What do you offer your customers?

The term “product” usually refers to tangible goods and services offered commercially. Libraries, however, have products too: the services, resources, programming, events, or instruction, for example, that are offered to the community. Considerations that distinguish one product from another include variety, quality, benefits to the customer, design features, quantities, and more.
Products and price in libraries

Business marketing considers products to be items developed for sale. In libraries the item produced is most likely a type of library service. Services are not usually purchased directly, but are funded by taxes and contributions, so the price might be considered as "how much tax am I willing to pay" or "is it worth a trip to the library" rather than a specific cash value.

What do you have to offer?

Consider the products or services that your library offers to the community such as reference and research service, interlibrary loan, access to print, multimedia, and online collections of information. Many of these services have market value equivalents in the business sector, e.g. video rentals, book purchases, or research services that are fee-based. It's necessary to consider the competition and capitalize on what your library offers that's unique, better than the competition, and definitely worth a trip to the library.
Businesses look at markets and then design products that users are willing to pay for. Libraries also need to design or tailor services. Sometimes, however, the product is there and the need is there, but community awareness is lacking. That's where marketing comes in!

Source: Deana Noack, edited by Jennyann Noack, www.olc.org/marketing