Strategies for Competitive Advantage in Libraries and Information Centers

Libraries and information centers keep experiencing sluggish growth due to the absence of an integrated and coherent strategy that can be deployed to enable them to be competitive, have a competitive advantage, and gain market position. This study, therefore, sought to assess the strategies for competition in libraries and information centers and develop a framework that can be deployed in libraries and information centers for competitive advantage. The study adopted a conceptual and qualitative approach to research. Based on the review and analysis, the researcher developed a framework that suggests that technology (infrastructure, social media systems, gamification, and artificial intelligence) which is the driving force of every organization must be core to all the activities of libraries and information centers and linked to knowledge management strategy (know-how and know-what to drive the libraries and information centers mission and agenda), branding strategy (branding, packaging, and differentiation), and customer services strategy (conduct service surveys to identify potential customers, develop a good quality service delivery, and build a comprehensive database of patrons for follow-ups. In conclusion, for libraries and information centers to be competitive and have a competitive advantage, they need to identify the appropriate strategies and deploy them appropriately.