Marketing information services in secondary school libraries in Nairobi North District, Kenya

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.