Enhancing the customer relationship management in public libraries: findings from three developing countries

Stokić, Aleksandar and Stojanović, Danijela and Bogdanović, Zorica and Despotović-Zrakić, Marijana and Radenković, Božidar (2019) Enhancing the customer relationship management in public libraries: findings from three developing countries. Library hi tech, 37 (2). pp. 251-272. ISSN 0737-8831

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Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibilities of implementing the customer
relationship management (CRM) concept and smart technologies in public libraries in developing countries.
The goal was to explore the level of librarians’ awareness about CRM concept and their willingness to accept
the CRM concept in libraries. Also, patrons’ satisfaction with the quality of services and relationships in
public libraries is explored.
Design/methodology/approach – The authors obtained data for this research through two online surveys.
The first survey measures librarians’ level of awareness about CRM concept and their perception about CRM
and smart technologies concept in public libraries in three developing countries: Serbia, Montenegro and
Bosnia and Herzegovina. The second survey measures patrons’ satisfaction with services and relationship in
public libraries in these three countries.
Findings – The research results revealed that most surveyed librarians are familiar with the CRM concept.
However, libraries in these three developing countries barely use CRM or smart technologies to improve the
relationship with stakeholders. Also, most patrons are satisfied with relationships and services. The analysis
of data indicates no significant difference in the satisfaction level among patrons between these three
developing countries.
Research limitations/implications – Not all libraries participated in this research. Therefore, the sample
is not distributed evenly across different types of libraries or user groups. Future research should include
different types of libraries.
Practical implications – The results can be used by public libraries in developing countries to improve the
relationship with stakeholders harnessing CRM concept and smart technologies.
Social implications – The use of CRM in combination with the smart technologies can help leverage the
quality of the relationship between public libraries and stakeholders which in turn would secure their support
and loyalty in the future.
Originality/value – The integration of CRM concept as a component of library business automation process
is an idea that has not been discussed widely in the library community and could initiate a positive trend in
public libraries in developing countries

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	COBISS.ID=512541026
Uncontrolled Keywords:	library services, library users, developing countries, public libraries, customer relationship management, smart technologies
Research Department:	Sectorial Economics
Depositing User:	Jelena Banovic
Date Deposited:	22 Feb 2019 11:47
Last Modified:	18 Feb 2021 13:35
URI:	http://35.240.28.64/id/eprint/1312
Author Links:	[error in script] No links available.

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