Attitude on Marketing among Selected Central University Library and Information Science Professionals: A Study

Marketing, a social and Managerial process, can fulfil the need and wants of individuals or groups through creating, offering and exchanging products of value and service. The concept of marketing pervades each and every domain. Today the library and information centres also incorporate marketing strategy. In this study attempt has been made to identify the attitude on marketing, among library and information science professionals working in select central universities situated in the southern states of India. The study was carried with the objective to identify the attitude of Library and Information Science professionals on the Concept of Marketing. Further, this study also to know whether the LIS professionals has a clear vision on the Purpose of marketing and to ascertain whether the LIS professionals realize the need for marketing and the means of the Marketing Plan. The attitude on marketing, among select central university library and information science professionals were studied using 21 variables on four categories such as the Concept of Marketing, Purpose, Need and Plan. A total of 103 questionnaires distributed among the library professionals in the 6 Central Universities in Southern states of which 87 were responded and the response rate is 84.47%. The concept of marketing is an important component of the curriculum in the library schools. The other concepts were Traditional view of libraries towards marketing has been in terms of promotion only, and Lack of knowledge and exposure to the concept of marketing. Getting immediate feedback from the users, communicating specific programmes and to expose library products and services were considered as purpose of marketing. The library users are often ignorant of the full range of services available in library emphases the need for marketing and planning process helps us to identify whether the existing services/products to continue / discontinue. The marketing plan insists that every library must have a vision and mission statement. The library should have a marketing plan for each products/services and user group. The libraries have to conduct marketing programmes in a coherent way rather than at random. In general the marketing programme will enable the library to reach more potential users, encourage and promote the use of library resources and work towards becoming the indispensable information centre where modern information disseminating equipment are functional.