Marketing Today's Academic Library

December 15, 2009
In this readable volume, Mathews (assistant university librarian, Outreach & Academic Services, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara; theubiquitouslibrarian.typepad.com) brings us Marketing 2.0 for academic libraries, defining it as student-centered and social, for showing "how the library fits within the daily life of our students, rather than the other way around." He covers standard marketing topics such as product lines, market segmentation, market research techniques, and branding, all with an emphasis on partnering with students and centering efforts (and library services) on their needs and lifestyles. Unlike many such books, this one avoids the top-down approach that begins with a detailed marketing plan. Instead, Mathews suggests a more scalable approach, outlining a marketing process but also providing ideas that can be implemented quickly and cheaply. VERDICT Mathews's upbeat, can-do approach is refreshing and inspiring, with lots of creative ideas applicable to academic libraries of all sizes and budgets. Highly recommended.Janet A. Crum, Oregon Health & Science Univ. Lib., Portland

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