SAGE to address library value in the developing world

SAGE, one of the world's leading independent academic and professional publishers, is conducting a research study to investigate library value in the developing world. The project, 'Library Value in the Developing World' will investigate the value of academic libraries for teaching and research staff at twelve institutions selected from countries classified by the World Bank as low income and middle income economies (i.e. with a GNI less than $4035).

The aim of the study is to provide the academic library community in developing countries with a better understanding of the connections between academic libraries and academic departments, and to identify practical ways to enhance their working relationship. ‘Library Value in the Developing World' will focus on the similarities and differences from numerous countries. The research team will be working with and using case studies from the following participant universities:

1) Honduras (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras)

2) Indonesia (Indonesian Research Institute)

3) Ghana (University of Cape Coast)

4) Georgia (National Scientific Library)

5) Kenya (Maseno University)

6) Nigeria (Convenant University)

7) Nigeria (Obafemi Awolowo University)

8) Philippines (University of the Philippines Visayas)

9) Senegal (University of Thies)

10) Uganda (Makerere University)

11) Ukraine (Institute of Intellectual Property of National University, Kiev)

12) Zimbabwe (University of Zimbabwe)

The research project is a follow up to the 2012 SAGE commissioned study, 'Working together: evolving value for academic libraries', which investigated library value and reported on findings from the UK, US and Scandinavia. This project was undertaken by LISU[1], who are also consulting on the current SAGE research project. A finding of the 2012 LISU Report was that general marketing of the library raises its profile amongst teaching and research staff. This is seen as an increasingly essential activity. To this end, 'Library Value' will also include a marketing case study which will examine the effectiveness of marketing techniques to drive awareness, usage, and perception of the services and support libraries offer their academics in teaching and research roles. 

"SAGE is committed to supporting librarians in ensuring the wide dissemination of high quality research", said Stephen Barr, President, SAGE International. "In frequent conversations with our librarian partners globally, a common problem we hear is that more recognition is needed within institutions of the value of the services that libraries provide. We hope that this research project can be a step towards helping librarians in developing countries identify ways of promoting their services and of collaborating with academic departments to make full use of the value of libraries for teaching and research."

The results of the research project will be published in the summer of 2013.