Developing a customer-focus approach to marketing of library and information service

Abstract

Philosophically, users are the central entity in all types of libraries. The characteristics of the user body make up an essential and indeed central element in the development of library services. In ways that are now familiar from service industry contexts, we need to incorporate elements of client-or customer-centeredness in our approaches to serve users. Users also expect recognition, attention, and appreciation for their individual needs and have desire for self-expression. In such environment, the library system triumphs, which has more customer-focus approach in serving and meeting these needs and the library becomes market driven in the real sense. The customer-focus organisations accept that marketing issue is philosophical and also a strategic one. They are concentrating on developing customer orientation. Their focus is on distinctive competencies, value delivery, customer-defined quality, relationship management, and a customer-focused organisational culture. In the present paper an attempt has been made to clarify, what customer-focus approach is all about?; how quality, customer service and marketing are closely related to each other in customer-focus approach?; and how customer-focused culture can be developed in library and information centres?