Marketing Public Library Resources via Social Media: Insights from Users in Mysore City, Karnataka

Abstract

The application of social media tools is a new strategy for marketing public library resources and services in the present digital environment. Several social media tools are available in the digital world to promote public library resources and services. The present study aims to examine users’ perceptions of the application of social media or new tools for marketing public library resources, services, and the Karnataka Digital Public Library platform in Mysore City. The main objectives of the study are to identify the use of public library collections, the awareness of services among public library users, methods or modes to learn about the Karnataka Digital Public Library, library-user relationships, the role of social media or new media tools in marketing library products and services, and the social media platforms used to receive and reciprocate information. The study findings reveal that the majority of respondents belong to the age group below 25 years, representing 482 (58.07%). Most respondents spend more than 6 hours in the public library, accounting for 272 (32.8%). ‘Works or materials (general knowledge, competitive exams, or career guidance)’ and ‘local, regional, and national newspapers’ are the most preferred types of library collections, with a mean score of 3.42 each. The majority of respondents (mean = 3.90) are aware of the ‘Reference Service’ available in the public library. It was found that the majority of respondents (96.6%) learned about the “Karnataka Digital Public Library” platform through ‘notice boards/bulletin boards.’ Additionally, respondents indicated that ‘WhatsApp groups’ and ‘Telegram groups’ are important social media tools that help public libraries market their products and services, representing 96.1% and 90.1%, respectively. The majority of respondents use both ‘WhatsApp groups’ and ‘Telegram groups’ social media platforms to receive and reciprocate information, with a mean value of 3.94 each. The study concluded that social media tools play a significant role in helping public libraries market their products and services.