The influence of marketing and networking skills on job efficiency of librarians in public universities in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

This study investigated the influence of marketing and networking skills on job efficiency of librarians in public universities in Akwa Ibom State. Two specific objectives, two corresponding research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to guide this study. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study. The population of this study consisted of 57 professional librarians in the University of Uyo and Akwa Ibom State University libraries. The census sampling technique was used for the study as the population was accessible, small and manageable. A researcher-developed questionnaire titled “Marketing and Networking Skills on Job Efficiency of Librarians Questionnaire (MNSJELQ)” was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts and their corrections incorporated in the final draft of the instruments that were administered to the respondents. The instrument’s reliability was tested using Cronbach’s alpha statistics and a reliability index of 0.87 was realized. The research questions were answered using frequency tables and percentages while mean and standard deviation were used to test the hypotheses at .05 level of significance. Findings revealed that marketing and networking skills have significant influence on job efficiency of librarians. The study concluded that public relations is an indispensable tool for the survival and continuous relevance of the library. Based on the findings, it was recommended among other things that librarians as information gate keepers should receive appropriate training from university management on marketing and networking to enhance their skills set as well as their job efficiency.