Marketing in Library and Information Context:Myths and Realities

Abstract

Marketing is gaining importance in Library and information (L&I) centres in the fast changing environment. The paper states that many myths prevail in the minds of L&I professionals that reluctance to accept marketing as a viable tool. It clarifies that marketing is not just selling, promotion or advertising but all these are parts of the whole marketing concept; secondly. marketing is not only useful for consumables to maximise the profit but equally important in non-profit service organisations like L&I centre; thirdly, marketing in L&I centres does not require good marketing persons but some skills and change in attitude of everyone across the whole organisation; last but not the least, marketing has a customer-centred approach rather than organisation centred. The paper concludes that marketing can be used as a strategic tool in the time of discontinuity.