The Case Study of IFLA International Marketing Award based on Social Network Analysis

Wang+Zhizhen

【Abstract】It is the inevitable choice for new period library to develop marketing.It is particularly important to improve the marketing effort with the successful experience of the IFLA marketing award winning cases.This article based on the principle of social network，using social network analysis software，IFLA International Marketing Awards winners are classified according to different classification criteria.Through quantitative analysis，we discover，domestic libraries need to strengthen the marketing work from the following aspects： increase image marketing， cooperation， focus on special groups.

【Key words】IFLA International Marketing Award； Library Marketing； Social Network Analysis

1. General situation and relevant researches about IFLA Marketing Award.

With the rapid development of modern information technology which has taken micro electronic technique as key technology， new information service providers are packing into the market， then the survival and development of library are facing challenges and threats. Under this situation， the IFLA set up Management and Marketing Section （MMS）in 1997 to manage library marketing affairs.

2. Research process and method

We chose the every periods top three as research objects. To analyze and statistic more convenient， we codes every awarding organizations which shows the year by English letters from A to M and shows ranks by Arabic numerals 1，2，3. According to analyzing those awarding projects， we make category dividing from the following aspects， and make matrix forms respectively with the same category recorded as “1”， or recorded as “0”. Lead the ready-made matrix into Ucinet 6 and conduct visualized analysis by using NetDraw， and then you will get corresponding classifying network planning.

3. Research results

3.1 If awarding organizations would promote cooperation（chart 1）

1a

1b

Chart 1 symbiosis of awarding libraries

1a shows the libraries that having no cooperation in marketing activities， which accounts for 51% of the sum. 1b shows the libraries that having cooperation with others and accounts for 49% of the sum. It shows that as the passing of marketing practical activities， more and more attending electing libraries chose to cooperate with other stakeholders. In fact， cooperated objects are marketing objects.

3.2 Attention to special community of awarding organization（chart 2）

IFLA devotes to extend library service to disadvantaged groups， which embodies in the electing of marketing award. In the awarding cases， there are 10 cases referred or emphasized on special communities（3a）. The humanistic care embodied in those cases is always advocated by IFLA and catered the original intention of setting special service groups for special groups.

2a

2b

Chart 2 distribution diagram that attention to special community of awarding libraries

4. Enlightenments on the study

4.1 Enhancing cooperation in marketing activities

From 2005 to 2007， IFLA chairman Alex Byrne advocated “Partnership”， and hoped to arouse cooperation conscious of libraries. Those cooperative partners supply social resources for libraries， share marketing costs， and conduct marketing broadcast brand construction and other marketing campaigns， which embody libraries positive attitude in giving play to social function. In addition， social cooperation is also the process of marketing libraries. The libraries will understand social demands in the process of operating cooperation and it is benefit to operate marketing works further.

4.2 Pay attention to special groups and embody humanistic care

In the late of 2008，IFLA changed Libraries Serving Disadvantage Persons Section （LSDP） as Libraries Services to People with Special Needs （LSN）， which marks the official formation in libraries special service areas. Then in the period of international libraries， the service category of special groups is expanding instantly， from patient to the aged， prisoners and dyslexia groups. Thus， libraries must promote marketing to vulnerable groups and let them know which convenient services the library could supply for them. In working practices， it could embody in the architectural designs of public libraries， document delivery channel， literature resource allocation and conducting personalized service.

5. Conclusions

Operating marketing is the necessary choice of improving social visibility in new period and the springboard that Chinas library economy realize leapfrog development. As the chief source of operating marketing works in domestic， there are many aspects of the IFLA marketing award project that need us to learn and refer. Because of regional and environmental deviations， the specific methods of librarys marketing should “adjusting measures to local conditions” and find out cultural characteristics in specific practices to seek out applied methods of marketing. By analyzing the marketing awarding cases， it is helpful for us to refer excellent library marketing experiences， motivate inspirations of librarian and promote the development of library economy.

References：

[1]Li Chaoping.Promoting and reading facilitating of public library[J].Library construction，2013（10）：91-93.

[2]Byrne A.Libraries for the Future：progress，development and partnerships.Opening address，World Library and Information Congress：73rd IFLA Council and General Conference， Durban，South Africa[J].IFLA Journal，2007，33（3）：258-260.

[3]Li Chaoping.Promoting and reading facilitating of public library[J].Library construction，2013（10）：124-125.

[4]Panella N M.LSN：A historical overview[J].[2014-07-15].

Author introduction： Wang Zhizhen （1992-）， Female， Jinan in Shandong Province. Postgraduate of Library and Information Science， 2015， School of Management in Shandong University.