The Social Capital of academic community in the context of the theory of the Third Place: enriching the marketing policy of the University of Ioannina Library

[1] The Social Capital of academic community in the context of the theory of the Third Place: enriching the marketing policy of the University of Ioannina Library Zorba (Zormpa), Ioanna (PhD), Papaioannou, Arietta (PhD), Valera, Evdoxia University of Ioannina Library & Information Centre Keyword: Academic libraries, Marketing, Social Capital, Third Place, Collaborations The present document is based on the conference paper presented in Greek at the 30rd Panhellenic Congress of Academic Libraries, Athens 23-25 October 2024. It was written in English in order to be translated in Dutch and to be published at 2025 as the 14th chapter (pp. 174 - 187) of the book Derde Plek: thuis in de bibliotheek (ISBN : 9782509045980), with the title: DE UNIVERSITEITSBIBLIOTHEEK ALS DERDE PLEK: SOCIALE VERBONDENHEID EN MARKETING AAN DE UNIVERSITEIT VAN IOANNINA Abstract The Library & Information Centre of the University of Ioannina (UOI) has been working on its marketing policy based on a people-centred orientation, openness, synergies and inclusion. It utilizes the supportive practice of its staff regarding Social Capital development through various and long-established cultural and political actions of personalities and groups within and outside the academic community. Since 2023 the UOI Library processing policy making has been taking into account the satisfaction of the needs of a broader range of stakeholders, thereby expanding its objectives—and consequently its services. It has been strategically using its physical and digital places to promote Open Education and Open Science, Access for All, social contact, cultural interaction, but also personal peace and joy. This change addresses not only to the extended list of stakeholders, but also to the Library staff, in order to build and consolidate relationships to trust. Particular emphasis is placed on the sustainable utilization of the physical place of the Central Library as a Third Place for all its visitors, where Social Capital can be developed smoothly and naturally. This paper aims to point out that openness marketing can be implemented without resources expenditure or compromising of available services quality. Such an approach can enhance libraries’ academic role and expands their impact. Regarding the UOI Library, in less than one year, the first tangible steps have been taken in this direction. A number of various synergies took place and indeed some of them interacted between them, producing added value to Social Capital processes. A preliminary impact assessment was discussed through interviews with participants. In the context of Library-Third Place, we are called upon to respond openly to this change by transforming the Library's organisational culture in order to ensure openness, inclusion and accessibility across all its places. Social Capital & marketing in academic library Any organisation has a reason to exist when its strategic actions aim at the satisfaction of the needs of its primary stakeholder groups. This is the marketing basis of an organisation that recognises the interaction between people within its activities as a key aspect of its [2] quality performance 1 , achieving processes of innovation and quality improvement 2 . An interesting role in this concept can be played by secondary stakeholders, who are usually not directly involved in the economic activities 3 , 4 . However, they can boost the social transactions of an organisation by adding value to Social Capital processes. Examining international literature, especially on the public libraries sector, a debate about the formal or informal role of the Library in developing Social Capital 5 , 6 , 7 has been identified. This issue is now also becoming a concern for academic libraries, as networking, partnership and building trust with the community is becoming an operational requirement for their quality effectiveness and sustainability 8 . Indicatively, Montgomery & Miller 9 state that in the hybrid information environment of academic libraries, physical place plays a vital role in enhancing collaborative learning and social interaction. This, consequently, fosters the development of cultural and civic literacy and generates added value for higher quality support to the educational and research work of the academic community. Acting as a Third Place 10 the Library can effectively support this operational objective in the context of the operation of Academic Libraries 11 . The “key” to achieving this lies on the 1 Murphy, B., Stevens, K., & McLeod, R. (1997). A Stakeholderism Framework for Measuring Relationship Marketing. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 5(2), 43–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/10696679.1997.11501764 2 Ratten, V. (2022). Stakeholder Entrepreneurship: A Theory. Στο Ratten, V., Braga, V. (eds) Stakeholder Entrepreneurship. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-167091-6_2 3 Freeman, R. E. 1984. Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Boston: Pitman/ Ballinger. 4 Clarkson, M. B. E. (1995). A Stakeholder Framework for Analyzing and Evaluating Corporate Social Performance. The Academy of Management Review, 20(1), 92–117. https://doi.org/10.2307/258888 5 Vårheim, A. (2011). Gracious space: Library programming strategies towards immigrants as tools in the creation of social capital. Library & Information Science Research, 33(1), 12–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2010.04.005 6 Johnson, C. A. (2012). How do public libraries create social capital? An analysis of interactions between library staff and patrons. Library & Information Science Research, 34(1), 52–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2011.07.009 7 Ferguson, S. (2012). Are public libraries developers of social capital? A review of their contribution and attempts to demonstrate it. The Australian Library Journal, 61(1), 22–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049670.2012.10722299 8 Schlak, T. M. (2023). Social Capital and Academic Libraries: The Basics. Στο Schlak T, Corrall S, Bracke P. The Social Future of Academic Libraries: New Perspectives on Communities, Networks, and Engagement. Facet, 91-108. 9 Montgomery, S. E., & Miller, J. (2011). The Third Place: The Library as Collaborative and Community Space in a Time of Fiscal Restraint. College & Undergraduate Libraries, 18(2–3), 228–238. https://doi.org/10.1080/10691316.2011.577683 10 Oldenburg, Ray (Winter 1996–1997). Our Vanishing "Third Places. Planning Commissioners Journal. 25, 6–10. 11 Wojciechowska, Μ. (2023) The Importance and Level of Individual Social Capital among Academic Librarians, New Review of Academic Librarianship, 29(1), 51-76, https://doi.org/10.1080/13614533.2022.2079538 [3] Library staff and their interaction with the public 12 . Interpersonal contact (face-to-face) is considered as one of the most important requirements by the originator 13 of the concept itself, and it needs to be cultivated to the Staff based on policies. This is the reason that openness, empathy and inclusion should not be considered as a "personal affair" but as a "service affair". As a hybrid information environment, an academic library inevitably supports, communicates and collaborates with its audience through web based social networks and channels. In fact, the Greek Public Sector promotes and enforces their use 14 . However, the limited international literature on this topic indicates that the digital dimension of an academic library cannot exclusively and autonomously operate as a Third Place. As much as online social networks support the interaction between community members, the downgrade of the library’s physical space has a negative qualitative and quantitative impact on sociality 15 . The University of Ioannina Library case The mission, vision and objectives (mission statement) of the Library & Information Centre of the University of Ioannina (UOI), as reflected in the current Operational Regulations, are mainly aimed to satisfy the educational and research needs of specific stakeholders groups (primary stakeholders), such as the teaching and research staff and students, as well as researchers from other institutions. This approach is closely linked to the productive processes of the institution and can be measured quantitatively. The UOI Library is in the process of formulating a marketing practice with the aim of upgrading the quality of services to the satisfaction of primary stakeholders, while also contributing to Social Capital activities, that promote the cultural and political culture of the academic community within its social context (see Service Vision 16 ). The Library - in order to achieve this - has been building on decades an informal human-centred practice. Now it empowers this practice framing it within a formal marketing policy oriented towards openness, synergies and inclusion. The Library's function as a Third Place can make a catalytic contribution to this policy approach of meeting the needs of all stakeholders (primary & secondary). The UOI has a long history of sustained scientific, cultural and political activity; its impact has contributed to the informal emergence of the following secondary stakeholders of the Library: ● UOI student personalities and collectives; 12 Elmborg, J. K. (2011). Libraries as the spaces between us. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 50(4), 338–350. https://doi.org/10.5860/rusq.50n4.338 13 Ray Oldenburg & Karen Christensen. (2023). Third places, true citizen spaces. The UNESCO Courier, 2023(2), 12–14. https://doi.org/10.18356/22202293-2023-2-3 14 Καπανιάρης, Α. (2019). Αξιοποίηση των μέσων κοινωνικής δικτύωσης (social media) ως εργαλείου επικοινωνίας στη Δημόσια Διοίκηση. Κωδικός προγράμματος IT585. Εθνικό Κέντρο Δημόσιας Διοίκησης & Αυτοδιοίκησης, Ινστιτούτο Επιμόρφωσης. 15 Γαρουφαλή, Α., Ντρογκούλη, Ε., Μπατάλας Β. (2018). Ο φυσικός χώρος της βιβλιοθήκης ως «τρίτο μέρος» κοινωνικοποίησης και συνεργατικής μάθησης στη νέα ψηφιακή εποχή. 24ο Πανελλήνιο Συνέδριο Ακαδημαϊκών Βιβλιοθηκών. Λάρισα. http://palc24.cs.teilar.gr/conference/files/e2.pdf 16 Υπουργική Απόφαση 9406/2023, Έγκριση Κανονισμού Λειτουργίας Βιβλιοθήκης και Κέντρου Πληροφόρησης Πανεπιστημίου Ιωαννίνων (Β.Κ.Π.-Π.Ι.) (ΦΕΚ Β 317/25-01-2023) [4] ● Other UOI units; ● Non-scientific readership within UOI; ● Educational and cultural institutions outside UOI; ● Professional partners in the information sector nationally and internationally. Most of the secondary stakeholders are in fact individuals and groups from the academic community; however, their needs are more related to socialising. It is precisely the satisfaction of these stakeholders that fosters the cultivation of Social Capital and a sense of community. In the beginning of 2000, the establishment of the Central Library (CLib) premises operated catalytically to a formulation of an informal - and consequently unsystematic - practice that could be described as "library feel homey" 17 . This has been fostering a climate of solidarity, socialisation, relaxation and even rest. The Library has also been acknowledged on the campus as the most open place for hosting activities of individuals and community groups. A similar sense of hospitality is expressed in the Library's online channels and social networks. Investing in this very beneficial legacy, the first applications and tools of marketing policy have recently taken place. Briefly: ● Achievement of cooperation with the UOI Teaching & Learning Support Centre (KE.DI.MA.) and enrichment of information support/training Library services based on the individual needs of UOI members 18 ; ● Development of a guide for the Library staff on creating accessible printed and electronic communication materials; ● Protocol standardization for communication and interaction in social networks (Facebook) and other online profiles of the Library, such as Google Maps; ● Utilization constructively of the Library's participation as a Service in the welcome day of all UOI first-year students and ● Establishment of the Open Library Day 19 . 17 Mehta, P., & Cox, A. (2019). (2019). At Home in the Academic Library? A Study of Student Feelings of “Homeness.” New Review of Academic Librarianship, 27(1), 4–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/13614533.2018.1547774 18 Zorba (Zormpa), I., Papaioannou, A., & Gegiou, A. (2023). The academic library as a producer of learning content: the case of collaboration with The Teaching and Learning Center (KEDIMA). 29th Panhellenic Congress of Academic Libraries, Thessaloniki. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11202953 19 {Image_00} [5] Third Place - targeted synergies: 2023-2024 "How are we going to do this? We're going to do it by sharing ideas, we're going to do it with a focus, (...) we're going to do a small project, we're going to see how it goes, applying evaluation framework (...), both in the digital and physical place, undertaking risks and challenges..." Arietta Papaioannou (UOI Library Director), Interview June 2024 The targeted synergies that took place during 2023-2024, for the operation of the CLib as a Third Place in the context of the cultivation of the Social Capital of the academic community, were three cases of collaborations that proved to be multiply successful and had zero cost for the Library. To evaluate these initiatives, two interviews were conducted in June 2024 by Ioanna Zorba; one with Arietta Papaioannou, the Library Director, and another with Evdoxia (Soula) Valera who played a particularly supportive role in these activities. At the same time, three discussion meetings were held with UOI students who participated in these synergies. A common thread among these students was their preference for visiting CLib for social, cultural or political reasons rather than for studying or borrowing books. Also, while it was commonly believed that meaningful socialising can only be achieved in person, social networks proved helpful for making initial connections and organising or promoting activities. At the end, all students invited the Library to interact with them as groups or individuals through Instagram in spite of Facebook; since they don't use it any more widely. March 2023 - today Construction and examination of a thesis topic by a student of the School of Fine Arts in the CLib building [6] Examining thesis projects within the CLib building is a common practice. However, Margarita Economou's case stood out, because she requested exclusive use of a space for a period of three months as a place for artistic creation, educational process, volunteering and social interaction. In this project, more than 20 student volunteers from different departments and along with their friends responded to Margarita's open call to be involved in this art project development. Some readers became spontaneously involved as they watched the piece of art unfold in front of their eyes. Also, as Margarita mentioned, friends of friends who saw stories on Instagram stopped by just to watch and eventually became part of this group. Moreover, this process even touched uninvolved visitors. For example, a medical student, studying near the glass room where the project was taking place, just after the work’s completion approached Margarita to express admiration for the work’s magnificent and beautiful impact. Margarita characteristically said: "...of course I was moved at first, because no one here knew what would come out...not even me (...) I just knew how to set up the project, not how it would turn out, so I left it in the hands of the volunteers. That was also purely my project. The fact that we are leaving the center that is the artist and putting another center: collaboration, collectivity, teamwork, how to work together, how to..." Our colleagues Evdoxia Valera and Elissavet Kotsioni also contributed voluntarily at home by preparing primary materials. The rest of the staff provided discreet assistance during the process ensuring that the “construction site-like” activity ran on smoothly in the reading room from morning till night. The examination of Margarita’s thesis was promoted through social networks and evolved into an open event attended by the rector, lecturers, dozens of students and of course by the Library staff. Finally, it was decided -with Margaret's consent and contributionthe work to remain in the CLib after editing certain parts of it; so the venue dressed literally by her [7] artwork could still function as a reading room. However, deterioration is inevitable over time. A year later, the artist revisiting the venue explained that: "no, I no longer have this fear...my work, since I presented it, is left to decay, left in the hands of the audience. The artist leaves the work and the public decides afterwards and then what will happen to this work...it follows the natural deterioration...I also saw it as completion...the work will be left (...) in the cycle of completion and that relieved me...it made me feel calm." December 2023 - today Utilization of exhibitional materials of the Photographic Association of the University of Ioannina (FOSPI) [8] In December 2023, after a series of quick discussions with doctoral candidates, who regularly used the individual study offices, the need for an aesthetic improvement was confirmed. With Library resources unable to cover decoration costs, this obstacle was turned into an opportunity for the Library to open up to the FOSPI student club and deepen the longstanding collaboration that already existed. Two Library staff members installed exhibited works of the club in these study offices and highlighted their source. It was also suggested that FOSPI "adopt" this area of the Library by periodically updating their photographs, turning it into a dynamic living exhibition. FOSPI has already been using a specific area at the entrance of the CLib for over a decade, hosting periodical exhibitions. A student member of FOSPI mentioned during the interview that "in general there is good communication with the Library (...) and I think from the exhibitions we do here ... many people see our work (...) new people come to the association and I think that (...) this cooperation is only beneficial for us." March 2024 - today Exclusive use of a venue for the members of the University of Ioannina Table Games Club (PLEI) [9] In the aftermath of the Library's active participation in Freshers' Welcome Day, members of the PLEI club requested exclusive use of a venue for a few hours once a week. Games in public libraries have been hosted since the mid-19th century 20 . However, it is not a common practice in academic libraries. At least in the case of UOI, there were initial concerns regarding such an activity might cause a disturbance to the reading public. Evdoxia Valera’s personal intervention was crucial to overcome these concerns and eventually, the venue where Margarita's work is hosted was selected for the Group's meetings, but not during the exam period. During the discussion, PLEI's members expressed their delight in having access to such a particularly beautiful and clean place, where they could play in peace and particularly they could develop their own strategy board games. Also, they greatly appreciated the fact that the Library provided PLEI a set of lockers to safely store their games. The collaboration results exceeded all expectations for both sides; the CLib Staff never encountered conflicts between readers and PLEI members for any reason, while PLEI’s networking was greatly expanded. When Margarita Economou was asked to comment about her project’s venue was being used for PLEI’s activities, she said that she had known it already "... because (...) two members from PLEI, Eva and Christos are my friends, so I met the other members of the group (...) we also talk on social media...so, yes I know...(...) for me the Library remains as a place (... ) of being able to come and say to the staff, (...) Mrs. Soula I have this...can I do something?...I need this...I feel them like family (...) I know that no matter what happens I have a hug..." Evaluation issues UOI Library, as an academic one, without any particularly high requirement of financial resources, can cultivate and maintain an ecosystem of value-added production of Social Capital, which enhances the quality and satisfaction of the primary stakeholders’ needs. At 20 Wyatt, D., & Leorke, D. (2024). Playing in the “Third Place”: How Games and Play Are Transforming Public Libraries. Space and Culture, 27(2), 254-273. https://doi.org/10.1177/12063312231223118