CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The concept of library is changing with time and the mission and purpose are also changing. Libraries according to Aguolu and Aguolu (2002) are social institutions, created to conserve knowledge; preserve the cultural heritage; provide information; under-gird and underpin education and research; and to serve as fountains of recreation. Libraries exist in institutions or establishments to assist in achieving the objectives of their parent organizations. According to Fatoki (2004), libraries are the primary resource for conducting academic research. University libraries, like other academic libraries, exist to provide information resources from any part of the world and information services to staff and students so as to further the university’s mission of learning, teaching and research. Library services include provision of materials for undergraduate instruction, term papers and projects as well as supplementary reading; provision of materials in support of post graduate research and materials in support of faculty, external and collaborative researches. In addition university libraries provide expensive standard works, especially in the professional disciplines, and materials for personal development (Ifidon, 1999). In the recent past, the concept of library has expanded from a collection of books and print materials to include digital library and virtual library resources. These refer to the vast collection of information people gain access to over the internet, cable television, or some other type of remote electronic connection. Libraries today are service agents sharing much in common with other service providers (Heath and 2 2 Cook, 2003), and this has given rise to competition between libraries and other information service providers. To stay in business entails a continuous business transaction between a company and its various customers (Agunta, 1996). Customer’s patronage is one of the major ingredients for a company’s long term existence. Patronage from the customer is achieved only when a company provides products and services that are able to satisfy the needs of such customers. With the sporadic growth of new information providers such as cyber cafes, on-line book dealers, the internet community, consultants and individual customers, libraries cannot continue to assume that they are the only source of information that people will consult. Librarians and other information professionals have to adopt marketing as a tool if they are to exist in the tomorrow environment (Kaane, 2006).
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