The Role of Serials for Effective Utilization by Information Users in Academic Library

Abstract

Serials are the backbone of every academic library because of their peculiar nature of being carriers of current information in all fields of human endeavors. Serials are usually expensive both in terms of acquisition and management. As such, academic libraries commit substantial percentages of their annual budgets to serial acquisition. They have a unique value and play a very important role in the operations of academic libraries more especially in marketing the products and services of the library. Because, library is a holistic compendium of knowledge where information resources in form of books and non-book materials are philosophically collected and systematically arranged for dissemination to cater for the ever changing user’ information needs, the potential users need to be aware of the available resources in the library before they can come into the library to utilize the resources which is done through promotion which is aided by serial resources. Thus, marketing is an integral part of the library services, because it has to do with basic principles of librarianship, that is, to develop good collection and user-oriented service as recently, library and other non-profit organizations have become aware of the need to market their products and services. Thus, library and information products and services are now being recognized as commodities that can be sold, exchanged, lent and transmitted, hence, there is a need for attraction, invitation, retention and satisfaction of users’ need in order to will their loyalty; and this is easily done by serials.