Marketing and public programming of the services at the national archives of Zambia

Abstract

The high levels of poverty in most developing countries mean that very few citizens attempt to access the services offered by the National Archives in different countries, including Zambia. As a result, the uptake of National Archives services, including e-services, is minimal. This results in a lack of appreciation for the role the National Archives play in nation building. The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of strategies to market the archive services at the National Archives of Zambia. Current marketing strategies to create greater awareness and attract more prospective users, as well as the challenges encountered by the National Archives in marketing their content and services, are given attention. The study reveals that, although marketing is done to some extent, much more needs to be done to promote the level of awareness among Zambian citizens to ensure greater utilisation of the archives. This research further revealed that currently, the National Archives has no marketing plan in place. The majority of staff at the National Archives needs training in marketing for the marketing programmes to be implemented effectively. Another major challenge being faced by the National Archives is the lack of adequate funding. The study also revealed that much remains to be done to market the electronic resources created in the recent years by digitising certain elements of the collection. It is recommended therefore, that multiple methods of marketing be used to market the services. Additionally, training programmes should be put in place to equip members of staff with the necessary skills in marketing. Government and other cooperating partners should provide adequate funding to financially support the operations of the National Archives, including the marketing activities.

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