Background and Objectives: nowadays users use various methods to access information to meet their information needs. Although electronic information tools and methods are becoming more popular, however, many users still prefer traditional methods, are obsessed with books, and are reluctant to substitute other information sources for books and printed resources or when it comes to libraries, they reflect the physical structure of the library and are alien to the concept of the library. The main purpose of this research is to look at information behavior of users of public libraries in Saqqez city on the World Wide Web using phenomenological method.
Methodology: The present study was a qualitative and phenomenological one. The main method of collecting data is semi-structured or unstructured interview using open-ended questions. In other words, it is the in-depth discussion of the researcher and participants about the phenomenon under investigation. To conduct this research, the researcher observes the information behavior of users who visit the public libraries of the city of Saqqez for their information needs, and interviews them when conducting information behavior, and the researcher records the information behavior of users. Finally, according to the saturation criterion, the data collection process was stopped after 25 interviews and observing users' information seeking behavior while using the Internet. Seven-stage collage technique was used to analyze the data. Since the present article is a descriptive phenomenological one, the seven-stage Colaizzi method was used.
Findings: The present study was conducted with the participation of 25 users of public libraries in the city of Saqez in different educational levels. Participants were both men and women. After analyzing the data, 5 main themes and 16 sub-themes were identified. The main themes of efficiency include sub-themes of costs, efficiency, ease of communication, ease of access, searching for bibliographic information. The main theme of the encouraging factors includes the sub-themes of Internet superiority, diversity, entertainment, and homework. The main theme of critical thinking includes information and media literacy sub-themes. The main theme of the outcome includes the sub-themes of cognitive consequences, behavioral consequences, emotional consequences, physical consequences, and ethical consequences. The main theme of the limitations includes sub-themes of program disruption, inaccessible sites, lack of computers, restrictions on connecting users' communications.
Discussion: The study reveals the experiences and meanings behind users' exposure to the World Wide Web. Therefore, its findings can help to accurately interpret the realities of the motivations and outcomes of target groups' use of the Internet. The results of this study showed that users of public libraries in Kurdistan province use the internet for various purposes (scientific, entertainment, friendship, etc.). As users of public libraries are from all walks of life, their main goal is to improve the quality of scientific libraries, so most of their use of Internet technology should also be devoted to science. However, the results of the study showed that the major focus of the Internet users' experience is not for scientific purposes, and there are many extracurricular activities on the Internet that take time for both users and individuals. This highlights the need for awareness and training to make proper use of the Internet to make informed selection of sources and information. Also, the findings of the study showed that internet use has positive and negative consequences on users' lives. Therefore, it is suggested that awareness of users' experiences and perceptions reinforces the positive consequences of using the Internet and mitigates its negative consequences. The results of this study can be beneficial to the individual, their families and authorities. In the individual context, users and individuals need to be familiar with the positive aspects of the Internet as well as the negative consequences and risks of the Internet so that they can choose resources and information with the insight and awareness. In the family context, parents need to be educated to improve their communication skills with their children because of their weak relationships, which can cause children to move away from their families and to take risky behaviors, including on the Internet. Librarians should also provide training to enhance information literacy for users to make effective use of the resources and information available on the Internet. Also, identifying at-risk users will reinforce positive aspects of their personality and develop useful and targeted recreational programs to fill their leisure time.