Marketing of library services: a case study of selected university libraries in Kenya

Regardless of the type, libraries are under pressure to justify their existence and funding through provision of customer‐ or market‐oriented services. This requires a shift from product or service orientation to customer or need orientation. Different marketing concepts provide libraries with the tools for collecting and analysing useful data about information needs of customers, which assists in designing, developing and delivering appropriate services. This paper examines the methods used by university libraries in Kenya to market their services to different categories of users and the problems experienced therein. It concludes that, although efforts have been made to achieve this, more emphasis must be put on promotion of the already existing services and therefore on the need for university libraries in Kenya to adapt more systematic techniques in collecting data on their user needs, if they are to design and deliver services that fit user requirements.