allcorn, 1987; Paine & Paine, 1987; Wilhoit, 1991), not with patrons' uses, needs, or attitudes. The only study that shed some light on library usage reported that communications respondents use magazines more frequently and visit the library more frequently than the average respondent (Prather & Clemons, 1981). This article attempts to fill this gap found in the literature by surveying users of the Journalism Library at Indiana University.(4)The Journalism Library,(5) a branch library housed in the School of Journalism, serves the needs of three populations (faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students) from three departments (journalism, speech communication, and telecommunications). The special qualities of the IU Journalism Library--its multidisciplinary mission and central location--make it an ideal case for the study of communication(6) library patrons. Furthermore, although the Journalism Library, like any other library, has specific characteristics, the data reported here can be useful to other communication libraries, as well as to communication programs, throughout the country.This study will provide communication educators with an understanding of how a journalism library is being used, as well as help library administrators establish priorities to meet communication faculty and students' needs better. As indicated above, most academic libraries are under severe budgetary pressures to contain costs while still being expected to offer the best resources to their users.Review of the LiteratureAlthough there is virtually no research investigating user services and resources in journalism/communication libraries, there is a growing body of literature that has surveyed users at large institutions, suggesting several general trends (for a review of early studies, see Prather & Clemons, 1981). …

The Third stream (or Third mission) is a new emerging topic for academic and research libraries. The article deals with the discussions and reflections driven during the first Italian workshop on Third stream and libraries organized by the Central Library “Guglielmo Marconi” of the CNR (National Research Council) in Rome. The Third stream takes on new goals for the academic libraries, i.e.: the development of the cultural heritage, the long lasting education and the public engagement. In the workshop the best practices of some Italian university libraries (Roma Sapienza, Firenze, Torino, Napoli Federico II, and Ferrara) and two research libraries: the library G. Marconi of the CNR in Rome and the library of the CNR in Potenza have been presented. The discussion has highlighted a great number of activities carried out by Italian libraries that relate to the Third mission and contribute to expand academic library users and to attract the attention of new stakeholders and publics. The Third mission is increasingly becoming an element which changes the model of the academic and research libraries by giving them a role to play for the development of the society.

Academic Library Residency Programs and Diversity Julie Garrison (bio) Since the 1940s, academic and research libraries have offered post-masters' residency programs (called internships, residencies, or fellowships interchangeably) to provide professional training and mentoring for new librarians entering academic library careers. Those who participate in residencies tend to appreciate the experience and find that it supports individual career growth. They report gaining useful knowledge, marketable skills, and professional connections. They also derive benefits from growing their networks, participating in professional-level work and meaningful projects, and experiencing the academic library culture.1 By the early to mid-1980s, residency programs began focusing on recruitment of minority librarians. Initially, these programs were inspired by affirmative action, a United States government policy that supported members of disadvantaged groups who had suffered discrimination. More recently, residency programs shifted to addressing the desire to grow a workforce more representative of society in general.2 Despite these efforts, however, change has been slow.3 Residents and Librarians: Still Predominantly White In 1997, Julie Brewer surveyed 230 prior post-master's residents. The majority of survey participants were white women, overrepresenting "the older, larger residency programs in government libraries." Only 19 of the 109 respondents stated they had taken part in a program "targeted to racial and ethnic minorities."4 Another survey of residency programs in 2013 more narrowly focused on evaluating residencies for librarians of color. It explored "the general structure of residencies, such as the number of residents in a cohort, efforts to promote diversity, and professional skills." Of the 68 who responded, nearly 40 percent (26) were white, and 84.8 percent identified as female.5 While the number of respondents from racially or ethnically diverse backgrounds in both surveys was small, each suggested that residencies attracted individuals who would not have otherwise considered academic librarianship as a career choice and succeeded in retaining professionals in library-related positions. [End Page 405] An examination of American Library Association (ALA) demographic data and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) information indicates that the library profession remains predominantly white (86.7 percent according to the ALA in 2017, 87.8 percent per the BLS in 2019) and overwhelmingly female. While diversity has improved since the 2006 ALA membership report, in which 89 percent of members identified as white, the needle has scarcely moved toward building a more representative profession.6 A review of who received master's degrees in library and information science suggests that graduates have not increased in diversity either. A comparison of 2011 and 2017 graduation rates reported by the Association of Library Information Science Education (ALISE) shows that the percentage of Hispanic graduates doubled (6.2 percent in 2017 compared to 2.96 percent in 2011), but those from other racial groups increased by less than 1 percent. Given that fewer individuals graduate from LIS programs, the number of underrepresented minorities entering the profession remains nearly static. One caveat to these data is that both years report a relatively large pool of "unknown" and "international" students, and in 2017 an additional 2 percent (150) identify as "two or more races."7 The ACRL Diversity Alliance In 2014, when Jon Cawthorne became dean of libraries at West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown, he attempted to breathe new life into residency programs by forming the Diversity Alliance, a group of academic libraries that pledged to offer residencies to underrepresented groups. In addition to establishing a new institutional residency program at WVU, Cawthorne recruited like-minded institutions to do the same, growing a network of residencies aimed at supporting professionals from diverse backgrounds in "getting the experience they need to be successful in the academic library world." In 2016, the Diversity Alliance partnered with the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) to further expand its reach and broaden residency opportunities.8 For decades, ACRL had studied and analyzed opportunities for adding to the mix of ethnic and racial groups in the library profession. It had developed guidelines and stated its commitment to diversity in its strategic plans. It had produced reports with recommendations for advancing diversity efforts, and it had embraced the goal of recruiting a more representative workforce within academic libraries. The ACRL...

Mrs Lilian Sargeant MBE FLA 1907–98

Purpose The use of the internet and World Wide Web to source information is now an emerging practice in developing countries and seems to be obscuring the use of printed resources in libraries. This paper aims to investigate the impacts of internet services on the use of prints in academic libraries in Nigeria.

This chapter aims to examine the use of social media in marketing library and information services in Nigeria libraries. The growing use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube by users in the 21st century is providing new challenges for libraries and librarians in Nigeria to keep up to with the growing needs of their users. The main purpose of this chapter is to examine the use of social media in the marketing of various library services and products. This chapter also attempts to describe the role of social media in library services and the various opportunities of using social media tools in marketing library products and services. In addition, the challenges faced by libraries in Nigeria in the use of social media are highlighted and possible recommendations are made.

The purpose of this study is to examine the status and prospect of virtual information services in academic libraries in Kuwait.The study conducted open-ended interviews of managers or heads of information services in 12 academic libraries about management and conduct of virtual information service and the possibilities about the future of these services.Also observed the functioning of services in 9 libraries.It was found that email was the common method for virtual communication in academic libraries in Kuwait.These libraries lacked in services using live chat and mobile application.Social media was mostly used for announcements and marketing of library services.In addition, private academic libraries provided advanced virtual services as compared to public academic libraries.Eight interviews were conducted by phone due to unavoidable circumstances related to both participants and researcher.One private academic institution did not allow access to its library, denying opportunities for observation.This paper provides insights on the way virtual information services were managed and conducted in these libraries.No similar study was noted in this regional context.The findings may help academic library management a better understanding of the issues and challenges they faced and the opportunities they might benefit in future.

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to broaden the theoretical understanding of the impact that digital transformation processes have on academic libraries and to investigate the characteristics of their digital maturity so that guidelines can be identified for improving the user experience and for accelerating and connecting parts of library operations. Approach/methodology/design: The paper provides an overview of the theoretical background and a review of research dealing with the concept of digital transformation in the context of higher‑education institutions, with particular emphasis on academic libraries. Results: Academic libraries play a key role in ensuring digital access to resources through modern library information systems and also in supporting scholars, teachers and students in teaching and research. Contemporary cloud‑based platforms with built‑in discovery services enable unified resources management, analytics, system integration and the application of artificial intelligence to enhance services to users. Practical implications: The results of the study can be used in the preparation of strategic and operational work plans for libraries. Originality/value: By researching the characteristics through which the digital maturity of academic and research libraries can be measured, the paper contributes to a general understanding of the notion of digital transformation and to its operationalisation in library workflow processes.

The study examined the awareness and adoption of artificial intelligence for effective library service delivery in academic libraries in Kwara state Nigeria.This study adopts the survey design.The study population consists of 154 library staff in 6 academic libraries in Kwara state Nigeria, The study was limited to four (4) academic libraries, which are University of Ilorin, Kwara State University, Malete, Federal Polytechnic Offa and Kwara State Polytechnic Ilorin.The sample size is, therefore one hundred and thirty-six ( 136) derived from the study's total population.The questionnaire was used as the major instrument for the study.The data collected in this study were analysed using Statistical Product for Service Solutions (SPSS).The study's findings revealed that AI is beneficial to academic libraries for effective library services and operations because it helps to eliminate repetitive and tedious task; it helps to make library services more effective and efficient to improve user satisfaction, among others.It was revealed from the findings that academic libraries in Nigeria are not ready for the integration of AI systems in library operations and services; libraries are under-equipped with ICT facilities, which is an integral part of AI to function; academic library employees have a negative attitude toward using ICT to perform library services so bring AI is not an option for now; among others.The study recommended that there should be an improved budget for library automation, procuring the technology, and training library personnel, there is a need for adequate funding for academic libraries in Nigeria, among others.

The study examined the use of library resources and services among postgraduate students in Babcock University Library. Questionnaire was used as the main research instrument. 100 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the students; the return rate was 76%. The major findings were; majority of the postgraduate students do not use the library regularly. Their main purpose of visiting the library is to consult research materials. They used more internet sources and their major challenge was lack of time. They were also averagely satisfied with the library services. Suggestions were offered to improve the library services. Key words: Library resources, service utilization, postgraduate students, private university, Nigeria.