Relieving Library Anxiety: The Application of Relationship Marketing to Libraries

Library marketing has traditionally been transactionally focused. Our library has chosen to embrace a relationship marketing (RM) approach by focusing on long-term relationships rather than isolated interactions. With the prevalence of library anxiety, there is a need to look outside of library literature for best practices. While libraries and businesses define success differently, the approaches used to achieve success can be based on the same theoretical framework. RM has been documented to positively impact a business’ profits, and libraries can potentially adapt these approaches to achieve organizational goals. Our library has implemented this approach in four areas of focus: customer service philosophy, a library services fair event, social media strategy and customer feedback channels. This focus has helped create a culture in which library staff recognize the value of fostering relationships with the “customer.” This presentation will build off of empirical research related to marketing in the business context.