Public Libraries
Mahdi Deramnesari; Fahimeh Babalhavaeji; zahra abazari; Nadjla Hariri; fatemeh nooshnfard
Abstract
The main purpose of this study is to analyze the strategic role of the public libraries in the Iran Geopolitics of Information This is an applied research with a mixed method (qualitative-quantitative) approach. To collect qualitative information, a semi-structured interview has been used. In the quantitative ...
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The main purpose of this study is to analyze the strategic role of the public libraries in the Iran Geopolitics of Information This is an applied research with a mixed method (qualitative-quantitative) approach. To collect qualitative information, a semi-structured interview has been used. In the quantitative part, a researcher-made questionnaire Based on the result of the qualitative part, has been used. The statistical population of the research in the qualitative section includes 13 experts and university professors who were selected by a purposeful method based on criteria and has been analyzed using qualitative content analysis method. The findings of quantitative part has been analyzed using factor analysis. The population of the quantitative part, included the head managers and deputies of the general administrations of the Iran's public libraries (70 people) and the librarians of the provinces that have main and central public libraries from five clusters of north, south, east, west and center of Iran, including 10 provinces & 160 librarians. 201 complete questionnaires were received. Findings shows that, libraries have an implicitly role in strengthening cultural identity and increasing public awareness, especially in terms of strengthening Iranian-Islamic identity, as one of the three main components of geopolitics, but this role is not designed for a specific mission and It is also not clearly explained in upstream documents. Also, based on the findings, the centralized resources acquisition by the Iran Public Libraries Foundation for all public libraries in an integrated manner that there is not any clear role of users need in the selection process is inconsistent with the Free-Flow of Information approach. Other points of emphasis in the findings were: national policymakers should pay attention to the role of public libraries as a public discourse space in transmitting culture and information and a base for strengthening the power of soft defense, training and explaining the specific role for librarians, developing technological infrastructure of libraries, providing resources based on local needs and the audience needs, continuous and purposeful monitoring of activities and increasing the number of service recipients from public libraries.
Public Libraries
sedigheh raeisi; Fahimeh Babalhavaeji; fatemeh nooshnfard; zahra abazari
Abstract
Purpose: The growing trend of increasing information in today's world has doubled the need for public libraries to pay more attention to the process of collecting development resources. The annual increase in the price of books and publications, the lack of budget and space has made it impossible for ...
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Purpose: The growing trend of increasing information in today's world has doubled the need for public libraries to pay more attention to the process of collecting development resources. The annual increase in the price of books and publications, the lack of budget and space has made it impossible for any library, even a huge one, to provide all the library materials, so the aim of this study is to provide a model for collecting development resource's public libraries based on Grand theory. Method: The research is an applied type that has been done with a qualitative approach and as a grounded theory method. The study population consisted of the experts and professors in the field of Knowledge & information science. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview. To analyze the interviews, Strauss & Corbin's analysis method was used, which included three stages of open source, central and selective coding. During the central coding, the main categories were identified and after selective coding and relationship determination, the model of resource collection in public libraries of the country was presented.Results: The research finding showed that 5 main categories and 15 sub-components were conceptualized as dimensions and components of collection development resource's model in public libraries. The five main categories include causal conditions (structural and managerial factors , culture and ethic factors and financial factors), intervening conditions (information needs of users, librarians and specialists), contextual conditions (space governing the mentality of policymakers, factor of uniformity and halo error of policymakers, cost management) were the strategies for collection development resource's modeling (reflecting the voice of users and justice in resource provision, training, and structural and financial decentralization). The consequences of using the model of collecting development resources in public libraries will lead to the satisfaction of users, official, librarians, increasing the productivity of the public libraries of the country, as well as the popularity and fame of this institution.
Public Libraries
Ali Akbar Khasseh; Yosra Rahmani; Faramarz Soheili
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the Copyright literacy of public librarians in Kermanshah province, Iran.
Research method: The current study is a descriptive-survey. The statistical population of this research is all librarians of Public Library in Kermanshah (N=170). Based ...
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Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the Copyright literacy of public librarians in Kermanshah province, Iran.
Research method: The current study is a descriptive-survey. The statistical population of this research is all librarians of Public Library in Kermanshah (N=170). Based on Cochran formula, 118 individuals were selected as sample. The sampling method used in this study was stratified random sampling. Four standard questionnaires to assess librarians' copyright literacy developed by Todorova et al. (2017) were used for data collection. Then to analyze the data and answer the research questions from descriptive indices (frequency distribution table, mean and standard deviation), chi-square test, one-sample t-test and independent sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance test in SPSS software was used.
Findings: The results of data analysis demonstrated that the level of familiarity of librarians with copyright issues in Kermanshah province is low. Moreover, the results showed that Kermanshah Public Librarians' awareness of copyright policies and procedures of the country and its libraries is at a low level. In their view, there is no one in their organization responsible for dealing with copyright issues. The results also indicated that the overwhelming majority of librarians in Kermanshah province agree with the inclusion of copyright issues in academic curricula and its teaching, especially at undergraduate level. Finally, results showed that there is no significant difference between librarians' familiarity with copyright issues in gender, fields of study (librarianship and non-librarianship) and level of education.
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it can be said that the absence of issues related to copyright and its rules in the curriculum of the students of librarianship and information science in the universities are extremely bold. Moreover, it seems that public libraries did not perform well on teaching copyright issues to their staff, especially librarians, as they could teach these workshops and courses. The managers of public libraries in Kermanshah province should have better planning for their organization's librarians. It is recommended that, in hiring librarians, library managers and policy makers should also be aware of the amount of copyright literacy of applicants.
Public Libraries
Golnessa Galyani-Moghaddm; Zohreh Riazi; Reza Maleki
Abstract
Objectives: The present study investigates the establishment of public libraries in Saveh city based on location criteria and subcriteria and suggests optimal areas for the construction of a new public library with the help of a geographic information system Geographic information systems (GIS) are up-to-date ...
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Objectives: The present study investigates the establishment of public libraries in Saveh city based on location criteria and subcriteria and suggests optimal areas for the construction of a new public library with the help of a geographic information system Geographic information systems (GIS) are up-to-date and efficient tools for preparing maps and analyzing location data
Methodology: The research in this study employs meta-analysis for the valuation and weighting of criteria and subcriteria regarding a library's location. Forty studies on location were selected, and the criteria and subcriteria regarding library location were addressed. Based on the results obtained, four main criteria with the highest repetition rate in the studies were selected for analysis: compatibility, ease of access (convenience), desirability and efficiency. Using the scores given to each criterion in the research, together with a hierarchical weighting model (AHP), each of the main criteria was scored employing Expert Choice software.
Findings: From the pairwise comparison of the four criteria, the ease of access criterion has the most importance and weight among the main criteria with a weight of 0.358, followed by the compatibility criterion (weight 0.270), the efficiency criterion (weight 0.247) and the desirability criterion (weight 0.125), respectively. Access to population centers is the most important among the subcriteria of ease of access with a weight of 0.546.
Discussion: According to the results obtained for the city of Saveh, Hasheminejad Library is in an incompatible area, while the rest of the libraries are located in either relatively compatible or fully compatible areas. The locations of the existing libraries were then assessed regarding the ease of access criterion; the compliance status of each library was obtained, and proposed areas for the construction of new libraries in each area of the city were identified. At present, the libraries of Shahid Hasheminejad, Salman Savoji and Hazrat Valiasr (AS) of Saveh are located close to each other, while many parts of Saveh do not have libraries, especially Alavi town (Mehr housing), which does not have any libraries at all.
Public Libraries
faraborz doroudi; adel soleimani nejad; Fatemeh Hamzeh riseh
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the status of feasibility implementation of information architecture in public libraries in Kerman (dependent on the institution of the public libraries of the country). Methodology: The present study uses descriptive studies in a statistical sample of ...
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Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the status of feasibility implementation of information architecture in public libraries in Kerman (dependent on the institution of the public libraries of the country). Methodology: The present study uses descriptive studies in a statistical sample of 62 people in nine public library staff in Kerman in the year 2015. Due to the limitation of the size of the community, do not store the samples and all the people were considered as statistical sample. collect information using validated researcher and validity (0.88 and 0.90).Findings: The test results showed Schapiro vilk research data of the normal distribution. Statistical data using spss software (EDI) 21 both description and analysis of case analysis. At the level of the frequency distribution tables using describe, average, standard deviation and deduce surface using a single sample t-test to verify assumptions and action. The results showed that none of the layers of information architecture in the general direction of the city of Kerman bookcases implement optimal information architecture in place. As well as for the implementation of information architecture using similarity to ideal option (topsis) among the public libraries of various attributes, including the city of Kerman (the skills of librarians, technical equipment and facilities available in the library, the library's budget situation and telecommunication infrastructure) were studied.Conclusion: The results obtained regarding the status of information architecture and all its layers showed: martyr motahhari library with a coefficient near 0.737 compared with other libraries in the first priority of the event, and can be used as it is the first library The public in Kerman for the implementation of information architecture, the central proposal of the national library, with the coefficient of the second position near 0.704 Shahid beheshti library with third place in 0.627 near coefficient. Finally, suggestions about the research hypothesis.
Public Libraries
Neda PourKhalil; Mariam Keshvari
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to analyze the situation of Iran’s public libraries in the face of closure of library services due to the outbreak of Covid-19 virus. The present study is an applied research in terms of purpose and a descriptive-survey research in terms of data collection and a quantitative ...
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The purpose of this study is to analyze the situation of Iran’s public libraries in the face of closure of library services due to the outbreak of Covid-19 virus. The present study is an applied research in terms of purpose and a descriptive-survey research in terms of data collection and a quantitative research in terms of the nature of the data. The population of this study included all librarians of public libraries in Iran. Considering that the total number of public library librarians at the time of this research was 5245; According to Krejcie and Morgan (1970), 382 samples are sufficient, however, due to the diversity and differences in conditions such as the level of facilities and services of public libraries in the provinces, was tried to collected more data. For sampling, the quota method has been used separately by provinces, and finally 625 questionnaires (12% of the total population) have been returned. Ability to search for books through the integrated public library management system, not providing free internet to users during the closure of face-to-face services, more opportunities to study due to home quarantine, and considering the book as a carrier of the virus, respectively, the most important points Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of Library Services Closing. Also, after preparing the internal and external matrix, based on the internal factors evaluation matrix (2.21) and the external factors evaluation matrix score (2.379), it was determined that the strategic position of the country's public libraries are in the strategic area of "defensive strategy". And based on that, strategies were presented. It seems that the new conditions of public libraries can be a driving force for the movement of public libraries in the country from the "automatic" to the "digital" stage. As Tammaro (2020) showed, Covid-19 has forced libraries to transform and provide new services based on new relationships with their communities. The importance of this issue is such that the texts (including Jones, 2020) refer to the post-Covoid-19 era as a paradigm shift in the role of the world's public libraries.
Public Libraries
zahra khajeali jahantighi; maryam omidkhoda
Abstract
Objective: The identify the health-based services of Iranian public libraries in the post-Corona era.Methodology: The present research method is qualitative and applied type. data collection tools is a questionnaire. The study population included specialists and librarians, as well as health professionals ...
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Objective: The identify the health-based services of Iranian public libraries in the post-Corona era.Methodology: The present research method is qualitative and applied type. data collection tools is a questionnaire. The study population included specialists and librarians, as well as health professionals and nurses who were active members and readers, consisting of 15 library officials, 10 experts and experienced librarians, and 7 active members who were health book readers, physicians, and nurses. The analysis was performed based on the Delphi technique. The research method is qualitative and using Delphi technique. In this study, with the aim of identifying services based on public library health services in the post-corona period, the qualitative approach and Delphi technique were used in four periods. Finding: Findings from Delphi technique showed that among 25 items related to identifying services based on health of Iranian public libraries in the post-Corona era, the cumulative frequency of fourteen items in terms of experts studied in Delphi panel was more than 70%. Conclusion: Considering the 14 health-based library services, providing these services in the post-corona era can lead the Planners and health officials and the country's medical information system to promote health literacy. It will also help to deal with coronavirus and prevent the risk of its possible return to society.Comparing the results of this study with other studies shows that in recent years the need to provide health services has caused these services as a new paradigm to attract the attention of many health experts. If librarians have a sense of providing health information-based services in public libraries, They will have several organizational and individual benefits such as: prevention of high-risk diseases and increasing public awareness in order to be safe from diseases . In general, it can be said that considering the functions of public libraries and the quality of their role in providing health information services, it can have beneficial effects in the Corona era.
Public Libraries
Golnessa Galyani-Moghaddm; Farideh Osareh; Rahmat Fattahi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Utilizing the experience of leading countries in the field of public libraries can create beneficial developments in the field of public libraries in Iran. The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of implementing European Union programs related to public libraries ...
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Background and Objectives: Utilizing the experience of leading countries in the field of public libraries can create beneficial developments in the field of public libraries in Iran. The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of implementing European Union programs related to public libraries in Iran from the perspective of Iranian public library professionals. This research is part of the commitments related to the Jean Monnet International Joint Project conducted by Allameh Tabataba'i University. The project titled “European Union Plans and Experiences for Public Libraries: Applicability for Iran." The proposal of the project was submitted by Allameh Tabataba’i University to the European Union’s Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency in the form of a Jean Monnet Programmed grant proposal. In September 2019 it was judged and announced as the sole grant winner from Iran. This project was the first joint project with the European Union in the Knowledge and Information Science disciplines in Iran. The topics studied in this research, which are based on the review of specialized texts that were identified and compiled, include changes in public library structure, organization, policies and management, library collections and selection of resources, as well as clientele and needs assessment and training.Methodology: In this survey study, 378 librarians in public libraries across the country were selected through stratified random sampling and were asked to respond to a researcher-designed questionnaire after confirming the content validity and reliability. The dimensions of the questionnaire, which was identified and compiled based on a review of specialized texts, include five areas: 1. Structure, organization, policies and management, 2. Collection and selection of resources, 3. Clientel and needs assessment, 4. Services and dissemination of information, and 5. was training. First, the questionnaire was distributed among 25 librarians and professors of Knowledge and Information Science and who were familiar with the issues of public libraries in Iran and amendments were made to it.In order to identify the main factors or structures of the questionnaire, the components related to the use of EU programs were identified using exploratory factor analysis methods. The Varimax rotation method has also been used to ensure the independence of the agents. To confirm the adequacy of the sample, KMO index (Kaiser-Mir-Olkin test) and Bartlett test were used to identify the correlation between items. In order to evaluate the fitness of the measurement model, three criteria of Cronbach's alpha coefficients, combined reliability and explained mean variance were used. In this study, the Fornell-Locker index was used to evaluate the divergent validity.Findings: In this study, 60.7% of the respondents were women and 39.3% were men. Up to (.96 %) of the respondents had a postgraduate education and were at least 31 years old. The distribution of participants in terms of work experience was in the categories of 5-10 years and 25-16 years. Iranian librarians believed that to a large extent it was possible to implement programs similar to those of the EU public libraries. Findings showed that the greatest possibility of implementing new programs related to services and information dissemination, and training. Multiple analysis of variance test showed that there was no significant difference in the scores of different domains according to age, sex and education.Discussion: It can be concluded that changes to such matters as public library collection and selection of resources, as well as clientele and needs assessment and training, services and dissemination of information are applicable in Iran. In this study, services and information dissemination obtained the highest average scores related to public libraries, which shows the growing importance of information and the need to save cost and time for users.
Public Libraries
mina rezaei dinani; sara sohrabzadeh
Abstract
Investigating the status of Cybernetic model components in public libraries of Isfahan province from the perspective of managersAbstractObjective: This study aimed to identify the attitudes of managers towards the status of Cybernetic model components in public libraries of Isfahan province.Method: The ...
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Investigating the status of Cybernetic model components in public libraries of Isfahan province from the perspective of managersAbstractObjective: This study aimed to identify the attitudes of managers towards the status of Cybernetic model components in public libraries of Isfahan province.Method: The research is conducted by the analytical survey method. The statistical population of the study includes the officials of Isfahan public libraries who completed the questionnaire out of 176 people, 126 people. The required data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire based on Byrne Baum's view. This questionnaire includes 7 components of Interactions, Balance, Hierarchy, Leadership, Supervision and Control, Decision making, and Weak and Hard links. To evaluate the reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the questionnaire is calculated to be 0.753, which indicated that the questionnaire was reliable. Data analysis is performed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS 21 software.Results: The results showed that the components of the Cybernetic model in the management of Isfahan public libraries are considered. The findings also showed that the components of Control and Supervision, Interaction, Leadership, Weak and Hard links, Balance in management, Decision making, and Hierarchy are in the first to seventh ranks, respectively.Results: The attention of public library managers in Isfahan province to the components of the Cybernetic model indicates that managers are well aware of the functions, structure, goals, tasks, and services of their libraries. According to the research results, it might be better to provide more effective interaction between employees and manager. It is necessary to improve the organizational performance of the library by dividing tasks, rule of law, and observance of hierarchy, the level of employee satisfaction and performance, and evolve the organization step by step.Keywords: Isfahan Public Libraries, Cybernetics Model, Public Libraries, Library Management, Control, and Feedback. Isfahan province. leadership. relationship
Public Libraries
Mohsen Jafari; Amin Zare; mahmood moradi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: In the nature of all people, there is a desire for beauty and order and discipline. People are tired of being unconsciously tired of bedbugs, as well as confused. Tidy and orderly as well as beautifying the environment can make the environment happier and therefore more pleasant ...
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Background and Objectives: In the nature of all people, there is a desire for beauty and order and discipline. People are tired of being unconsciously tired of bedbugs, as well as confused. Tidy and orderly as well as beautifying the environment can make the environment happier and therefore more pleasant for the staff and clients, and this makes the mobility, learning and passion for work and service and service more and more. Ultimately, it will satisfy both parties. Libraries are no exception. The library should be so attractive that it will attract people. In the meantime, there appear to be a number of factors that have prevented this attraction and, as a result, the appeal to public libraries. The exterior and interior of the library appear to be very effective in this appeal, though the primary responsibility for designing and implementing decent and convenient buildings for public libraries is not borne by librarians, but the chief authority is delegated to civil engineers but staff and librarians. Public libraries can also make use of the criteria and parameters obtained in this applied research to make the most of the limited opportunities available to them and to the extent possible to make the public library environment happier. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of juvenile public libraries on attracting users among public librarians in Kermanshah.
Methodology: This research is a kind of applied research that has been done in descriptive-survey method. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the juxtaposition of public library environments on user attraction. The study population consisted of the public libraries of Kermanshah which according to the statistics of the Kermanshah Public Libraries Office by the end of September 1977 consisted of 24087 people including 9884 men and 14203 women. A stratified random sampling method was used to select the samples (each library was considered as one class). The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. The required sample size was 378 based on Cochran's formula with 5% error rate. The questionnaires were then distributed to the public libraries of Kermanshah. It was collected directly by the researcher on site and finally 378 questionnaires were collected. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using descriptive statistics (frequency distribution table, minimum and maximum score, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (simple and multiple regression).
Findings: The results of this research in the field of testing hypotheses are as follows:
The adjusted coefficient of determination for environmental sourcing is 0.103, which can account for 10.3% of the variation in the amount of users' absorption rate using the environmental sourcing variable. As a result, the first sub-hypothesis of the research is confirmed.
The adjusted coefficient of determination for environmental makeup is 0.144, which can account for 14.4% of the variation in the amount of user absorption using the environmental makeup variable. As a result, the second sub-hypothesis of the research is confirmed.
The adjusted coefficient of determination for the environmental space is 0.087, which can account for 8.7% of the variation in the amount of user absorption by using the environmental variable. As a result, the third sub-hypothesis of the research is confirmed.
The adjusted coefficient of determination for the welfare dimension is 0.224, which can be predicted by 24.7% of the variation in the amount of user absorption using the welfare sector variable. As a result, the fourth sub-hypothesis of the research is confirmed.
The adjusted coefficient of determination for environmental elements is 0.099, which can account for 9.9% of the variation in the amount of users' absorption by using environmental variables. As a result, the fifth sub-hypothesis of the research is confirmed.
Discussion: From the results of this study, it can be concluded that the factors affecting the attractiveness of public libraries among the public librarians of Kermanshah affect the attractiveness of public libraries. Therefore, public librarians should aim to enhance the vibrancy of library environments. Some of the operational recommendations derived from the results of this study are:
Managing book volumes on shelves, reducing congestion on the desk, increasing the number of desks and chairs, removing unused equipment and more.
Proper layout of shelves, convenient access to the library repository, placing pots and decorative objects in the library, arranging sofas and chairs in the right place, signboard readability and more.
Consider a convenient location for users to relax, appropriate library access conditions and the green space around the library.
Abbas Hosseinzadeh Bandaghiri; Safiyeh Tahmasebi Limooni; Ali Asghar Razavi
Abstract
AbstractObjective: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of technological innovation capabilities on staff professional development by mediating individual knowledge management among staff of public libraries in Iran.Methodology: The statistical population of this study consisted of 6171 ...
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AbstractObjective: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of technological innovation capabilities on staff professional development by mediating individual knowledge management among staff of public libraries in Iran.Methodology: The statistical population of this study consisted of 6171 public librarians all over the country. Using Cochran formula, 362 individuals were considered as sample and 382 questionnaires were distributed and collected due to sampling error (0.05). To collect the data, three researcher-made technological innovation questionnaires, personal knowledge management by Mohyuddin and Azirovani (2007) and Nova Staff Professional Development (2008) were used.Findings: According to the findings, the impact of technological innovation capabilities on staff professional development and personal knowledge management was 0.394 and 0.466, respectively. The coefficient of impact of personal knowledge management on staff professional development was calculated 0.429. The calculated test statistic value was greater than 1.96 in all directions (P
Public Libraries
Mozafar Cheshmeh Sohrsbo
Abstract
Aim: The purpose of this study is to investigate the architectural status of public libraries with the nature and function of the library from the perspective of librarians as those who have the most relationship with the library building.Methodology: The approach chosen for this research is qualitative, ...
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Aim: The purpose of this study is to investigate the architectural status of public libraries with the nature and function of the library from the perspective of librarians as those who have the most relationship with the library building.Methodology: The approach chosen for this research is qualitative, because the nature and problem of the research is a description of a situation that due to the lack of research background in this field, cannot be examined in the form of quantitative research. In the present study, researchers are trying to explore librarians' attitudes about library architecture, so the Grounded theory method was used and unstructured interviews were used to collect data. For analyzing data collected. The data are collected through unstructured interviews, run on 13 librarians working at Rafsanjan Public Libraries, sections. Interviews were conducted in the library of each interviewee and each interview lasted between 20 and 30 minutes.Findings: After analyzing the data from interviews, a selected code named the architectural principles of public libraries, the two axes factors of standardization, environmental signage and symbolization and 15 other factors Such as adapting before allocating existing buildings to the library, consulting librarians to build a new library, separating the lounge and reading room, lagging behind standards in newly established libraries, allocating space for children, not being suitable for the disabled, located Being in a remote environment in the dimension of standardization and coordination with the environment, the importance of aesthetics in attracting the audience, symbolizing, marking, refreshing, ordinary and simple view, building new libraries with unique architecture and putting a box back The book was at the entrance of the library was identified.Originality: Every building is built to serve its purpose and certainly some have been successful in providing the services, because their elements and components are best combined as to somehow reflecting the needs of their members. understanding librarians as the most Interact with building libraries can be very instructive.
Amin Zare; ُSorraya Zangeneh; Sara Bahraminia; Mahmoud Moradi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Today, research and doing scientific investigations are considered the basis of the progress of societies, and spending money on research is actually an investment. Science begins with research. Organizations serve the human community with the power of science, and human beings, ...
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Background and Objectives: Today, research and doing scientific investigations are considered the basis of the progress of societies, and spending money on research is actually an investment. Science begins with research. Organizations serve the human community with the power of science, and human beings, as the third and strongest side of this structure, have an undeniable impact on advancing the goals of the organization and society. The development of human knowledge over previous decades has been done through both education and research. The findings of the previous generation have been passed on to the present generation through education. At the same time, the new generation has produced knowledge for the next generation by conducting various types of research. The process of producing knowledge requires knowledge of research methods as well as the development of relevant skills. Creative, knowledgeable, and capable human resources strengthen the structure of the organization and contribute to the development of society and the improvement of services. Therefore, considering the importance of research, the present study was conducted to investigate the factors related to the tendency of librarians working in public libraries in Kermanshah province to research.
Methodology:In this research, a survey method was used. The statistical population of all librarians working in public libraries of Kermanshah province is under the supervision of the Public Libraries of the country, which was examined as a census of the whole society. Out of 170 librarians, 139 participated to research by completing the researcher-made questionnaire with the reliability of ٨/٩١ in the scale of Alpha-Cronbach. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 23. The tests used in this study, were the Clemogrov Smirnov (KS) test, the independent T-test, and the Pearson correlation coefficient, which were used to examine the correlation between the variables. The regression coefficients and the regression line equation were also obtained for the research variables.
Findings: The findings illustrated that there is a significant correlation between motivation variables, management strategies, individual and professional abilities, career advancement, level of education, and salary increase with the tendency of librarians to do research. There was no significant correlation between age and years of service with the level of a research orientation of librarians in public libraries. There was no significant difference between men and women, as well as the field of study of librarians working in public libraries in Kermanshah province. Among the variables related to the tendency of librarians to research, the motivation variable was the most important (38%), the variable of individual and specialized abilities (25%) and the variable of management policies (23%), and the tendency of librarians to do research was the next variable. The two variables of career advancement and salary increase were removed from the regression equation.
Discussion: The tendency to do research at the beginning and to a large extent goes back to the individual (variable motivation) that is developed by acquiring individual and specialized skills and abilities. However, in order for research activities to continue, growth and strengthening require the planning and support of senior and decision-making managers and officials in libraries and information centers (management policies). In general, and considering the relationship between research variables, it can be concluded that educated librarians in the field of librarianship with a high level of education (master's degree and above) who have sufficient internal motivation and are familiar with research techniques and specific and valuable personal skills (variable of individual and professional abilities), if the organization's research policies are supportive and career advancement and salary increases are not considered at a low level, they would have a strong desire to do research. The results of this study suggest that the tendency to research returns to the individual at the beginning and to a large extent (variable motivation with the highest predictive power) but to grow and strengthen the need for planning and support of high-ranking officials and decision-makers. The recipient has in libraries and information centers (management lines). In this regard, it is recommended that librarians who are interested in research and conduct research activities be encouraged (not necessarily financially). Consider courses and courses to strengthen and develop research skills.
Abbas Doulani; Mitra Shakori; Masoumeh Karbala Aghaei Kamran
Abstract
Abstract Background and Objectives: The purpose of this research is to investigate the type of organizational culture governing the public libraries of East Azarbaijan province and evaluate its relation with user satisfaction. Methodology: The present research is a descriptive-analytical method. Two ...
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Abstract Background and Objectives: The purpose of this research is to investigate the type of organizational culture governing the public libraries of East Azarbaijan province and evaluate its relation with user satisfaction. Methodology: The present research is a descriptive-analytical method. Two tools have been used to collect the information needed in this research.Cameron & Quinn Organizational Culture Questionnaire: In this tool, the respondents of the questionnaire must use the allocation of definite numbers (zero to 100) to identify the four types of cultures in this model regarding the characteristics of the existing and desired culture of the organization. Respond. Organizational Culture Assessment Questionnaire (OCAI) has been widely used in many organizations since 1999 and its widespread results, model validity and organizational culture assessment tools used in this study. The evaluation of organizational culture by a questionnaire including 24 questions.User satisfaction questionnaire: The questionnaire included 11 questions about library equipment, 29 questions for public services (trust and reference and information), 6 questions related to special services, 15 resource questions, 5 questions related to publications and 7 questions related to the librarian's performance, which is a total of 73 questions and measures the satisfaction of library users from very low to very high. All questions in these sections are closed and based on the scale of a 5-value spectrum (Likert) of the option ("very high" to "very low"). In order to obtain the validity of the instrument, the experts' opinions were used so that the measuring instruments were sent to 15 experts from the field and their views were applied to the questionnaires. To measure the reliability of the measurement tools, the Cronbach's alpha formula was used to complete the 30 questionnaires from each population of the study population. Cronbach's alpha was estimated at 84%. Descriptive statistics (frequency, frequency, mean and standard deviation) were used to analyze the data. Inferential statistics including Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Pearson correlation were used to determine the significant differences. To do this, use the software SPSS Version 20 has been used. User satisfaction questionnaire: The questionnaire included 11 questions about library equipment, 29 questions for public services (trust and reference and information), 6 questions related to special services, 15 resource questions, 5 questions related to publications and 7 questions related to the librarian's performance, which is a total of 73 questions and measures the satisfaction of library users from very low to very high. Findings: To identify the organizational culture of the template in the public libraries of East Azarbaijan province (research question), use of Cameron and Quinn models Became Using a competing value framework, they defined four types of organizational culture: family culture (tribal, cooperative, or cooperative), specialist culture (adhocracy), market-based culture and hierarchical culture. Cameron and Quinn also introduced the "Organizational Culture Assessment Tool" that was used to measure, evaluate and identify the relative superiority of the four types of cultures in the organization. To assess each type of organizational culture in this tool, six general criteria are used as follows: organizational characteristics, organizational leadership, employee management, organizational integrity, emphasis and focus on organizational strategy and success criteria. The first hypothesis of the research investigates the desirable situation and the existing status of organizational culture among librarians of public libraries in East Azarbaijan province regarding the existence or absence of significant differences. Based on the results of the research, the result of the test showed that there is a significant difference between the desired situation and the existing status of organizational culture among librarians of the public libraries of the East Azarbaijan. Regarding the second hypothesis of the research, there is a relationship between the organizational cultures governing the public libraries of the East Azarbaijan province with the user’s satisfaction. According to the research findings, Spearman correlation test with correlation coefficient of 0.176 and significance of 0.015 showed that there is a significant relationship between user satisfaction and type of organizational culture. Discussion: According to the results, librarians are more likely to be part of a group organizational culture. This kind of organizational culture (family) focuses on internal issues, but as stated above, freedom of action in values is more than stability and control. In this culture, organization management is through teamwork, partnership, and general agreement. In family culture, organization management is through teamwork, partnership, and general agreement. Teamwork communication and lack of hierarchy are the hallmarks of working units. More people are members of a family than members of a business organization, and this conclusion suggests that, according to librarians of public libraries, employees want to do things in a team and with a general agreement.
Mansor Kohi Rostami; Mohsen Haji Zeinolabedini; Negar Moori Bakhtyari
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The benefits of using knowledge management have led many organizations, including public libraries, to make efforts to implement this process; but initial efforts in most libraries face the major challenge that, despite the investment in knowledge management, the expansion ...
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Background and Objectives: The benefits of using knowledge management have led many organizations, including public libraries, to make efforts to implement this process; but initial efforts in most libraries face the major challenge that, despite the investment in knowledge management, the expansion of the use of its applications is slowly occurring. The main reason for this problem is the low level of library's readiness for the adoption and use of knowledge management. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the extent of this readiness to find ways to help the successful establishment of knowledge management in the organization. The successful implementation of knowledge management in various organizations, including public libraries, requires factors that can regulate all library activities. Success in implementing KM requires that by assessing the status quo in terms of culture and human factor, information technology, structure and processes, we should be aware of the readiness of the library for the successful use of knowledge management. The research focuses on two cultural and human factors, namely social capital and organizational culture, because of the limited scope of research. Therefore, in designing the proposed research, social capital variables as independent variable; Organizational Culture variable as intermediary variable and knowledge management are dependent on variables. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of social capital of librarians of public libraries in Khuzestan Province through the mediation of organizational culture on knowledge management.
Methodology: The research method is survey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and partial least squares method were used to test the hypotheses and model fitness. The population of the study is 380 librarians of general libraries in Khuzestan province. According to Morgan table, 181 people participated as a sample in research. T test, independent t, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation analysis was used.
Findings: All coefficients of factor loads are higher than 0.4, so the model has acceptable reliability measurement. Cronbach's alpha and CR are above 0.7 and all AVE values are higher than 0.5. Therefore, it can be said that the model has a desirable reliability. The statistical significance of the variables of social capital and organizational culture is equal to 68.84 and greater than (2.58), indicating that the relationship between these variables is significant at the level of confidence (99%). Also, the path coefficient between these two variables is equal to (0.867) which shows the effect of the social capital variable on organizational culture and indicates the significance of the first hypothesis of research based on the impact of social capital on organizational culture. Regarding the second hypothesis, the path coefficient between social capital and knowledge management variables is equal to 145.1 and its significance is 2.755, which indicates the significance of the effect of this variable at 95% level, and the third hypothesis of the research is confirmed on this basis. The path coefficient between the organizational culture and knowledge management variables is 0.783, which confirms the significance statistic of 15.86 (greater than 2.58) of the third hypothesis of the research that influences the organizational culture on knowledge management. Also, the results of the t-sobel test show that organizational culture has a mediating role in the relationship between social capital and knowledge management.
Discussion: The results of this study showed that social capital has a positive and direct effect on the establishment of knowledge management in public libraries of Khuzestan province. As we expected, there was a positive relationship between social capital and the degree of organizational readiness for the establishment of knowledge management, since, as Nahapit and Ghoshal (1998) state, social capital for the development and distribution of knowledge in Organizations are essential. The results showed that organizational culture has a direct positive effect on knowledge management. Culture is an essential element in both the establishment and continuation of the establishment of knowledge management systems. Therefore, organizational culture as the main personality and basic structure of the organization plays an effective role in establishing a knowledge management system, and the organization must first focus on organizational culture in order to effectively manage the knowledge of the employees and promote it throughout the organization. The result of testing the research hypotheses shows that there is a significant positive relationship between the two main concepts of research: organizational culture and social capital, which means as one increases, so does the other. Regarding the effect of the variables that make up social capital in organizational culture, it seems that if the managers of public libraries of Khuzestan Province are to increase the abovementioned factors, While strengthening the organizational culture in the mentioned centers, they can build a suitable platform for creating a common agreement that this factor can help establishing better knowledge management.
