Market Analysis and Audience Research for Libraries.

Abstract

C O N C E R N with understanding "consumers" in the commercial world led to the development of numerous sophisticated techniques for analyzing consumers and their interrelationships with firms.This area of "market research" covers product/service analysis; consumer information surveys; attitude, trait, and motivation analysis; experimentation with controllable variables; forecasting demands for products and services; and analysis of secondary sources of data.All of these approaches are aimed at providing better information, so that present and potential customers can be better served through understanding and identifying current problems and formulating better plans for the future.Application of some of the basic market research techniques to the library appears to offer helpful insights for librarians also seeking to serve their communities better.While the breadth of market research techniques precludes complete coverage here (basic college texts on market research can be useful references for further application), some specific library applications illustrate the potential values to librarians.An area of vital concern to librarians is the library user, both present and potential.Because the user is the basis for existence, these "customers" need to be understood in as much depth as possible.Certainly, most librarians, as well as business people, have a great deal of "gut" knowledge about their clientele.However, a systematic analysis of consumers is one of the most vital tools for improving services.For this purpose, the concept of market segmentation was developed.'As a basis for market analysis (studying the people who comprise the groups one serves or hopes to serve), market segmentation has become increasingly popular.Essentially, segmentation looks at the demand