Impact of library freshness on user attraction: A survey on the viewpoint of the users of public libraries in Kermanshah city

Jafari, Mohsen; Zare, Amin; Moradi, Mahmood

doi:10.22055/slis.2020.28263.1559

Impact of library freshness on user attraction: A survey on the viewpoint of the users of public libraries in Kermanshah city

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohsen Jafari ¹

Amin Zare ²

mahmood moradi ²

¹ M.A. in information Science, Department of in information Science, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Department of in information Science, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22055/slis.2020.28263.1559

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 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.

Keywords

freshness

public libraries

Kermanshah

Subjects

Public Libraries

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