An online marketing system for Health Tutors' College Mulago Library (HTCML) Uganda

Abstract

The study aimed at developing an Online Marketing System for Health Tutors’ College Mulago (HTCM)Library. The objectives of the study were to: examine the different services provided by HTCM Library, establish how marketing of library services is done at HTCM Library, find out the challenges in marketing library services at HTCM Library and develop an Online Marketing System for HTCM Library. The study employed a case study research design with a qualitative research approach to obtain data from the respondents. Questionnaires, interview guides, and observation guides were used in data collection necessary in developing an Online Marketing System for HTCM Library services. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 35 patrons and 2 librarians from HTCM Library who participated in the study. The study established that HTCM Library used a number of methods to market its services such as; exhibitions, website, social media, using a signpost, notice boards and the library brochure. The library staff faces a number of problems while marketing the library services to the users of the library and these were; Inadequate funds, lack of enough computers, inadequate information resources, small reading space. Library staff expected; cheap system in terms of maintenance, user friendly system, compatibility with the available computers in the library, easy to use, purchase of more computers and setting up strict rules for the library users. There was a need for the Online Marketing System to facilitate marketing library services, acquisition of information resources that can best be understood by the users, provision of enough reading space and setting up strict rules in the library. The study concluded that there was need to develop an Online Marketing System for HTCM Library services. The major recommendation was HTCM Library should implement the proposed Online Marketing System for HTCM Library services. The other recommendations were; use of an appropriate marketing approach, involvement of users in marketing of library services, promotion of current awareness services, offering of assistance services, improving the quality of library services, training and educating the library users, organizing events, and setting up a social media network.