Marketing of Information Resources and Services in Nigerian Libraries: The Myths and the Realities

This paper examines the myths and realities of marketing information resources and services in Nigeria. It discusses the basic concept of marketing and why libraries should embrace relationship marketing. It identifies among others three reasons why libraries have failed to adopt the use of marketing principles in their library practice as a simple misunderstanding of marketing principles; lack of understanding of what marketing is and involves, and disagreement about the role of the client in determining libraries’ products and marketing mix. The paper examine some of the myths and realities of marketing information services in Nigerian libraries. It identifies old fashioned belief, misunderstanding of marketing, conservation in the job, old school syndrome among others as the myths not to promote or market their services and resources because their importance to society is apparent. This is followed by the realities. The paper recommends among others that Nigerian libraries should have a rethinking of marketing and that libraries should reinvent themselves in order to have a better understanding of marketing concepts particularly relationship marketing that the obvious reason for marketing is to improve the potential library users satisfaction. KEYWORDS: Holistic Marketing Information Resources and Services; Information Marketing – Nigeria; Marketing – Myths and Realities; Relationship Marketin