Relevance of Ranganathan's Laws of Library Science in Library
Marketing
Dr. R.K. Bhatt
Associate Professor & Head,
Department Of Library And Information Science
University Of Delhi,
Delhi – 110007, India
Introduction
Libraries and information centers arean indispensable part of
any academic or research institution in India. Information transfer and
dissemination of information have long been recognized as essential elements
for research and development activities. Libraries and information centers put
lot of effort and energy into designing information services and products and
distributingthem to satisfy their users. Despite their best efforts, users
sometimes feel that they are not being adequately and appropriately served. The
best way to overcome this problem is by designing and developing an appropriate
marketing strategy for LIS products and services.
Marketing
The Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK
("Marketing," n.d.), defines marketing as the management process
which is responsible for identifying, anticipating, and satisfying customer
requirements profitably. Kotler (1985) says that marketing is "an act of
analysis, planning, implementation, and control of carefully-formulated
programmes designed to bring about voluntary exchanges of values with target
markets for the purpose of achieving organizational objectives." These two
definitions draw our attention to the following:
marketing is a
managerial process involving analysis, planning, implementation and control
marketing is
concerned with carefully formulated programmes – not random actions – designed
to achieve desired responses
marketing seeks to
bring about voluntary exchange
marketing selects
target markets and does not seek to be all things to all people
marketing is
directly correlated to the achievement of organizational objectives
marketing places
emphasis on the target market's (consumer's) needs and desire rather than on
the producer's preferences.
Since customers are given the top priority, service providers
should remember that customers are the most important people to be served in
library and information centers. They are not dependent on the library; rather,
the library depends on them. They are part of the library. They are the people
who bring their wants and needs and we are there to meet their needs. Marketing
is a management process that includes: marketing plan, marketing research,
market segmentation, marketing mix (Graves and Wulff, 1990). In creating a
marketing plan, a library must concentrate on mission analysis, resource
analysis, strategic planning and monitoring, and evaluation of the tasks
performed. Market research is done to assess market information needs by
stating research objectives, developing a research strategy, knowing target
market characteristics, etc. Market segmentation is defined as a group of
customers with similar or related characteristics who have common needs and
wants. Market segmentation is usually divided into:
Demographic
Segmentation
Socio-Economic
Segmentation
Geographic
Segmentation
Marketing mix includes products (such as books, periodicals,
literal programmes, bibliographies, annual reports, statistical surveys, and
compilations and services such as electronic resources); price (in the form of
credit, discount, cash, etc.); Place (including coverage, distribution
channels, inventory, locations, and transport), and Promotion (which is done
through advertising, personal selling, and public relations).
Ranganathan's Five Laws of Library Science
During his eighty-year lifespan, Dr. S.R. Ranganathan made
contributed many new ideas to library and information science. He wrote 60
books and about 2,000 research articles in his life. Really, Dr. Ranganathan
was a multifaceted personality. He devoted his life to the cause of development
of library science in India. Dr. Ranganathan enunciated various laws, principles,
canons, theories, etc., in LIS. His theories are based on scientific
principles. They are accepted universally and are relevant even today. We can
say that his ideas are like a lighthouse for libraries, and LIS students and
teachers. His ideas are still exciting and, even today when computers and other
developments in the field of telecommunication have changed the whole scenario
of LIS. Even now, when libraries and information centres face the problem of
underused information resources as well as the challenges of implementing
Information Communication Technology (ICT), Dr. Ranganathan's philosophy is
relevant and accepted as a way to overcome both these problems. The answer
comes in the application of his Five Laws of Library Science.
Ranganathan's Five Laws of Library Science
1. Books are for use
2. Every reader his/her book
3. Every book its reader
4. Save the time of the reader
5. The library is a growing organism
The father of library science in India propounded the five
laws of library science in 1931. The first law is that books are for use. It is
imperative to ensure library patrons use the materials we select and purchase
for them. Libraries are not just about storing books, they are about people
having access to books. This is something Ranganathan made clear in his own
discussion of the first law (Ranganathan 1988). His talks and writings
emphasize the preservation of information and knowledge to be as important as
access to information and knowledge. Undoubtedly, both preservation and access
are important, and the availability of digital technologies that Dr.
Ranganathan could only have dreamt of have a vital role to play in preservation
and access. Librarianship is now blessed to have the opportunity of making
knowledge available through digitization, but digitization can best be
justified by focusing on the priorities laid down in the first law. The first
law is also forward-thinking in its emphasis on the library's location.
Increasingly we are seeing libraries sited, or even relocated, in more
accessible locations in order to increase custom.There is debate among library
professionals on the issue of merging of public libraries with other services,
such as sports centres, or moving the library to main thoroughfares rather than
outlying parts of the community. The implication of first law of library
science in marketing library is the emphasis on the optimum use of resources,
facilities, and services.Convenient location, effective signage, and longer
opening hours; helping hands for using resources and services are all
important.
The second law, "every reader his or her book,"
means that we all have diverse interests and that there is a book out there to
satisfy each of us. The core need is to fight for the right of users to
information of all kinds, the consistent battle against censorship and
inequality of access that has governed civilisation since its inception. Our
duty is to help users find the information they require and ensure any blocks
in the way are not blocks we have created. Barring access to knowledge is
totally against the philosophy of Dr. Ranganathan's law. In fact, the second
law provides roots to the freedom to access information and knowledge in the
forms of writings of all kinds, and to be informed on topics that others may
wish to suppress. The second law reminds us to be impartial in our dealings
with users. The implication of the second law in marketing the library is to
meet user needs satisfactorily by collecting and interpreting information,
understanding the needs of users, and matching the needs with its resources.
The library should develop its collection keeping in mind the present and
future requirements of its users. The library collection should be a mix of old
and rare material as well as of the latest material reflecting advances in
various fields.
The third law: every book its reader (Ranganathan, 1988)
advocates easy access to materials, and one way to do so is by putting people
together with what they require. Putting books into the hands of people who do
not necessarily know what they need is also at the heart of the third law. We
could interpret reader development as being part of the third law, since we
promote books to users that may not be known to them and that may offer
opportunities for enrichment that other titles do not. Historically, reference
work has been identified within the third law, and this continues to be the
case in the virtual library. Virtual reference services continue to grow in
popularity in both academic and public libraries. Libraries and information
centres are launching virtual enquiry services through their websites. They are
accepting models created for this purpose by world-renowned libraries, especially
university libraries. These are exciting developments, focused on expanding
services to where and when users may need them. They allow librarians to
continue to use their skills in tracking down quality information for users and
will become a staple feature of library services. The implication of the third
law in marketing the library is performing activities that take library
products and services to the users: publicizing the value and benefits,
promotional campaigns, adovacy, public relations, personal communication, etc.
The library should use promotional tools to publicize its resources,
facilities, and services. It should direct its efforts to attracting new users
to the library and reach out to its existing users by providing library services
at their doorstep. It should give its users tje personal touch and develop a
feeling of belonging in the library.
The fourth law is "save the time of the reader"
(Ranganathan, 1988). Time is important to every person. Time management is a
key to success in life. Libraries must have the objective of saving the time of
the reader. The entire journey of librarianship is about devising, designing,
and developing methods, systems of organization and dissemination of
information to provide the best service to their readers in the most efficient,
accurate, and effective manner and thus saving the reader's time. For example,
we create catalogues, bibliographies, indexes, and abstracts to save the time
of readers. Saving the time of the reader also relates to how we actually
organise information. Acceptance and adoption of ICT has used to save thousands
of hours of the reader's time when compared to manual systems. Noruzi very
rightly opines that considering the time of the user as a vital notion, and
that all five laws of library science are transferable and applicable to the
Web. Increasingly, saving the time of the user becomes navigating with them
through the Web and creating high-quality and accurate guides to information in
this challenging domain. The implication of the fourth law in marketing library
is its focus on the user benefits and preferences. Consolidation and
repackaging information into an appropriate form, making information available
when it is needed, ensuring the quality of services and offerings, are tasks
that take user benefits and preferences into account.The main objective of the
library should be that the user who enters in a library for a specific purpose
should not leave emptyhanded. At the same time, it must also be ensure that the
users' valuable time is not wasted in searching for material.
The fifth law, that the library is a growing organism
(Ranganathan, 1988) states that libraries will continue to grow in the future.
Perhaps we can look at digital information and conclude that the growth is not
as pressing from the point of view of physical space, although this remains
something that libraries struggle with. Even in the digital world, the analogue
continues to be important. Book publishing remains healthy, and indeed a much
less expensive endeavor than it was in 1931. Libraries will continue to
struggle with space problems. This is reflected in the statistics of
information generation and the acquisition of information resources of
libraries of any type. Even the presence of e-resources does not stop the
acquisition of new print material, and the pace at which they grow has not
changed. Lancaster's dream of a paperless society is not likely to come true in
the near future. The sacrifices librarians have to make between space for books
shelves and space for computer terminals to deliver this ever- expanding need
will continue to be an issue. One can also see the library as a growing
organism in terms of staff and skills. As the library grows in services, the
skills necessary to deliver these new services will also grow. Perhaps we could
argue that both libraries and the profession of librarianship are growing
organisms. The fifth law's implication for marketing is adapting the library to
future user needs, including mobilizing resources, dealing with uncertainty
about future user needs, new services, new customer groups, new environment,
etc. The library should also transform its services to keep up with other
changes in the world. The library must not lag behind in adapting to new technologies.
The library staff must be technology-literate.
In order to make use of these laws more effective, libraries
and information centres must adopt marketing tools. Important promotion tools
include:
1. Communication
Rowley (1998) divides communication channels into personal
and non-personal. Personal communication channels are those in which two or
more people communicate, and word of mouth is the primary means of
communication, although other media such as e-mail are significant.
Non-personal communication channels include TV, radio, posters, newspapers,
etc.
2. Atmospherics
This term is coined by Philip Kotler (1975) who defines
atmospherics as "the designing of buying and consuming environments in a
manner calculated to produce specific cognitive and/or emotional effects on the
target market." In other words, the working environment, library ambience,
appearance of employees, the physical setting, lighting, work environment,
noise levels, etc. These must be healthy and suitable to make a positive impact
on users. Atmospheric considerations are often neglected in may libraries and
information centers. It is not always a matter of extra cost but simply a
matter of thoughtfully designing space in the library, placing of relevant
guides to use, etc. This may help in attracting and maintaining users.
3. Advertising
Advertising is important for promoting library services. A
library can advertise its products and services in newspapers, scholarly
journals, magazines, newsletters, radio, television, Web, etc. Advertisements
help in image-building. They can be in a short message, or staff can write
longer articles on new and existing library services. Librarians can appear on
local radio and TV, highlighting the new role the libraries plays in the present
era (Jaafar, 1998). There are a variety of ways of advertising online.
Traditional print advertisements include brochures, pamphlets, newspaper
advertisements, etc.
4. Brochure
The design and presentation of brochures and leaflets should
be aesthetic and attractive to users. The language should be simple and should
hold the interest of the user.
5. Leaflets
Leaflets include guides to the library and its special
collections, Web guides, Reading list on IT, and so on. Other brochures can be
kept in the library at a location which is placed so that anyone who enters the
library is attracted to that corner.
6. Posters
Posters offer good visual communication. They can draw
attention when displayed at prominent locations and provide brief information
about an event, service, etc. Old and defaced posters should be replaced on a
regular basis.
7. Newsletters
The library can convey information about new acquisitions,
new services, events and activities, fee changes, etc. Information regarding
library can be included to conveys a message to readers about the alertness of
the library in updating and communicating small but important pieces of
information. In fact, they are an excellent marketing tool because they list
all the activities of a library. With ICT facilities in the library, an
e-newsletter can be produced. The text of the newsletter can also be included on
the library website.
8. Extension activities
Activities such as book displays, lectures, quiz, debates,
seminars, competitions, exhibitions, etc., can have a positive impact on the
image of the library and can motivate people to come to the library and promote
the use of its products and services.
9. Library Tour
Library tour for new and existing members can be used to
promote the library services. While on a library tour, users can be prompted to
ask questions and find out more about new activities, products, and services.
10. Library Month/Day
Organizing national library day/month can be an effective way
to promote the library. A library can create awareness of its importance in
society.
11. Promoting in Electronic Environment
Libraries, especially in large cities like Delhi, and Bombay
use ICT tools in designing, developing, and disseminating services to satisfy
their users. They also use ICT to promote their products and services.
ICT-based channels include library websites and email.
12. Websites
Libraries websites can be accessed by users at any time.The
websites contain details about the library, including the collection,
subscriptions, service policy, terms and conditions, etc. It may also have
graphics and multimedia advertising that can have an impact on visitors. The
library webite should be contiuously updated to avoid an adverse effect the
image of the library. The website can also be interactive so users can
communicate with staff. For this purpose, a directory of staff members should
be posted on the website (Mahajan and Chakravarty, 2007).
13. Electronic Mail/Mailshots
According to Natarajan (2002), e-mail is the most universal
application on the Internet and it can be used for direct communication with
potential users. There are many benefits to using email as a promotional tool.
Mailshots are an effective medium that create personalized services, with
information about library activities and events, membership renewal (Singh and
Krishan Kumar, 2005).
14. Bulletin Board
This is an offshoot of email and is a many-to-many email
system. It is medium for messages of interest to a community of online users
(Moorthy and Karisiddappa, 2000). This service can be used by libraries for
disseminating information to online users.
15. Newsgroups
Libraries can use newsgroups or discussion groups to build
awareness among its clientele. According to Moorthy and Karisiddappa, (2000) a
message (an article) is posted to the entire newsgroup. Other interested
persons can reply/comment on the message. The topic can range widely, but each
group is confined to one subject.
16. E-commerce
A library can also sell its products online through online
charging and credit facilities. E-commerce has redefined the way business is
conducted. Well-known bookstores around the world are offering their holdings
over the Internet. For example, Blackwell maintains a database of more than 1.5
lakh active titles (Moorthy and Karisiddappa, 2000). Benefits of e-commerce
include:
A very large
customer base and that reaches many different countries.
Maintaining a
website is relatively cheap, and results in reduced prices, more competition,
current information, quick access and sales
Caters to the
customers' wide and varied interests, saving travel time
17. Blogs
Blogs are continuously-updated websites, created by
individuals or organizations. They are generally free. A library can use blogs
to promote its products and services by making it appealing and informative
(Mahajan and Chakravarty, 2007). Special alerts about new resources special
services can be included in the blog entries. To get feedback, comments and
suggestions can be invited from visitors.
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