Section on Management and Marketing

Annual Report 1998

Scope statement

The Section on Management and Marketing has an enabling role for the study of management and marketing issues within library services and systems. It collaborates with other IFLA Sections in applying management and marketing theory and practice to specific types of services and operations throughout the world. A particular concern is to identify emerging theories and practices which may impinge on libraries, and to ensure that managers are made aware of these developments in order to anticipate change, and promote best practice. The Section works with educators and trainers to promote the inclusion of management and marketing studies in the curricula, especially in developing countries. Its activities bring together practitioners, educators and researchers in the fields of management and marketing to exchange ideas, knowledge and experience.

Membership

This is a new Section which recorded 73 members in January 1998.

Officers

Chair:

Graduate School of Library and Information Science,
Dominican University,
7900 West Division Street,
River Forest IL 60305, USA.
Tel: +1-708-5246849
Fax: +1-708-3665360

koenigmd@email.dom.edu

Secretary/Treasurer and Information Officer:

Haulfryn,
Cae Eithin,
Minffordd,
Penrhyndeudraeth,
Gwynedd LL48 6EL Wales, UK.
Tel: +44-1766-770434
Fax: +44-1766-770434

layzellward@celtic.co.uk

Structure

Following a decision by the Professional Board the Friends and Advocates Discussion Group is now linked with the Section.

Meetings at IFLA '98 Amsterdam

The Friends and Advocates of Libraries Discussion Group held a highly successful meeting with over 100 participants, limited only by the size of the room allocated. It had a notable group of speakers including Robert Wedgeworth, Margareet Winjstroom, Betty Turock, Kay Raseroka, Evgenila Rossinskaya and Rima Kupryte. Co-Chairs were Joan Hood and Virginia Young.

The theme for the Open Meeting was Intellectual Capital, and the speakers were: Alice Calabrese (Chicago Library System, USA) - Marketing plans: making the difference for your library; Hazel Dakers (British Library) - Intellectual capital: auditing the people asset; Michael Koenig (Dominican University, USA) - From intellectual capital to knowledge management: what are they talking about? Xonia Jimenez Lopez (Biblioteca Nacional Jose Marti, Cuba) - Marketing library services in Cuba was unable to give her paper due to illness. The meeting was well attended by over 100 people.

Two workshops were organised by members of the Section.
'Analysing our marketing efforts' offered the following programme: The Swedish Dyslexia campaign - Mona Onnestam (Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille) and discussion; Typology of communication channels used by librarians in marketing their services - Rejean Savard (University of Montreal) and discussion; The image of the library and the logotype - Mirielle de Miribel (MEDIADIX, Universite Paris X) and discussion. A presentation and analysis of publicity materials followed by Karen Muller (ALA) and Marielle de Miribel, and discussion. There was also an exhibition of promotional materials - based on materials provided by the participants. The workshop was organised by Christina Tovote, Marielle de Miribel and Rejean Savard. Many more people wanted to attend than the room could hold - some 70 people including those sitting on the floor. It was with regret that many people had to be turned away.

'Library Strategies for the Information Age: Defining New Identity, Modernising Mentality and Tools' offered the following programme: Yuri Hohlov (Russian Information Society Institute) - Information age: a new challenge for management; Claudia Lux (Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin, Germany) - Problems in building a new identity in East German libraries; Atshushi Ikeuchi (Keio University, Japan) - Cost-benefit analysis of public library services. It was organised by Tatiana Ershova. Some 60 people attended the workshop and the discussion was lively.

Two meetings of the Standing Committee were held which reviewed activity during the previous year, planned ahead for Bangkok and Israel, and reviewed and approved project proposals.

Projects

All of the projects which were funded pre-1998 and described in the Section's Annual report for 1997 have been completed. They are the: Toolkit for librarians (Michael Koenig in press); Workshops on marketing ( Marielle de Miribel, Rejean Savard, Christina Tovote - publication in preparation); Feasibility study for a distance learning programme on leadership (Patricia Layzell Ward - report with IFLA HQ together with a report on the proceedings of the Ankara seminar on which the project was based); Contracting out of library services (Michael Koenig - paper delivered in Copenhagen and in press). Projects funded 1997-8 have been completed. They are: Tracking the success of a marketing minicourse to determine the effect upon participants (Alice Calabrese -paper presented in Amsterdam); organisation of a workshop on Strategic planning and modernisation issues (Tatiana Ershova - workshop given in Amsterdam); Preparation of an international glossary on marketing (Christie Koontz - draft prepared and discussed in Amsterdam).

Projects approved by the Co-ordinating Board in Amsterdam:
The CB approved all of the new Section projects. The amounts requested were awarded in full. The Section received fls 2950 out of fls 4450 allocated to the Division. The new projects are: Claudia Lux fls 950 for a project on "Change management: a global perspective" which will draw together examples of change. Input will come from members of the section and their contacts. A publication will result.

Christie Koontz fls 1000 for further development of the "Glossary of marketing terms". This will extend the English language version, and commence a translation into the IFLA languages. The sum awarded is welcome, but small for the work anticipated. Offers of help are being sought from colleagues who can help with the translations.

Christie Koontz fls 500 for "Keynote papers in marketing" - working with colleagues in the Section papers will be identified to be included in a publication.

Patricia Layzell Ward fls 500 for work on the general review of the management literature for 1998 which will be published in the IFLA Journal.

Publications

Review of the management literature 1997. IFLA Journal, 1998, Vol. 24 No.3, 176-183.

Other events

The Section has been associated with two events. The first was a seminar that addressed the ILS curricula and was well attended by key decision-makers in Latin America. Ian Johnson and Michael Koenig presented papers. The second was a preconference to the Canadian Library Association in June 1998 entitled 'Libraries as leaders in community economic development' for which the Section was a supporting organisation.

Patricia Layzell Ward
Secretary/Treasurer
January 1999

Latest Revision: January 20, 1999