Abstract:
School libraries play a vital role in education life of students and it supports student-centered
learning. Similarly, marketing enables the library to carry out its role effectively. Despite
this, marketing of the secondary school library service in Kenya remains remote, which has
in turn affected usability levels of school libraries and consequently impacting on student
performance. The aim of this study was to examine the marketing of information services in
secondary school libraries in Nairobi North District with a view to proposing ways to
enhance their performance. The objectives of the study were to: identify users of secondary
school libraries in Kenya; establish the types of information services provided by secondary
school libraries in Kenya; investigate the nature of marketing of information services in
secondary school libraries; determine the challenges faced by secondary school library
managers in marketing information services to their users; suggest strategies suitable for
marketing information services to users of secondary school libraries. The study was
informed by H.I. Ansoff’s product/growth matrix (1992). The study population comprised
ten schools drawn from Nairobi North District. The study population was purposively
selected and comprised secondary school heads, secondary school library managers,
languages teachers and secondary school students. The primary data collection tools were
face-to-face interviews and questionnaires. Survey research type was adopted and both
qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in the study. Frequency tables, pie
charts and coding of data into themes were used to present, analyze and interpret data. The
major findings of this study were: users of secondary school libraries were teachers and
students; orientation sessions and assembly announcements were used market information
services to library users. Challenges that face secondary school libraries in marketing
information services included a rigid school timetable, lack of goodwill from the school
administration as well as obsolete materials. The key recommendations include stocking the
school library with current and relevant information materials and recruitment of
professional secondary school library managers who will emphasize the pivotal role played
by the school library to the school management and consequently enhance marketing of
information services to their users.