Background and Objectives: Easy access to public libraries is one of the main keys to the successful delivery of public library services. Access to services should be planned in a way that maximizes both ease and convenience for users. One of the most important tasks for city planners is the correct location of urban elements and services in communities. 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. In the ease of access component, the two main components of distance and time are important. Two elements--access and the ease of use of urban transportation services--are among the goals of urban planning. When all this is taken into consideration, one finds that locating a library in the central parts of the Saveh city is preferable to locating it in the northwest and southwest parts of the city. One of the main important subcriteria in locating public libraries is proximity to educational institutions (kindergartens, preschools, elementary schools, high schools, etc.). If the place under investigation for locating a library is close to schools, it will have a high level of compatibility; the further away it is, the lower the level of compatibility will be. Once again, centrality is important. A main component among the efficiency subcriteria is the ability to expand. The southwest and northwest parts of the city have the greatest expansion potential, and in this sense, they meet this subcriterion. The middle and central parts of Saveh city have the least potential for expansion. According to the desirability criterion, places and cultural environments should be located in such a way that the people using them get the most enjoyment and use from them. One of the most important components of this criterion is the distance from dangerous areas, which can be divided into the two categories of natural and human environmental hazards. Given this, creating a library in the middle parts of Saveh city has the highest compatibility in terms of desirability; further out, the degree of compatibility decreases.
Discussion: Based on the results obtained for the city of Saveh, Salman Savjoi and Allameh Asgari public libraries are in the incompatible range in terms of comfort, and the other two libraries of Hazrat Wali Asr (A.S.) and Shahid Hasheminejad are in the fully compatible and relatively compatible range, respectively. Then the location of the existing libraries was evaluated according to the location criteria; the compliance status of each library was obtained, and proposed areas for the construction of new libraries in each  of the city were identified. At present, the libraries of 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. After collecting the spatial data of Saveh city and creating a database in the geographic information system environment based on the determined criteria and subcriteria, separate maps were prepared and evaluated, and by summing up the layers and their weight, the compliance status of each the libraries was determined and the final map with suitable locations for the construction of new libraries was prepared.