Special Topics – Marketing for Libraries
LIS 690
Spring 2005
Wednesdays, 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Instructor: Anne K. Abate, Ph.D. Email: abate@nova.edu or anne@gclc-lib.org
Office Hours: By Appointment Phone: (513) 751-4422(w); (513) 530-9874(h)
(Please call to arrange) Work Fax: (513) 751-0463
Course Description:
Provides a perspective on the application of marketing theory to libraries and other information settings. Consumer behavior, market research, market segmentation, targeting and positioning, public relations, product and service design, and promotion are explored. Students create a marketing program and learn the full cycle of marketing and how to apply it to libraries of all types. The course includes interaction with professional librarians in the field.
Required Texts:
Walters, Suzanne. Library Marketing That Works! Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2004.
Marketing & Libraries Do Mix: A Handbook for Libraries & Information Centers. The State Library of Ohio, 1993.
Texts will be available from the instructor.
Other readings as assigned.
Exit Competencies:
By the completion of the course, the student will be able to:
**Apply key marketing concepts to libraries and information centers.
**Provide a perspective on the marketing aspects of an information organization.
**Evaluate selections from the marketing and library science literature for relevance to the library field.
**Create a marketing plan for a library or information center.
**Demonstrate team skills through working with fellow students on class projects.
**Demonstrate preparation, research, organization, and presentation skills.
**Produce stimulating material in the completion of all assignments.
Deliverables at a Glance:
Participation (online and in class)
Discussion Points from Readings
Marketing Literature Research and Sharing (3 articles with abstracts)
Focus Library Assignments
Marketing Kit Review and Presentation
Marketing Plan and Presentation (Group or Individual Project)
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
***Extra Credit
Deliverables in Detail:
Participation: Class participation is important in this type of course. You must be prepared to participate in every class session. Part of participation is completing all assigned reading or research before the start of class. Participation in each student presentation and asking questions during site visits will also contribute to the in-class participation requirement. Share your knowledge.
Another way to earn participation credit is to participate on the class discussion list. You will be sent an invitation to join the list within the first week of the term. Follow the instructions on the invitation. The discussion list will allow us to track fast-breaking developments and to share URLs for interesting sites. Open discussions are invited. Students are encouraged to read the postings and are expected to participate at least every two weeks.
Discussion Points from Readings: As a further preparation for the in-class discussions, for each reading assignment please jot down a couple of questions that come to your mind. These can be your own questions from the reading, alternative approaches you would suggest, or things you would like to discuss with the class. Two or more questions or thoughts are required for each reading assignment. These may be handwritten and thus are to be handed in before each class. Please keep a copy for yourself if you want it.
Marketing Literature Research and Sharing: In order to become more involved with the literature and issues of marketing in the library environment, three articles will be required on current relevant issues. A copy of the article along with a one-page abstract of the article are to be submitted. The due dates can be found on the attached class schedule. The selected articles must be at least three pages of text. Article abstract guidelines are provided below. In addition to submitting the article abstracts to me in print, each abstract must be posted as an attachment on the class discussion list. In this way, you can share your research with your fellow students.
Abstracts must be one-page, single-spaced.
Choose articles on any topic related to the marketing in libraries or general marketing concepts that can be applied to the library field. Sources include general LIS periodicals (Library Journal, American Libraries, etc.), marketing periodicals (Journal of Marketing Management, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, etc.), library sector periodicals (C&RL, Legal Information Alert, etc.), academic journals (Library Trends, Legal Reference Service Quarterly, Journal of Academic Librarianship, etc.) At least two articles from marketing-specific journals are recommended. Articles may be found on the Internet but must be the equivalent of three printed pages of text and must be credible, reliable sources. If you are uncertain of the credibility of an Internet source, please clear it first by sending an email to me with the URL. I will let you know if it measures up. All articles must be published within the last two years. Include a copy of the article stapled behind the abstract. The abstract should highlight the main point of the article and discuss the key issues and conclusions. The last paragraph should be your own reaction to the article including its value and relation to the library field. You must relate the implications of the article to current practice.
Article abstracts will be graded on content, clarity, grammar, spelling, and readability. The selection of the article to abstract will also be considered in grading. These articles and abstracts will not be returned, so please make a copy for yourself if you wish to retain the article or abstract.
Focus Library Assignments: During the term, you will work with a small group of classmates on a project related to one library. We will form groups at the beginning of the term and as a group you will select your focus library. In your initial assignment, you will highlight the facility, staff, programs, and services based on a group visit to the library. As we go through the term, you will have additional assignments that focus on your selected library. You may make additional visits, either as a group or on your own, or you may continue to communicate with a librarian through email or telephone to acquire additional information as needed. All focus library assignments will be submitted by the group, so you may want to spend some time dividing up tasks for each assignment.
Marketing Kit Review and Presentation: Marketing is a serious issue for libraries. Until recently there have not been many useful texts on the subject. As a reaction to that, “marketing kits” can be found all over the Internet. There are kits for special types of libraries (Marketing the Medical Library), guides put out by various library agencies (our text from the State Library of Ohio is one example, or see http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/libdev/mini-courses/outreach/sell.html), and informal guides and bibliographies put out by ambitious librarians. Locate and select one of these sources. Review it in detail and compare its approaches to the marketing concepts we are learning in class. You should make your selection by the date posted on the schedule and provide me with the title, then continue to work on your review during the term. We will try to have each student review a different source, in order to create a good list of resources for the entire class. Prepare a brief report of your review. This should be one to two pages. Prepare a brief presentation to the class outlining the source and providing your critique of its value. Plan on 10-15 minutes of presentation and questions. Dates for the presentations are on the schedule.
Marketing Plan and Presentation: Create a marketing action plan. You may select your own type of library, either fictional or actual, upon which to base your plan. Selecting an actual library may require visits and interviews with professionals, but will be easier to write. Selecting a fictional library will allow you to be more creative, but will take more time to write since you will have to develop everything from scratch. You can use the marketing plans in your text as a guide, along with all of the material from the term. This assignment may be completed on your own, or as a group. Include important elements such as a description of your product or service, a scan of your customers, a justification, methods to reach your customers, a proposed budget, timeline, and evaluation methods. You should submit your plan in hard copy or electronic format. Each individual or group will present their plan to the class near the end of the term. Additional details on this assignment will be discussed throughout the term.
***Extra Credit: Summary of Discussion List Developments: An important element of this course is developing your awareness of the issues facing the profession today and the discussions that librarians are having about marketing their libraries. As you should know already, some of the best sources of information on late-breaking developments in the profession are Internet discussion lists. Within a week of the first class session, subscribe to any discussion list related to this area. Monitor the list for threads relating to the marketing concepts we are covering in class. To earn the extra credit, prepare a brief report on your experience at the end of the term. This should be one or two paragraphs, about one half page. You can relate some of the discussions (or LACK of discussions) about marketing topics that took place during the term.
Grading:
Grades are based on a point system with point totals distributed as follows:
Participation (in class and online) 5 points
Discussion Points from Readings 5 points
Marketing Literature Research and Sharing (3 article abstracts) 10 points
Focus Library Assignments 20 points
Marketing Kit Review and Presentation 20 points
Marketing Plan and Presentation (Group Project) 20 points
Midterm Exam 10 points
Final Exam 10 points
***Extra Credit—Summary of Discussion List Developments Up to 5 points
A 90 to 100 points
B 80 to 89 points
C 70 to 79 points
E less than 70 points
Note--Attendance is expected. More than two absences will result in an automatic lowering of your grade. If you must miss a class for any reason, you should let me know in advance so that some arrangement can be made to make up the work.
LIS 690 - Tentative Schedule
(As of January 8, 2005)
Class Topic Readings and Assignments Due
Jan 12 Introduction to Course/Review of Syllabus/Introductions
Discussion of Expectations
Introduction to Marketing/Group Formation
Jan 19 What is Marketing? Group List and Focus Library Due
Focus Library Introductions Concepts—Chapter 1
Mix—Chapter 2 and 3
Jan 26 Mission Statement LMTW—Chapter 1
Mix—Chapter 4
Issues Research Article #1 Due
Feb 2 Strategic Planning and Environmental Scan LMTW—Chapter 2 and 3
Market Research Methods Mix—Chapter 5
Focus Library Profile Due
Feb 9 The Elements of Marketing LMTW—Chapter 4
Feb 16 Marketing Planning LMTW—Chapter 5
Market Segmentation Mix—Chapter 6 and 7
Issues Research Article #2 Due
Feb 23 Practical Applications Mix—Chapter 10-17 (Select One) Guest Speakers
March 2 Promotion and Public Relations How To—Chapter 5
Mix—Chapter 8
Issues Research Article #3 Due
March 9 Midterm Exam
March 16 Spring Vacation
March 23 Relationship Marketing LMTW—Chapter 6 Marketing Kit Presentations Due
March 30 Using Technology LMTW—Chapter 7
Digital Marketing Marketing Kit Presentations Due
April 6 Evaluation and Measurement How To—Chapter 6
Corporate Image Mix—Chapter 9
Marketing Kit Presentations Due
April 13 Marketing Plan Presentations Marketing Plan Presentations Due
April 20 Marketing Plan Presentations Marketing Plan Presentations Due
Extra Credit Due
April 27 Conclusions and Wrap-Up
May 4 Final Exam
Supplementary reading may be assigned at any time. Please come to class prepared to discuss the material in the reading that week.
All deliverables are due on the scheduled date at the beginning of the class. Work submitted late will lose credit. Feel free to submit your work early by fax, mail, or email.