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The IFLA International Marketing Award was brought out in 2002 to libraries to employ marketing and bring out better results and identify the best marketing practices the world over. Now, the award has become a success story and through this paper efforts have been put up to showcase the award before library and information professionals around the world.

The primary data relating to award applications received each year have been collected and used to analyse and interpret in a meaningful way.

The IFLA International Marketing Award was introduced in 2001 and was awarded for the first time in 2002. Since then, this award recognises the first, second and third runner‐ups each year based on the marketing project in all kinds of libraries, worldwide. The award has attracted 276 applications from 55 countries during the last ten years. The paper analyses the award applications chronologically, geographically and by type of library. It also discusses the winning libraries and their marketing activities. It concludes that the award has become a success story and is expected to reach two new countries each year and 750 libraries from 75 countries in the next ten years.

The paper will be useful for library and information professionals to understand the value of marketing being practised around the world and will encourage them to employ a better marketing approach in the libraries.

The purpose of this paper is to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze library marketing research output using select bibliometric indicators with the aim of identifying top-performing countries, subject subthemes, organizations, authors and journals in the area.

The present study has examined 520 publications in library marketing, as indexed in Scopus database during 2006–2017. The study has statistically assessed processed publications and citations data into tables in order to ascertain research growth rate trends, global publication output and share, citation impact and distribution of library marketing research by country of publication, international-level collaborating country share of publication, by broad subject areas and preferred media of research communication. The study also provides bibliometric profile of top research organizations and authors in terms of their publications and citation indicators.

The body of literature in library marketing research is still very small, highly scattered and has so far registered no growth during the last 12 years, i.e. 2006–2017. Library marketing research is yet to emerge as a popular research area in library and information science. The USA dominates The library marketing research in the world, whereas other top participating countries including India, China, Japan, Canada, etc., are distant cousins. Top research institutions in the area of library marketing across the world include City University of New York, Florida State University, University of Texas at Austin, USA, Loughborough University and University of Sheffield, UK. The major focus of library marketing research was on academic libraries, followed by public libraries and medical libraries. Of late, the use of social media has emerged as an alternative to traditional library marketing techniques.

The scope of study describing the status of library marketing research is limited to the period 2006–2017. The results of the study should interest researchers in finding solutions to formulating future library strategies and programs for achieving sustainable growth in this area of study.

The present study in library marketing research should be of interest to researchers in evolving, and formulating theories/best practices/and policies/programs for outreach to current and potential users for promoting library products and services.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on the 74th General Conference and Council Meeting of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), which took place on August 10‐14, 2008 in Quebec, Canada. Design/methodology/approach – This is a descriptive report. Findings – The conference discussed libraries without borders: navigating towards global understanding. Originality/value – Will be of interest to library and information professionals.

Under the new technological environment, academic libraries meet an extremely intense competition in offering information services, and marketing becomes an important means to attain the goal of their sustainable development. The purpose of this paper is to get an overview of library marketing in Chinese “985” Project Universities, the authors undertook a survey on each library of “985” Project Universities released on the web site of Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. And then the authors identified some successful practices based on the survey.

First, the content of each web site, along with the individual hyperlinks and categories that every library web site has, were browsed to check the availability of the categories. Second, the search function of each library was explored using terms like “blog,” “video” and “tutorial” to retrieve information about services. Third, the Google search engine was used to retrieve information from Renren, microblog and YouTube accounts combining with the name of each library. And then the authors consult reference librarians about marketing methods and tools applied in their libraries with real-time online reference services.

This paper suggests that 29 libraries are exploiting video marketing, which is the most widely used marketing methods, accounting for 74.36 percent. Mobile library marketing and microblog marketing are another two major application among the 39 “985” Project Universities libraries in China, respectively, accounting for 69.23 and 58.97 percent.

The paper reveals that there are some deficiencies lying in the marketing of these libraries: characteristic resources in really simple syndication (RSS) are insufficient, video themes turn to be traditional and plain, network media marketing is relatively uncommon, and mobile library marketing is limited to mobile messaging services. It may fill in the gap of better understanding the relationship between the traditional information services and modern services from users’ perspective. It is instructive for libraries to systematically summarize success or failure experience of other library marketing, and keep an innovative concept and global vision.

Social marketing is based on general marketing principles and strategies aimed at selling products and services to consumers with the purpose of changing an existing action; changing individual or group behavior, attitudes or beliefs; and reinforcing desired behaviors. The purpose of the study is to assess the acceptance of social marketing by librarians in post-Communist Romania within the context of this country's efforts to adopt democratic values into its social system. The study also uses the social marketing concept as an idea that requires change in attitudes and behaviors about the nature of librarianship. In so doing, it can be used as means of understanding the willingness of Romanian librarians to accept change. During the Communist regime, the librarians acted as tools that supported the dissemination of the totalitarian government's views. Fifteen years after the collapse of Communism they continue the struggle to implement principles of participatory management. However, visible changes in Romanian librarians’ mentalities, attitudes, and behaviors are still to come. A group of 74 librarians in attendance at a conference responded to a survey questionnaire based on the Social Marketing Scale (SMS) designed to determine the participants’ acceptance and willingness to support social marketing within their institutions. Results reveal that on the surface, social marketing was rejected by the sample group studied. The study suggests that, if social marketing is to play a role in Romanian librarianship, Romanian librarians must first accept the concept that libraries are important institutions and that libraries play a vital role in a democratic society. Once Romanian society begins to perceive the library as an information agency, knowledge and experience in social marketing must be gained so that the administrative and institutional will to pursue social marketing can be encouraged. Romanian libraries continue the process of redefining themselves within the country's transition to a civil society.

Developing countries in the former Soviet-bloc region have received little attention by Western researchers of libraries. This study attempts to broaden this limited knowledge concerning librarianship in Eastern Europe by offering some insight into the culture of Romanian libraries and the Romanian librarians’ readiness for change as they faced and continue to face the transition from an autocratic cultural and governmental system to a more open and democratic society with Romania's admission to the European Union as of 1 January 2007. The study uses “social marketing” as one means of ascertaining the degree to which Romanian librarians are willing to accept change.

The purpose of this paper is to present a study about a successful, award-winning online video marketing project at an academic library in China, hoping to shed light on how to most effectively employ social media in libraries' marketing campaigns.

The study examined the different aspects of the library's online video marketing project, including project preparation, video production, distribution and promotion, and evaluation of students' perception of this project via survey questionnaires. Factors that contributed to its success were also analyzed.

Four factors that contributed to the success of the library's video marketing project were identified: base video content on the real campus life, reflecting what students experience in their everyday activities; convey content in a humorous, light-hearted, and refreshing style; employ social media to share content and engage the target audience; and partner with students.

The paper helps interested librarians develop a more grounded understanding of how video sharing sites can be effectively and efficiently used as a marketing platform and how to successfully create their own video marketing campaigns.

One significant weakness in library marketing literature is the lack of empirical studies analyzing the details of creating an online video marketing campaign. This paper helps fill that void, and contributes to the growth of the knowledge about library marketing using innovative technologies.

This chapter outlines current developments in Indian libraries, information services and cultural sector collectively highlighting recent trends and developments as India increasingly takes centre stage in the area of libraries and information literacy development. The chapter also provides a critical analysis of library and information science education in India and highlights the need for government strategies and policies related to public libraries. Some 17 federal states and union territories in the Republic of India have no public library legislation and therefore low literacy rates. India needs public awareness campaigns, civic engagement and community developments including the grass-roots empowerment of public libraries. Financial reforms, modernization and federal funding strategies for public libraries are also required to energize cultural organizations and national libraries. A recent major development is the establishment of a National Commission on Libraries following recommendations by the National Knowledge Commission. However, Indian public libraries do not cater sufficiently for the growing youth population or other strata's of Indian society. The growing Indian higher education sector also necessitates information policies for open access, digital preservation and repositories development.

The purpose of this paper is to present a brief overview of the proceedings of IFLA's 78th General Conference and Assembly, held in Helsinki, Finland from August 11‐17, 2012. It highlights the major themes addressed at the conference, taking note of the growing prestige of the meeting as internationally acknowledged fora, not only for librarians and information science specialists but also for publishers, journalists and media professionals.

The author had the good fortune of attending IFLA‐2012 and took advantage of the opportunity to purposefully take down extensive notes, collect copies of the presentations and papers rendered and gather information from colleagues on issues dealt with at simultaneously held sessions which he could not attend, with a view to grasping the overall theme of the specific presentations. The conference website has also been consulted to obtain factual information in support of this article.

This year's IFLA General Conference and Assembly, as usual, attracted thousands of library and information science professionals, an irrefutable proof that IFLA has proved itself as a prestigious international institution dedicated to the promotion and development of the discipline. In addition, the conference also served as a venue for professionals and businesses in publishing, journalism, the film industry and public media to participate in and showcase their novel products and services.

Emerging themes in librarianship and information services, including open access, Linked Data, inclusiveness, the future of library design, outreaching to local communities, and contemporary library challenges in view of changing times were raised and extensively deliberated upon. It is expected that delegates would apply the lessons thus learnt and apply best practices in their day‐to‐day activities in their specific areas of expertise. It is also hoped that the networking of professionals at such an international event would foster viable future collaborations.

The theme chosen for IFLA‐2012 “libraries: inspiring, surprising and empowering” reflects the importance, for library and information professionals, of envisioning a more dynamic, interactive, attuned and even enjoyable role for libraries of the twenty‐first century and beyond.