| المنتدى الــعــام للمكتبات والمعلومات هذا المنتدى يهتم بالمكتبات ومراكز المعلومات والتقنيات التابعة لها وجميع ما يخص المكتبات بشكل عام. |
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Jan-30-2007, 03:42 PM
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المشاركة1 | ||
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المعلومات
مستشار المنتدى للمكتبات والمعلومات
أستاذ مساعد بجامعة الطائف 
البيانات
العضوية: 13450
تاريخ التسجيل: Oct 2005
الدولة: مصـــر
المشاركات: 4,379
بمعدل : 0.65 يومياً
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جهد طيب .. وعرض أطيب
أختنا الفاضلة / آلاء المهلهل
بوركت ، وبوركت مشاركتك "الثلاثية" والتي عرضت لنا من خلالها .. اقتباس:
اقتباس:
تحياتي ومحبتي للجميع 
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Jan-30-2007, 10:27 PM
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المشاركة2 |
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المعلومات
رئيسة قسم المكتبة
والطباعة والنشر بمعهد التخطيط طرابلس
البيانات
العضوية: 12923
تاريخ التسجيل: Oct 2005
الدولة: ليبيــا
المشاركات: 880
بمعدل : 0.13 يومياً
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الله يبارك فيك استاذي العزيز محمود
والشكر موصول للاستاذ والزميل عبد المطلب خليفة عمارة الذي قام بتزويدي بهذا البحث وفقكم الله تحيااااااااااااتي
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Jan-30-2007, 11:56 PM
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المشاركة3 | |
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المعلومات
مستشار المنتدى للمكتبات والمعلومات
أستاذ مساعد بجامعة الطائف
البيانات
العضوية: 13450
تاريخ التسجيل: Oct 2005
الدولة: مصـــر
المشاركات: 4,379
بمعدل : 0.65 يومياً
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تهنئة لإجازة .. الماجستير
اقتباس:
تهنئة عطرة من منتديات اليسير
للأخ الفاضل / عبد المطلب عمارة (عضو اليسير) لحصوله على درجة الماجستير، وقريباً نحتفي ونحتفل بالدكتور/ عمارة شكر واجب لقيام الأخت الفاضلة بنشر ملخص الرسالة بركن الرسائل الجامعية تحت رقم 66(بالمنتدى العام للمكتبات)
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Mar-21-2007, 11:06 PM
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المشاركة4 |
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المعلومات
رئيسة قسم المكتبة
والطباعة والنشر بمعهد التخطيط طرابلس
البيانات
العضوية: 12923
تاريخ التسجيل: Oct 2005
الدولة: ليبيــا
المشاركات: 880
بمعدل : 0.13 يومياً
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مصادر لتسويق المعلوماتِ وخدماتِ المكتبةِ
Marketing: Sources for marketing information and library services
This lists some printed and (mostly) web-based material relating to marketing of library and information services. n.b. There are also links (examples and "further reading") included in some of the other sections. There is a separate page with links to sources about marketing in general
General texts and articles
Go to top of the pageMarketing planning
Go to top of the pageMarket research See the list of Market research books and examples and also the presentations on the page from the IFLA Management and marketing Section preconferences on Using market research to improve customer satisfaction. http://dis.shef.ac.uk/sheila/ifla/ Go to top of the pagePromotion & public relations
Go to top of the pagePricing See also my 1995 article on this site; Costing and pricing information services, published in Fee for service 2 (1) Winter 1995. pp1-7, including references at the end of the article.
Go to top of the pageProduct and positioning
Go to top of the pageSpecific sectors
Go to top of the pageWork of professional associations
Go to top of the pageFriends groups
Go to top of the pageSpecific countries, outside North America and the UK
http://dis.shef.ac.uk/sheila/marketing/sources.htm
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Mar-23-2007, 12:41 AM
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المشاركة5 |
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المعلومات
رئيسة قسم المكتبة
والطباعة والنشر بمعهد التخطيط طرابلس
البيانات
العضوية: 12923
تاريخ التسجيل: Oct 2005
الدولة: ليبيــا
المشاركات: 880
بمعدل : 0.13 يومياً
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تسويق المكتبات العامة في الصين
Marketing of Libraries and Information Centers in China: a Case Study
Du Yuanqing Director of Marketing Division Institute for Astronautics Information P O Box 1408, Beijing 100013, China ************************** ABSTRACT Institute for Astronautics Information (IAI) is a typical information center in China, operating in the environment of a market economy at a primary stage. A detailed case study is provided for people to have a closer look of what are happening in Chinese library and information community. To promote IAI's products and services, four categories of things are done including (1) making a list of what IAI can practically do; (2) user identification and analysis; (3) pricing of IAI's products and services; and (4) marketing to raise awareness of IAI. The purposes of marketing and eleven effective ways of promotion are discussed. Problems to be solved concerning future library and information services are presented. KEY WORDS: library services; information centers; marketing; promotion; charging policy; information services; user identification; marketing skills; market driven economy; China PAPER TEXT In China, there is a system of public libraries led by the Ministry of Culture, including the National Library of China, the provincial libraries, the city and county libraries. There is also a parallel system of public information centers, guided by the State Science and Technology Commission, including the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (ISTIC), the ministerial institutes of scientific and technical information (ISTIs) and the provincial ISTIs. There are also an academic library system belonging to the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) and a university library system led by the State Education Commission. Institute for Astronautics Information (IAI) is a typical ministerial level information center affiliated to the China Aerospace Corporation (CASC). IAI is the only authoritative information center of its kind to provide one stop shop service of Chinese space related scientific and technical information (STI). With the growth of a market driven economy in China, IAI has to learn to "swim in the sea of market economy". IAI reorganized its internal structure and formed a new Marketing Division. The members of the division are from the six different functional departments of IAI. This report briefly introduces the things I and my colleagues have done and the experiences and lessons I have learned as the head of the Marketing Division of IAI. 1 First Thing's First: Make a List of What We Can Do The first thing I did was to find out what IAI could actually do. I have decided to make an operable list of all the products and services IAI could provide. There was no such kind of list before in the history of IAI. With the help of some members of the Marketing Division representing different departments, I have gathered lots of basic facts. Then I put all the facts together with my own findings in the form of computer printouts and disseminated them to the senior employees of IAI in order to reconfirm the authenticity of the facts. Finally, we got a better idea about what IAI can do. 1.1 PRODUCTS
The services that IAI provides are listed alphabetically. They are typical of many information centers in China.
Knowing about users (both active and potential) is a vital ingredient of marketing. IAI was created in the plan driven economy environment. Its parent organization was then the Ministry of Aerospace and is now the CASC. At present, most of IAI's financial support is still from the CASC. Therefore we consider the individuals or organizations representing the CASC to be IAI's major users (customers). We call them "internal users". All the rest types of users are called external users. Originally, we took the financial support from parent organization for granted and just passively provided some traditional services to some users who happened to know IAI. Since the market economy is growing with tremendous strength, even the financial support from government is allocated on a competitive base. Recently, customer oriented thinking and practice have pervasive influences on IAI staff. IAI has reordered its priorities and worked harder then ever before to provide quality products and services to appeal to our most important customer CASC. We also realize that there are chances to sell some spinoffs of our products and services to general public. Even our main stream products and services can be shared by some related universities and organizations. For instance, before the establishment of the new Marketing Division, IAI had already begun selling some IAI produced journals to some external users. Most users outside CASC are ready to pay for certain products and services they are willing to get from IAI. Thousands of people all over China subscribe to IAI's periodical Aerospace China. Some foreign space related libraries subscribe to our bilingual abstract periodical China Astronautics and Missilery Abstracts (CAMA), and further use our document delievery and translation services. In order to get detailed and concrete information about our potential users, we search our own CADD to find out the corporate names, and finger through some international space related directories to get the addresses. We believe they will be the potential users who will probably pay to get our publications and services. We have built a database containing information of our users. A very handy mailing list is maintained with the help of a PC. Analyses show that our users include government officials, researchers from inside and outside the CASC, students and teachers, general public and foreign space related libraries and organizations. 3 Fee or Free: Pricing of IAI's Products and Services There are no generally accepted pricing standards for information products and services in China so far. As we ourselves are often users of other information centers and libraries, we have been charged for some of the products and services provided by them. Most of the cases the charging is reasonable and understandable, but sometimes we feel it is intolerable. These experiences help us a lot in pricing our own products and services. Of course, we have to make some changes according to our own tenets. Most often we charge only to cover a portion of the cost incurred for the service provided. Libraries and information centers are generally considered pro bono publico organizations. Traditional services like reading room facilities, on the spot lending, basic enquiry support and general guidance in the use of the collections are free of charge for all internal and external users of IAI. We also don't charge our traditional and important internal users representing IAI's parent organization CASC. We do almost everything we can to serve their information needs. IAI's periodicals and other publications are timely delivered to their offices. Urgent enquiries from them are answered without delay. And IAI is always ready to provide them with needed research services, document delivery, report writing, translation services and SDI services. They have free access to all databases in our mainframe computer. For the external users, new services generated because of the introduction of new media and new devices are charged. Host based dial up use of databases in our mainframe computer can be charged in proportion to the connection time. Or users can choose to pay an annual fee for unlimited connection time. When charging for the use of CD ROMs and on line searching, the following factors are considered: the cost of the installations, the manpower, and the amount of printing. Document delivery fee is based on the amount of work involved in locating the document, the direct cost of getting the copy of it and the time allowances. Charging for research services, expert consultations, translation and editing services, SDI services, patent related services and other value added services is more complicated. The recent practice includes direct negotiation between the service providing staff and the customers. Fee for training services is to cover the direct cost of classroom renting, manpower, textbooks and manuals. Guided practices on machines are usually free of charge. Issues in relation to fee based information services and products are hot topics all over the world. Although I am in charge of a Marketing Division, I personally feel nostalgic for the time when all services provided by the library were free of charge. Three years ago when I was invited to a "meeting of experts" held by the National Library of China and asked to give my opinion about charging a fee for getting a book from a library shelf to a reader in the reading room, my comment was "intolerable". I still insist that all kinds of libraries and information centers should provide a set of free of charge standard services to the general public for the good of the society. Generally speaking, the pricing policies are quite fluid at the present stage and may easily affected by the economic, social and political circumstances within which the libraries and the information centers are operating. At the beginning of our charging practice, we realized that most information seekers were parsimonious and reluctant in paying for some types of untraditional services they got from IAI. Lots of explanations were needed from our staff. But now things have changed a lot and people are accustomed to being charged for certain types of services. When we publicize a new version of the price list of IAI's products and services, we attach to it a note like "prices are subject to change without notice" and the work load of price related explanations is becoming smaller. 4 Marketing, Promotion and Public Relations: Raising Awareness of IAI and Its Products and Services 4.1 Purposes In the competitive and market driven environment, marketing and promotion planning can be vital in securing the allocation of adequate resources to the information center. The necessary amount of income for IAI to survive and grow should be generated from both the parent organization CASC and the external users. And, at present, the percentage of the first part of IAI's income is still high. In order to reinforce IAI's political and financial position in CASC and to get the support from the senior management of CASC during the budget allocation discussions, IAI needs to continually raise both its visibility to its internal users and its effectiveness in satisfying their needs. And in order to win paying users and sponsors so as to generate income for IAI, a continual effort of marketing and promotion is indispensable to bring IAI's products (services) and their target users together. Unfortunately, even until now, a good many people simply don't know IAI at all. I often hear people say "I have never heard of IAI before" when I visit some research institutes. And the image of the librarians and information workers in their minds is often traditional and old fashioned. That means there are gaps between IAI's products and their users. My two years' experience as a manager of IAI's Marketing Division has taught me that there are lots of things to be done in publicizing IAI's services, products and their contributions to its internal and external users. 4.2 Methods I and my colleagues have intentionally spent a lot of time keeping telling people that IAI's task is to establish an information rich environment through providing widest possible access to aerospace information for managers, researchers and students working in the space related fields. Following ways (listed alphabetically) are used to implement our promotion strategy. ATTENDING EVENTS, MEETINGS AND EXHIBITIONS Direct contacts with individuals and organizations are of special importance in China for raising awareness of IAI and its services and products. Sometimes I am appointed to be interpreter to attend some important events and commercial talks. I make the acquaintance of some potential users as occasion serves. During the intermissions and the time traveling in a car, I talk to the people around me, exchange name cards with them, and introduce IAI and, if possible, its products and services to them. I and my colleagues have attended some important space related meetings and exhibitions to disseminate the sample copies of our publications, the order forms, and the handouts explaining our products and services. CAREFULLY PLANNING MARKETING ACTIVITIES Different marketing practices can be combined and coordinated to get the best result of promotion. DEMONSTRATIONS AND TELEVISION BROADCASTS Soon after the founding of IAI's bilingual reference journal China Astronautics and Missilery Abstracts and the starting of IAI's host based database services, we organized a large scale demonstration in a well equipped hall at the CASC Headquarters. More than two hundred important people representing government, universities and industries were invited to attend the event. A video tape reporting the success of the demonstration were prepared for the Beijing TV Station to broadcast. After this event, some small scale outreach activities displaying IAI's products and services were organized. Transparent glass made bookcases decorated and loaded with IAI's products are placed in the hall and the corridor of IAI's office building. GOOD REPUTATION AND QUALITY SERVICES The best way of letting people really know about IAI is to provide quality products and services so that they can discover what IAI can do for them and how it can be useful. And if IAI is effective and helpful, users will be pleased and will tell others. HANDOUTS AND BROCHURES Provision of written guidance to the products and services a library or information center provides is a traditional and effective way in user education. I and my colleagues have prepared lots of handouts and brochures explaining in detail the contents of IAI's dial up user services and the procedures of utilizing them and addressing FAQs (frequently asked questions), and disseminated them, free of charge, to the people who should know about IAI. "A Guide to IAI's Products and Services" lists all the things IAI can do for its customers and the related costs users are expected to pay. Detailed information about the location of IAI, the ways of getting there, the telephones and contacts for all the products and different services is also provided. INFORMATION SKILLS INSTRUCTION With the rapid development of information technology and the exponential growth of the amount of information, quite many information seekers, young or old, often feel lost when they first visit a library or information center. Little training in information skills is provided for students when they are in college. One of the responsibilities for IAI's marketing staff is to provide one to one instruction during enquiries including familiarizing users with the Boolean search or other search strategies. This can effectively eliminate the frustration encountered by new comers to IAI and thus increase best use of IAI. We carefully redesigned IAI's old bibliographic journal and published the well accepted new bilingual reference periodical CAMA. Considerate instructions about how to read the six different indexes are provided by illustrations. We encourage university teachers to use CAMA to demonstrate information searching process, and join their efforts in teaching students how to search and locate relevant documents. Ten universities including Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, National University of Defence Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, and Nanjing University of Science and Technology have been using CAMA as training aid. LECTURES Giving lectures on new information technologies can be very effective in changing the stereotyped thinking about information workers within the minds of the audience and in raising their awareness and understanding of information services. In 1995, I was invited by many organizations and institutes to give lectures on "information highway and STI searching". More than five hundred people attended those lectures. I have made best use of the opportunities to introduce IAI's services and products. Following each lecture there was a demonstration of dial up accesses to both the Internet and IAI's host based databases. Each time I brought with me a notebook PC, a modem and some auxiliaries, and established the connection before the eyes of the audience. NEWSLETTERS A "Space Information Work Newsletter" and other related newsletters edited by IAI are distributed among members of the Space Information Chapter of the China Society for Scientific and Technical Information (CSSTI). The staff of Marketing Division actively write reports to the newsletters telling about new reports and services, events and meetings, and the recent arrivals of IAI's carefully tailored collections, in order to raise awareness of the value of the information available and to encourage its effective use. This makes people believe that IAI is always there to help. NEWSPAPER/JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS Making advertisements through certain newspapers and journals is already an established practice for selling IAI produced periodicals. SEASONAL GREETINGS We send greeting cards to people who have used IAI's certain kinds of services and supported IAI's marketing efforts. USER SURVEY BEFORE STARTING A NEW SERVICE The surveying process is in itself a process of telling people what IAI will do next. And a lot of feedback opinions about present products and services can be collected at the same time. The reports of the survey are helpful for making decisions affecting future products and services of IAI. 5 Things to Be Improved: A Long Way to Go As we are aggressively promoting our yet underdeveloped information products and services, we are sensible enough to discover following problems needed to be solved for the health of future marketing and promotion planning. LACK OF COOPERATION BETWEEN INFORMATION PROVIDERS A lot of factors including provincial and departmental interests are causing fragmentation for the information market and preventing library and information services from fully utilizing the resources available throughout China. There is no practically operable national OPACs system in China. Most users have to physically approach a library or information center to get a book or document. And there is no practical plan to connect the presently existed host based dial up services. If a user want to reach 6 hosts, s/he has to make at least 6 different phone calls and type at least six different passwords. Saving is getting. Much yet has to be achieved for eliminating duplications of efforts between information providers (including libraries and information centers) to save funds. LACK OF EFFECTIVE EVALUATION OF MARKETING ACTIVITIES AND IAI'S PRODUCTS AND SERVICES The evaluation of marketing and promotion activities can check the effectiveness of those activities and help to find better and more cost effective ways of marketing. Tangible proofs of the value of information marketing and information itself collected during the evaluation will be valuable for future marketing. The evaluation of IAI's products and services can provide basic information about its overall performance. User satisfaction surveys can be a good method for such evaluation. If IAI can get high rating from its users, its financial and political position can be strengthened. LACK OF MARKETING TO IMPROVE THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT Promoting the relevance of the information services to the users' competitive advantage can encourage information oriented atmosphere within the parent organization and in the society. This will be helpful in improving the social environment in which libraries and information centers operate. LACK OF MARKETING SKILLS EDUCATION IAI is determined to put emphasis on marketing and information access and wants to be a user first information center. All the opportunities good for marketing IAI and its products and services should be utilized to full effect. We have already known the concept of "Total Quality Management". Is it possible to establish a new concept "Total Marketing Management"? Marketing skills are not only important for marketing staff and the chief managers of libraries and information centers. Information workers of all levels should get trained in promotion and marketing skills and ready to practise them. But it seems that no one is responsible to provide the needed training. People have to teach themselves through trial and error processes. And international exchanges in relation to library marketing and promotion between librarians from both developed and developing countries/regions are seldom known to be organized. LACK OF SYSTEMATICAL USER NEEDS IDENTIFICATION (DEFINITION) Strategic planning of marketing and promotion activities largely depends on good user analysis. But little has been done in systematically identifying users and their needs. PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH As far as I know, it is a common practice in China that a marketing department of a library or information center is both a sales department and a public relations department, and it is also responsible to provide bonus (proportional to the sales) for its staff. I am quite worried that this kind of environment is easy for cultivating snobbish spirit in a library or information center and thus jeopardizes the image and the future of our profession. We should not be "penny wise and pound foolish" in designing and practicing our charging policies. In my opinion, public libraries and information centers are not places for the staff to make their fortune. It is another common practice for many libraries and information centers that some of the buildings and offices are redeployed for other uses. This leads to, for instance, smaller reading rooms for users, and the traditional role played by public libraries and information centers in promoting books and reading is likely to shrink. THE INFORMATION POOR AND THE INFORMATION RICH I have seen obviously unbalanced development of library and information services across China. For example, there is no library at all in my birth place Yanwo Town close to the northern bank of the Yangtze River, with an area of 100 square kilometers and a population of 40,000. And people there simply have no chance to get library services at all. Unbalanced information resources distribution and the varied levels of accessibility of different groups of people pose limitations on and challenges to the practices of information marketing and promotion. UNBALANCED INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION FLOWS The inequality of information flows between developed and developing countries/regions is problematical. Taking Internet for example, it is an obvious fact that developed countries/regions speak a lot more lauder than all the developing world. The factors causing the unbalanced information flow include (1)language barriers; (2) lack of marketing skills, funds, trained staff, equipments and communication capabilities of the developing world; (3) national information policies; (4) lack of effective cooperation between the developed and developing worlds. http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla63/63yuad.htm
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Mar-23-2007, 02:10 AM
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المشاركة6 |
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المعلومات
مستشار المنتدى للمكتبات والمعلومات
أستاذ مساعد بجامعة الطائف
البيانات
العضوية: 13450
تاريخ التسجيل: Oct 2005
الدولة: مصـــر
المشاركات: 4,379
بمعدل : 0.65 يومياً
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شكراً مرتين..!!
الأخت الفاضلة / آلاء المهلهل
شكراً لك .. مرتين ..!! الأولى .. عن هذه القوائم الثرية بالمراجع الأجنبية عن التسويق . والثانية .. عن هذه الدراسة : "دراسة الحالة" لواقع قريب من إشكاليات مجتمعاتنا العربية .. تحياتي ومحبتي للجميع
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Mar-23-2007, 11:45 PM
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المشاركة7 |
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المعلومات
رئيسة قسم المكتبة
والطباعة والنشر بمعهد التخطيط طرابلس
البيانات
العضوية: 12923
تاريخ التسجيل: Oct 2005
الدولة: ليبيــا
المشاركات: 880
بمعدل : 0.13 يومياً
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لا شكر على واجب
الشكر لي مرتين والشكر لك مليون مرة
بل شكراً بعدد الحروف التي تكتبها في المنتدى شكراً بعدد الثواني واللحظات التي تقضيها في مساعدتنا للرقي بالتخصص شكراً شكراً شكراً تحياااااااااااااااااااااتي
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Mar-24-2007, 12:20 AM
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المشاركة8 |
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المعلومات
رئيسة قسم المكتبة
والطباعة والنشر بمعهد التخطيط طرابلس
البيانات
العضوية: 12923
تاريخ التسجيل: Oct 2005
الدولة: ليبيــا
المشاركات: 880
بمعدل : 0.13 يومياً
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منتجات وخدمات المعلومات المكتبات العامة : التجارب الماليزية
Marketing Information Technology (IT)
Products and Services Through Libraries: Malaysian Experiences Shahar Banun Jaafar AbstractNational Library of Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Malaysia In recent years, libraries in developing countries have taken initiatives to introduce Information Technology (IT) products and services to add value to their services. The advent of new technologies such as: dramatic increase of digital storage media; convergence of telecommunication and broadcasting, the availability of wealth of information resources accessible through the Internet and also increasing reduce cost of computers in the marketplace, make it possible for librarians to introduce IT products and services to fulfill information needs of their customers. Libraries should promote the use of IT as an integral part of library services in meeting the changing information needs of the community. Libraries must ensure that these new services are visible and meaningful to the community they served. Connecting libraries with communities using IT products and services is vital. The author discusses the Malaysian's government plan to transform the country into digital nation and how libraries can play their strategic roles in making IT product and services easily accessible to the community. Marketing IT products and services that benefit the community at large are some of the strategies that libraries should consider in order to improve their services in the digital era. Marketing strategies of IT products and services act as the driving force in achieving quality library services that meet information needs of the community. In developing marketing strategies, the author discusses the need to undertake environmental analysis to determine market trends that have major influence in the information needs of library customers, conduct market research before marketing programs can be introduced, develop marketing strategies through forward marketing, internal marketing and reverse marketing, and finally institute a monitoring and review system in order to maintain continuous customers' satisfactions of services offered by libraries. Paper1. BACKGROUND AND LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT IN MALAYSIA Malaysia is located in the heart of Southeast Asia. It consists of the Peninsular Malaysia and the states of Sabah, Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Labuan in the north-western coastal area of Borneo Island. The South China Sea separates the two regions. Antiquity writers once referred to the Peninsular Malaya as the Golden Chersonese. Malaysia has a population of about 21 million. About 51% of Malaysian populations reside in urban area. The result of the 1996 survey of Reading Habit among Malaysian population indicates that the literacy rate of Malaysian is 93% and that 12% of urban population have accessed to computer. Presently there are approximately 10,000 libraries of different sizes in Malaysia. These libraries are: the National library of Malaysia, 14 university libraries (11 public and 3 private), 112 academic libraries, 330 special libraries attached to Ministries, government departments, private corporations, associations, 14 state public libraries with 89 branch/district libraries, 12 regional libraries, 274 village libraries and 97 mobile libraries, and about than 8,620 school libraries. Whilst the National Library, university libraries, academic libraries, state public libraries, and some special libraries are managed by professional librarians, school libraries/resource centres are mended by teacher librarians or student librarians. There are 4 library schools in Malaysia. They are at the MARA Institute of Technology, the University of Malaya, the International Islamic University, and at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. All library schools are giving emphasis on the study of IT and management of IT resources. Funding for the National Library of Malaysia, government sponsored university libraries and school libraries/resource centres are from the Federal Government. Special libraries received their funding either from the government or from their parent organisations. State libraries receive their funding both from State Governments as well as from the Federal Government. The Federal government allocates development and part of the operational budgets to state libraries through the National Library of Malaysia. These funding are for building of new library buildings for state and branch libraries or for renovations of library buildings, purchasing of library furniture, equipment, mobile libraries, computer systems and buying library materials which include IT products as well as for organising reading campaign programs. Since the end of 1980s, libraries in Malaysia, especially the National Library and university libraries have build up major bibliographic databases under the MALMARC project. In the early 1990s, some major libraries have installed their own computer systems and developed their own databases. In 1994, JARING ILMU (knowledge network) was introduced using Internet as a platform for linking libraries. Under the JARING ILMU project, the National Library installed computers with Internet facilities to 14 state libraries and 35 special libraries in the Ministries and Federal Government department libraries. Libraries that subscribe to Internet through Mimos Bhd, which acts as Internet service centre in Malaysia, will automatically become part of the JARING ILMU. Presently, there are about 150 libraries that have access to Internet. JARING ILMU is the beginning of library network that allows libraries within Malaysia to have accessed the Worldwide Webs. Internet provides opportunities for libraries to leapfrog into a new era of information technologies. Present, there are pockets of databases developed by different institutions, some of which can be accessible through Internet. 2. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IT products refer to sources of information and knowledge contents that are available in electronic forms such as CD-ROMs, interactive video, films, audio digital products, online publishing, public domain and commercial online databases available through Internet and other propriety databases available through various private network providers. In addition, there are cable and satellite TV programs with varieties of channels that provide information to masses. This fast development of Information Technologies has provided new possibilities for libraries to introduce IT products and services to its customers. Since late 1980, many libraries in Malaysia have created Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC). Through most libraries have their OPAC accessible at their own premises, some have them accessible through the Internet. The National Library of Malaysia has its OPAC accessible through Internet and its databases on Malaysian resources such as indexes to Malaysian journals, conference proceedings and selected articles available in CD-ROM. The National Library of Malaysia also maintains a collection of off-air recordings on various local TV programs related to business and IT, such as the Business Trends, Cyberwaves, important speeches by Malaysia leaders, and a number of educational programs, for researchers to refer at their convenient times. There are also specialized databases developed by research institutions such as the SIRIMLINIK, PALMOILIS, MASTICLINK, SITTDEC, and CIVIL SERVICE LINK accessible either through Internet and some through private networks. Some major local newspapers are available through the Internet through NSTP Online can only be accessible through subscription to private network. Local software houses are beginning to develop local software in CD-ROM though there are still small in number. A number of libraries have subscribed to Information sources in CD-ROM. Union list of CD-ROM in Malaysian libraries can be obtained from the National Library of Malaysia's homepage. Under the JARINGAN ILMU (KNOWLEDGE NETWORK), the National Library of Malaysia, encourages libraries to create and develop databases on sources of information pertaining to their core competencies and make these databases and sources of local information available through their homepages. Developing homepages are another means of promoting library services using IT. A number of public libraries in Malaysia are developing Hypermedia Children Centers where children can view and interact with computers for group storytelling sessions, creative graphics and compose their /own stories using computer or learn science with its varieties CD-ROM collections. Libraries should market its IT products and services so that the investment made by the government or their parent organizations will benefit the society at large, and that IT resources are fully utilized by library users. A marketing programs for IT products and services must be introduced. Marketing IT products and services will enhance the library image as a knowledge resource center. Peter Drucker once stated that "the purpose of a business is to create and keep its customers". Libraries should adopt marketing approach in the provision of library services. The focus of the marketing programs must ensure that library users (customers) are satisfied with IT products and services being offered. Customer satisfaction is important for libraries as it provide the following advantages. Firstly, libraries will continue to receive financial support from the government and public contributions. Secondly, libraries will be able to continuously add new IT products and services that will entice library users to come. Thirdly, by introducing IT products and services, it will create new images for libraries as infomedia, infotainment and edutainment centers, hence creating learning environment that are enjoyable and entertaining for library users. 3. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS Marketing acts as a driving force in achieving quality IT products and services, and maximizing customers' satisfactions at the lowest delivery cost. A market orientation program that promote the use of IT products and services in libraries need to be instituted in order to create superior values to customer by increasing benefit relative to the cost of IT products and services. This involves undertaking a market opportunity analysis. Market opportunity analysis refers to "a formal methodology that assesses macroenvironmental trends, customers, competitions and distribution channels in order to focus on the needs of a market segment". To create customer satisfactions, it requires libraries to scan market environment that has major impact on the information needs of its present and potential customers. In Malaysia, there are major government policies and programs that require libraries in Malaysia to change their paradigm, to reposition their roles, to change the library's image as a "knowledge reservoir" instead of acting as a storehouse of printed materials. Some of the Malaysian government policies and programs that have major influences to information needs of the Malaysian societies are:
In such an environment, libraries in Malaysia cannot remain as a storehouse/museum of printed materials but must change its function as a "reservoir of knowledge" which continuously source our and deliver information in variety of forms, including in electronic forms, to its users. As Malaysians improve their standard of living and are exposed to global information sources through various electronic media, their information behavior seeking will also change. They begin to demand for quality services in all aspects, including library and information services. Libraries have no choice but to introduce innovative IT products and services that cater to the changing information needs of Malaysian society. Libraries as "reservoir of knowledge" must market its IT products and services to its users in order to reach out to its potential users. 4. MARKET RESEARCH Before embarking on any marketing program, it is essential for a library to conduct marketing research in order to determine information needs of its present and potential consumers (library users), thereby providing services that satisfy and meet their information needs. In 1996, the government of Malaysia has commissioned a research firm to conduct a survey on reading habit of Malaysians. The survey gave valuable information on the literacy rate, IT literacy, and to a certain extent, provided an overview of information needs of the Malaysian society. The results of the survey showed the following data: (i) the literacy rate of Malaysia is 93% (compared to 85% as indicated in the 1981 survey). (ii) Only 87% of Malaysians are practicing reading with an average of 2 books a year. (iii) About 12% of urban Malaysians have accessed to personal computers, and out of this, 49% use computers for playing computer games, 19% use with graphics, 15% play educational games, 31% use computers for general knowledge, and 18% use computer for reading stored materials. The survey shows that computer literacy is 12% among the 10-14 age group, 16% among the 25-34 age group, 10% in the 35-44 age group, 6% among the 45-54 age group, 1% for the age group of 55 an above; (iv) Only about 29% of Malaysian use library services. The survey indicates that computer literacy among Malaysian is still low though is increasing, and that the use of library among Malaysians is still low. To encourage more Malaysians to buy computers for their family, the government is giving tax rebate for family that buys computers. There is no import tax for computer facilities. With the changing education system toward IT-based, it is expected that by the year 2020, everyone who goes through the school system will be computer literate. Introducing IT products and services as an integral part of library services, accompanied by good advertisement as well as introducing systematic user education programs will encourage library users to come to library. Strategic marketing requires library to maintain an information system that collect data pertaining to library users for planning future library services throughout the country. Information and data pertaining to changing information needs of library users compiled from regular surveys, trends relating to subject/ topics that are frequently referred to by library user, frequently asked reference inquiries, that reference librarians received, statistic on usage of library resources, profile of library users registered for special services, profile of expert groups who can be tapped for specialized information sources, directory of libraries and the strength of their special collections and services rendered, directory of library IT vendors and IT publishers, and their performance indicators, etc must be maintained. It is essential that libraries constantly scan the external environment in term of economic, cultural, educational, technological and political developments that will have major impact to library services.5. MARKETING STRATEGIES Information services that libraries offer must fulfill information needs of their present and future library services. Strategic marketing requires libraries to understand their customers changing information needs in order to provide customer-focused services. Environmental changes that are taking place at national and international levels have and will continue to influence information needs of the Malaysian society. In the era of information explosion where there is wealth of information being published and transmitted through electronic media, libraries must take proactive measures to introduce IT products and services to cater for information needs of the society that are fast transforming toward a digital society. Quality marketing requires an integration of 3 marketing strategies, namely: forward marketing that focuses on customers, internal/inward marketing that focuses on staff development, and reverse marketing whereby libraries form strategic alliances/ partnership with IT suppliers. The integration of these 3 marketing strategies is vital for total quality marketing of IT products and services. Libraries should develop long-term strategies to make their visions to become part of the nation-wide digital libraries a reality. In Malaysian, plans for developing nation-wide digital library are being undertaken by special committee at the National Library of Malaysia. The committee comprises of representatives of librarians from different library sectors. The digital library will include the following components: (a) integration of all libraries and knowledge-based institutions in the country through networking. (b) Library acts a repository of multimedia digital knowledge and information resources. (c) Library is actively involved in the creation of local information/knowledge digital contents. (d) Library makes its databases accessible by anyone, from any locations and at any time. (e) Library makes available Internet facilities for the public to access WWW. (f) Library acts as one stop knowledge and information center for the community. (g) Library develops as infotainment, edutainment and infomedia centers. (h) Library provides distant learning, education-on-demand and video conferencing facilities. (i) Library can provide incubator services that allows small entrepreneurs to use library's computer systems to create databases and web pages until such time when they are able to have their own computer systems. (j) Library provides remote services through Interactive Online Services for reference inquiries, request for document delivery services, and reservation. (k) Library is actively participating in relevant listserves, online forums and video-conferencing. (l) Library acts as center for acculturation of IT. (m) Library acts as clearinghouse for intellectual property rights, and (n) use of smart cards among libraries.
In order to promote the use of IT products and services, libraries must develop marketing plans to market its services. The marketing plan should include the following services:
For effective marketing of IT products and services, libraries must promote its services through various form of advertisements so that library users are aware of new services being offers. A systematic and organized marketing plan will raise the library image as innovative library rather than as storehouse of printed materials. The library will gain higher status and recognition from stakeholders for funding. Promotion of its IT products and services can be made through the following means:
The library should institute a monitoring system when new library services being introduced. Monitoring system is designed to measure the effectiveness of IT resource being used and the reaction of library users as well as to assess the effectiveness of the marketing strategy to promote IT products and services. As IT products have shorter life cycle, librarians need to monitor its use and the extent that the new IT services being introduced sustain the interest of library users. Innovative and creative ways of marketing IT products and services must be considered. It is also essential to monitor changes that continue to take place in the external environment and in the IT marketplaces as these changes may lead to changes being taken in the process. Introduction of IT means changing new ways of doing things, and may have profound effect upon the culture and social structures of libraries. The possibilities of library users accessing OPAC from remote places and made request for reservation, loans, and even membership registration online can alter the library's boundary with the external environment by changing its relationship with its users, book suppliers, and other libraries as well as opening its resources to the global community. All these should be closely monitored to avoid conflict among staff. The review process involves feedback from staffs involves in the change process, feedback for the library users as well as library suppliers. Data collected as the result of monitoring and reviewing the IT services is analyzed and conclusion is drawn about the effectiveness of the marketing strategy. The information is used to shift the strategy toward a more effective direction. Non-productive services and facilities should be phased out and reexamined to determine the reasons for its failure. Efforts and resources should be redirected and focused an area where demand is greater. Complaints and failures should be addressed and problems dealt with. Benchmarking with other libraries to measure and to compare its service performances with other libraries/ information centers is also important. Having an information system enable librarians to make quality decision making in introducing innovative IT products and services. 8. CONCLUSION In the digital era, IT products and services must be made as an integral part of library services. Libraries that have introduced IT services should promote its use to the society. Libraries must have marketing strategies to connect libraries and communities through IT and services. Marketing strategies of IT products and services act as a driving force in achieving quality library services that meet information needs of the community. For quality marketing of IT products and services, it requires an integration of three marketing strategies, namely: forward marketing, internal marketing and reverse marketing. ReferencesCAMERON, Debra. The worldwide web: strategies and opportunities for business. Charleston, South Caroline: Computer Technology Research Corporation, 1996. Ching-Chih Chen. Global digital library initiative: prototype development and need. IN Microcomputers for Information Manager: Global internetworking for libraries. 13(2) 1996. DRUCKER, Peter F. Managing in a time of change. London: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1995. ESTABLISHING, development and management of Pustaka Negeri Sarawak. A proposal prepared for the government of Sarawak by Shahar Banun Jaafar, Norpishah Mohd. Noor and Shellatay Devadason. Kuala Lumpur: Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia, 1997. [Restricted Document]. GALLIMORE, Alec. Developing an IT strategy for your library. London: Library Association 1997. HAMILTON, Feona. Infopromotion: publicity and marketing ideas for the information profession. Aldershot: Gower Publishing, 1990. JOHNSON, William C. and Chvala, Richard. Total quality in marketing. Singapore: S.S. Mubarak & Brothers, 1996. KOELSCH, Frank. The infomedia revolution: how it is changing our world and your life. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1995. MALAYSIA. Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister's Department. Seventh Malaysia Plan: 1996-2000. Kuala Lumpur: 1996. MALAYSIA'S Multimedia Super Corridor. Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Institute of Microelectronic System, 1996. REUSS, Diane. Changing strategies for information delivery: theory into practice. Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery and Information Supply 5(1) 1995: p. 43-50. RIGGS, Donald E. Developing a strategic plan for the global library. In planning global information infrastructure, edited by Ching-chih Chen. Norwood, NJ: Alex Publishing Corporation, 1995. p. 79-83. SHAHAR Banun Jaafar. Developing national information and knowledge infrastructure. Paper presented at the Regional conference of public library: planning for future needs, jointly organized by the National Library of Malaysia, the Council of Directors of Public Libraries, the Library Association of Malaysia and the cooperation of IFLA, held in Kuala Lumpur on 10-12 November 1997. SHAHAR Banun Jaafar. JARINGAN ILMU: Malaysian library's information network. PROGRAM 30(3) July 1996: p.269-277. SHAHAR Banun Jaafar. Strategic plan for the development of nation-wide multimedia digital libraries in Malaysia. Paper presented at the National Conference on Multimedia Digital Library held at the National Library of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur 19-22 November, 1996. SHAHAR Banun Jaafar. Feeling the pulse of the nation: assessing information needs for national development. Paper presented at the Tenth Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians (CONSAL X), Kuala Lumpur 21-25 May 1996. Kuala Lumpur: CONSAL X, 1996. STEWARD, Thomas. Intellectual capital: the new wealth of organisation. London: Nicholas Breadley Publishing, 1996. The STUDY of reading habits among Malaysians. A survey conducted by Franks Small, Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur: Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia, 1997. WAN Mohd. Zahid Noordin. Education and acculturation. Paper presented at the Infotech Malaysia '95, Kuala Lumpur 1-3 November, 1995. Kuala Lumpur: 1995.
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