1.

0 Introduction
Library providing so many materials for users especially printed materials. Libraries
nowadays expend considerable effort to be perceived as vital to students, faculty, and
researchers. They continually promote potential to enhance teaching and learning session, to
facilitate research with appropriate resources and expertise in order to grab the information
consumers attention.
Based on our case study, the scenario given describes about Library AM as a mid-size
public library servicing the town of BA. The town is home to about 80,000 population comprises
of people from the middle income composition. The library has been in existence for more than
15 years, under the administration of the town council. The librarian is a professional and she
was the first librarian of the library. She helped set-up the library and become what it is now. The
library has a balance group of users of all age groups. The library image is almost completely
bound to its traditional printed materials.
The library started to offer the Internet service but chargeable at a rate of RM1.00 per
hour. There are 10 PCs dedicated for Internet service. The library has its fair collection of non-
traditional materials. In this library, the users of Library AM are among teenagers between the
age 13 to 17 who use to frequent the library for their homework and study. Plus, they also use to
go to the library as meeting place.













2.0 Problem Analysis
From the situation faced by libraries AM, there are problems about user and materials
that has been provided in this library. In the town of BA, this library has been use as an
information center by people but now its not be seems as usual when the library has been
provided by an updated materials. This situation is worst and people dont realize that the
updated material is more important now. Before that, the library image is almost completely
bound to its traditional printed materials. So, the user only refers to the traditional printed
materials rather than updated materials that have been provided by library now. The traditional
printed material is good but sometimes it had not enough information to user. The updated
material is more details and more attractive to user. There are also has other thing that make this
library becomes less of uses such as:
The distance of walking or driving at library from town center make users unaware with
availability of fair collection of non-traditional materials
Internet services in libraries are charged at the rate of RM1.00 per hour
The senior citizen is still waiting for a guiding session on internet usage
Serious decline of teenage users visiting the library impact of the emergence of newest
technology and modernization of the town
The interaction of librarian with the user
3.0 Recommendation / Solution
3.1 Propose Solution
The problem that library has make rate of user becomes decrease and library not
be used as usually it is. This situation has given bad impact to the library as an
information center to people and not only it can give bad impact to the library but it also
make first impression of people to this library becomes negatively especially to the
foreign visitor. From that, librarian should take some solution to avoid this situation
becomes worse. So, from the above, there are some propose solution that suitable to this
situation.

3.1.1 Librarian should take some action to improve the condition
Through this propose solution, the librarian should take some action to the
problems that faced by library such as the distance of walking or driving at library
from town center make users unaware with the availability of fair collection of non-
traditional materials, internet services in libraries are charged at the rate RM1.00
per hour, the senior citizen is still waiting for a guiding session on internet usage
and the last one is the interaction of librarian with the user. In addition, the further
the walking or driving distance from town centers to the library, the larger the
number of users unaware of the availability of updated materials. Besides that, there
are only 10 PCs dedicated for the internet service. This make users can use the
internet for a short time only per person because there are a few PCs can be used by
user and they also should pay for this service if they want use that. Other than that,
there not have guiding session on internet usage to the senior citizen and this can
make senior citizen feel difficult to retrieve information through the internet.
Through the interaction between librarians with the user, the librarian is seen by
many as less approachable probably because of its facial complexion that lack of
smile. Actually it does not represent her true nature which is caring and helpful but
known only to those knew her personally.
3.1.2 Librarian should regain the interest of the teenagers to continue visiting and using
the library / Librarian should improve the interest of the existing users and attract
new user to the library
Through this two propose solution that has the same solution the librarian
should solve the problem of serious decline of teenage users visiting the library.
Those between age 13 to 17 who use to frequent the library for their homework and
studying seem to miss from the library. They use to go to the library as a meeting
place but their interest fading as time goes. It is not known now these teenagers
spent their time. This problem seems to the other existing user, they become lazy to
go to the library and they more prefer to stay at their home, chatting and messaging
via social network such as facebook and twitter.
3.1.3 Librarian should make the library become visible and significant to the
community / Librarian should proof how vital the existence of a library to a
community
Through this also two purpose solution; librarian should find the
solution to the problem about impact of the emergence of newest technology
and modernization of the town. Furthermore, with the modernization of the
town, new entertainment technology and outlet begin to flourish and this
development goes well with the tonnages and other user interest. From that
they can retrieve information in everywhere and anytime that they want
without going to the library. New entertainment technology make they
becomes less ignore about the important of library and knowledge to them
and indirectly, the library will be seen as invisible and significant also
inexistence to a community.















3.2 Justifications
3.2.1 Librarian should take some action to improve the condition
Based on the situation in the propose solution, the first situation that
the library faced is distance of walking or driving from the town centre to the
library. As an alternative to overcome this problem, the librarian should get
service from mobile library to convey information especially to rural area.
The advantage of using mobile library is all resident will get information
although they are far from the library. So, this will makes fair for the rural
villagers as they can get information same with the residents near to the
library.
Besides that, the users unaware of the existence of non-traditional
materials, it makes sense because the librarian does not take actions to
promote the materials that the library has. To attract users, the librarian
should use interesting method so that the librarian able to convey information
fully about the library to the users in different ways thus attracts them to go to
the library. Promoting activities can be taken through various medium, for
example, advertisement, flyers, notice and more.
As a public library, the librarian should not charge the users who use
the internet services in libraries. But, unlike other public libraries, Library
AM charged users at the rate RM1.00 per hour. This situation makes users
feel uncomfortable to access or study by using internet services. So, the
librarian should abolish the charge because for the students, they do not have
money unless get it from their parents. Plus, RM1.00 per hour is expensive to
them because they need time to search for the information. If, the librarian
doesnt want to abolish the charge, she should reduce the price for example,
RM1.00 for two hours. This situation will ease the burden of the students to
enjoy the internet service.

Other than that, there are only 10 PCs provided for users to access
internet. This amount is too little in order to accommodate a lot of users who
want to use the PC. Thus, the users feel not comfortable to study as other
users are waiting to use the PC. To overcome this problem, the librarian
should provide more PCs because in this technology era, students need to use
internet service in order to retrieve updated information for their studying.
With the increasing numbers of PCs, all users can get the same benefits from
it and the users can study in comfortable and conducive environment. So, the
studying activities will be more efficient and effective.
Guiding session is important to ensure that all the activities run
smoothly. In this case, senior citizen is still waiting for the guiding session for
them to use internet service. This guiding session cannot be held because
Library AM have only 10 PCs. This situation will be difficult to the other
users who want to access the internet. But, addition number of PCs can
overcome this problem where guiding session could be held. Plus, the
librarian does not yet give them orientation makes them waiting. So, the
librarian should arrange a day at least once in a month to hold a guiding
session. This is very essential because, during guiding session, users will be
give education or train them to be more effective.
Next, the problem that Library AM faced is the behaviour of librarian.
The librarian seen less approachable makes users afraid to near or ask to her.
Although, it does not represent herself, but the librarian should be friendly to
all her customers. She should change her behaviour become more pleasant
and her face impression from lack of smile to be nice and pleasing. Other than
that, the librarian should improve her soft skills for example, interaction
among the users of the library because through interaction process the
librarian could retrieve information from the users pertaining unsatisfied
matters about the library. According to the scenario, she does not represent
her true image which is she is caring and helpful. So, the librarian should be
herself rather than pretending to be anyone else that unbeneficial to her.
3.2.2 Librarian should regain the interest of the teenagers to continue visiting and
using the library / Librarian should improve the interest of the existing users
and attract new user to the library
To overcome this problem, the librarian should build conducive
environment for the teenagers to do their homework and study. To build a
conducive environment, the librarian should plan the position of the furniture
in the library. To make arrangement looks neat, the librarian could separate
the space into corner. For example, there are study corner, IT corner,
magazines corner and more. So, the users feel more comfortable to use the
library. Plus, the librarian has to ensure about the updating materials provide
to the users. She has to keep all the materials are up to date and reliable.
Besides that, the librarian should always hear the problem faced by the user
about the library and improve the problems. This situation makes users feel
more concern and comfortable to come to the library. To attract new users,
the librarian could use interesting and easy method such as giving notice and
flyers to the resident. But, the information in the notice and flyers should be
complete, interesting and colourful in order to attract users to read it. Plus, the
librarian have to use easy language so that they understand the information
that librarian want to convey and when new users come to the library, the
librarian should interact nicely and guide them on how to use the materials in
the library.
3.2.3 Librarian should make the library become visible and significant to the
community / Librarian should proof how vital the existence of a library to a
community
Library is the important agency in the world. Library as an
information agency play crucial roles to the community that is provide
information to them. But, unfortunately, there is lot of citizen who does not
know the importance of library for them. So, to make community realize the
importance of library, the librarian can organize a seminar or campaign in
order to increase awareness of community about the library as an information
provider. Plus, in seminar, the librarian can aware community about the
importance of becomes knowledgeable person in this advanced technology
era. Then, starting from that, perhaps the community can retrieve some
information from the seminar and realize the importance of library to them.
Other than that, the librarian should also implement digital library for the
community so that they can see the roles play by the library in different ways.
This situation makes them more attract to try access to the library digitally.
Thus, this will gives them assumption that the library plays important roles in
their daily lives not only giving them information but become as community
centre.














3.3 Propose process
For the first situation that the library faced is the users unaware of the existence of
non-traditional materials, it makes sense because the librarian does not take actions to
promote the materials that the library has. To attract users, the librarian should use
interesting method so that the librarian able to convey information fully about the library
to the users in different ways thus attracts them to go to the library. Promoting activities
can be taken through various medium, for example, advertisement, flyers, notice and
more. According to the Answers.com, advertisement is the activity of attracting public
attention to a product or business as by paid announcements in the print, broadcast or
electronic media. Although this method need high cost, but the librarian should report to
the libraries headquarter such as National Library of Malaysia about the condition of the
Library AM and suggest to them ways to improve the library. One of the ways is by
advertising the library. Perhaps that National Library of Malaysia can provide some fund
to support the librarian advertise the Library AM. Otherwise, the librarian can carry out
activities that can raise some fund such as donation or sales.
Besides that, the librarian should give notice to the resident telling them about the
existence of non-traditional materials. Without notice, the residents do not know the real
situation of the library and what the library has. The notice will be distributed to all
villagers or will be view at the notice board available. This method is more effective
where the information reach the users as the notice is give by hand to them. Plus, the
usage of notice does not need high cost compared to the advertisement. The librarian can
create the notice but the notice should be interesting so that the users attract to read it. For
example, the librarian can put the image or printed on colouring paper to make it more
interesting. But, not only the notice, the librarian also should use easy language so that
the users will get the information that the librarian want to convey because the librarian
does not know the level of education of the villagers. So, the use of easy and simple
sentence will ensure the understanding of all the villagers. Other than that, the using of
bilingual language also better due to the knowledge level of English also cannot be
estimate.
For the second problem is the distance from the town centre and the library. There
are villagers who are stay far from the library and this makes they are difficult to go to
the library. So, they cannot enjoy the benefits compared to the villagers who are near to
the library. As an alternative to overcome this problem, the librarian should get service
from mobile library to convey information especially to rural area. The advantage of
using mobile library is all resident will get information although they are far from the
library. So, this will makes fair for the rural villagers as they can get information same
with the residents near to the library. In mobile library, providing main
In addition, in this modern era, technology gives a huge impact to the community
surrounding. Perhaps, traditional ways does not affect people anymore as technology
provides convenient in order to find information instead visiting the library. Fortunately,
Library AM started to offer the Internet service but chargeable at rate of RM 1.00 per
hour. Plus, there are 10 PCs dedicated for Internet service. This facility sound quite
interesting and attractive, however, chargeable of Internet service make citizen especially
teenagers love to surf Internet at home rather than visiting library. Therefore, in proposed
process, library should take an action by reducing the chargeable of Internet service. Free
chargeable of Internet service might attract users to frequently visit library instead of
surfing in Cyber cafe or at home. In fact, library also can provide online databases for
users to find information through online databases where it is only available in library.
Thus, users especially students are able to retrieve information, articles, research paper,
and etc from library. The most popular online databases that are usually provided in
library are Emerald Insight, Ebsco Host, Science Direct and etc.
Besides that, the existence of Internet service and PCs in library also does not
give any significant if the senior citizen is still waiting for a guarding session on Internet
usage. Librarian plays an important role in this part of public relation where
communication skills are it elements. Most of the senior citizen are not familiar with the
Internet service regarding it facilities that can be explored by them. Therefore, librarians
can give a brief explanation to the senior citizen through library guide, user education and
demonstration for new service. Fleming (1990) defines user education as various
programmes of instruction, education, exploration provided by libraries to users to enable
them to make more effective, efficient and independent use of information sources and
services to which these libraries provide access. In user education, librarians can
convince and convert traditional users into users of Internet-based resources and services.
Information literacy can contribute to develop information technology (IT) related
competencies among end-users as it includes basic computer and network literacy. The
aim of information literacy is to make information users capable of locating, retrieving
and using information. Here are some components in user education:
Librarians familiarizing users, who have little or no information seeking skills at
all with broad range of library resources in order to develop library skills.
Librarians educating users on how to find materials manually or electronically
using on-line public access catalogues and CD-ROMs.
Librarians introducing users with new technology available in the library
especially senior citizen. For example, online database.

Online databases

User Education
The next proposed process is regarding the attitude of librarians themselves as
professional information. As we know in this case study, the librarians less approachable
because of its facial complexion that lack of smile whose not represent the true nature. In
order to overcome this problem, librarian should be teached how to be approachable in
many ways:
Attending international seminar of librarians
In this seminar, librarians will be exposed on how to make good impression of the staff
and users. Plus, users can share information among other librarians regarding the image
and attitude of librarians. Participation in the activities of international will upgraded
librarian skills as information professional.
Learns public speaking (for presentation, demonstrations, etc)
Image and attitude of librarians can be improved through public speaking where it very
useful during user education session, campaign, exhibition of library, notice and other
promotional activities.
Librarians self-awareness
Instead of attending seminar, librarians should realize the importance of attitude during
give services to users. Librarian should herself in other people shoes and think what users
feel if librarian do not give smile expression until her true nature is unrevealed. Self-
awareness indirectly, helps librarian to be more friendly, helpful, approachable and
confident in front of users.
Perhaps, the existence of library will be taken into concern by the public through
campaign awareness organized by the Library AM. In this campaign, the most important
thing that should be applied in its objective is why library exits in Town of BA. Library
campaign can be organized during public holiday which is the perfect day to attract
citizen to attend some of activities during library campaign. Some of the activities are:
A programme training session throughout the campaign
Library can organized and conduct a session on the importance of public library so that
citizen will be exposed with the benefit of library that they can get. During this session,
flyers and pamphlets can be distributed among the public regarding the overall activity
due to the objectives of library campaign.
Reading Campaign through awareness of knowledge
Reading campaign is one of the activities that synonyms with library campaign. What can
be applied in this activity is that librarians can promote many type of collection of
materials in the library so that users are aware with library collection. In fact, through
reading users realize the importance of knowledge that can get from library. Competition
can be held in reading campaign such as quiz, online e-book, riddles that are related to
the library.
Exhibition
Exhibition is one of the library promotional activities instead of library campaign.
However, librarian can organized exhibition as one of library campaign in order to
promote the uniqueness of Library AM to public. In exhibition, display stand,
information, multimedia, answer to question session should be included in exhibition.
Multimedia is one of the technologies that will attract users among teenagers.





Some of library campaign activities;


Reading Campaign Program training session

Exhibition Multimedia






3.4 Expected outcomes/ Results
Based on all of the problems that faced and also the ways that suggested, mostly
the outcomes can be positives and relevant. The supports from all of the staffs of this
Library Am and also the users around will make all of these ways become valuable. It
is due to first, the advertising that made by the staffs of the library. Colouring flyers and
pamphlets will make users more attractive to read and to know more what is collected
in this library. The listing of the new materials whether they are printed materials or
non-printed materials and also online materials will make users want to survey what all
those materials. From all these, users will be adding from time to time and one to many
users will come.
Furthermore, the programme training lesson will interact with the users and the
users will know more detail how to use library OPAC to detect where are the collection
of library materials for example, how to connect with other people by email and how to
regain new knowledge by internet.
The exhibition that using the boards, partitions, stands and multimedia that
displayed will make the users more understanding and more knowledgeable. The
attractive multimedia that made will make users want to know how to make it and they
want to learn how to create it, so, it is one of the information delivering when the staffs
teach the users how to create it.
Reading campaign is one of the way that always library used to attract all
Malaysian to read and acknowledge library materials. Reading campaign can attract all
level of ages and all parents can support their children to go to the library to make sure
their children love to read library materials. So, it will become a new habit which is
love to read and sad to leave the books for example.
From all of the seminars that will attain by the librarian, the librarian will be more
approachable and friendly. Maybe from the late faced of the librarian it illustrated the
librarian is fierce and cannot be approach. So, for this new faced, the librarian become
more smiley and easy to ask many questions that they want to know before. So, all of
the users will easily react with the librarian.
4.0 Specific Public Relations Elements
Everyday, we are deal with other people and organizations in aim of specific
purposes. According to the British Institute of Public relations (BIPR), public relation can be
defined as the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual
understanding between an organization and its publics.(National Open University of
Nigeria, 2006) This means that, public relations is a part of organizations functions because
effective public relations could ensure its customers. Through systematic, planned and
continuous efforts, public relations can build mutual understanding between an organization
and its publics. Same goes to library, public relations is very essential to be applied to
librarian as they are deal with the users.
A public relation activity has always been associated with communication and
interaction. As a librarian, effective communication enables users to understand and
influence them to take actions. According to Tony Rosenbaum, communication is a process
by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of
symbols, signs or behavior. This means that, through communication, the information
conveyed from the sender to the other party which is the receiver through meaningful
symbols. In this communication process, the exchanging and sharing ideas, opinions and
facts take place. Communication usually occurs in two ways or bidirectional where the
librarian will get feedbacks from the users. There are few elements that librarian have to
make sure in communicating with the users. First is the information must be relevant and up
dated so that the users can get the most reliable information. Next, the information should be
convey in simple and organize so that users easy to understand and retrieve the information.
Moreover, public relation is also related to promoting or marketing product or
services. To librarian, they have to promote their materials available in library in order to
increase the number of users. They have to attract new users and continuing existing users
by establishing a long and strong relationship. Promoting activities can be done through
several medium such as advertising, distributing notice and more. To make promoting
activities success, the librarian have to creative in designing promoting activities for
example, creating interesting advertisement. This situation makes users attracted and visiting
the library. But, the librarian has to make sure that the information in the advertisement is
complete so that users get fully information.
Although public relation is about communicating with publics, but the real world is a
public relation produces change in awareness, opinions, attitudes and behaviour of the
publics. For example, perhaps the education level of the users is still in lower condition
especially for the villagers in rural area. They do not know the importance of knowledge in
our daily lives. So, the role of the librarian is to increase awareness of the villagers thus
encourage them to apply good habits in order to build knowledgeable community. Plus, now
National Library of Malaysia held a reading campaign to aware community on importance
of reading in order to increase their knowledge so that community can shows good image of
our country to the world.
Here, we can conclude that, public relations is a discipline that has many
definitions but the numerous definitions have a lot in common that is involves mutual
understanding between organizations and its publics. In public relations, there are some
elements which will be implementing by certain job class as its routine activities especially
for librarian who have roles in influencing their users of the library.













5.0 Conclusion

We can conclude that all of the public relation elements are very useful to attract
users to come visit and use libraries facilities. Library as an information agency are build to
provide information to the users not only to be a huge and beautiful building without any
observed by the users around. It will become a waste if no one comes to use it. So, the
librarian must think from time to time how to regain the public attention to visit and use the
library as much as they can. They never can sit and wait the user to come because it is not
one of the library objectives.

All of the public relation elements such as advertising via flyers and pamphlets,
multimedia presentation, reading campaign, guiding sessions, communication skills and
mobile library are the ways how to approach with all of the users and how to attract users to
come. All of these elements cannot be done in one time, so, it is great if these elements are
continuously done so, the users know that this library is not died.

Nothing can be done if no support and no tolerate with all of the staffs. It will use
skills, knowledges and also energy to make all of these public relation elements
successfully done. The function of Library AM days by days very poor and seemly cannot
be detect by the population of people. So, it will take time to make this library become fresh
and new. Thats why it needs all of the supports from all of staffs to make sure all of these
elements are rolling continuously.

Public relation is the medium to make sure all of the staffs can be react greatly with
all of the users. It will make the users fell comfortable and love to visit the library without
any pressure from other side. The more visitors come to the library, the more successful
library planning it is. So, to create gorgeous phenomena between the staffs and users, the
great library planning must be established.

All of the activities must be planned from time to time and are flexible to be added
or to erase. Nothing is impossible if all of the staffs have a good collaboration.