Library and Information Science Research
Year:2016 | Volume:6 | Issue:1 (11)|Papers Count:21

Purpose: Libraries and information centers as information storage and retrieval systems can develop with the adoption of cybernetics rules. This paper discusses system dynamics, control, feedback, and other cybernetic concepts especially in information storage and retrieval systems.Methodology: This study is a review intending to find what Cybernetics and LIS have in common especially in the field of information retrieval.Findings: Cybernetics is the science of systems.Information storage and retrieval systems like libraries and information centers can be improved by employing cybernetics principles.

Purpose: Scientific databases are the most important and useful sources where information is accessible via user interfaces. One of the approaches to eliminating the existing challenges in databases user interface is utilizing the Sense-making Theory (SMT) approach. SMT approach helps the users to understand problematic situations they have faced with and bridges the cognitive and information gap by using the elements of user interfaces. The aim of this study is to evaluate user interfaces of Ebsco, Proquest and Science Direct databases in supporting users’ information seeking behavior based on SMT.Methodology: This study was a mixed methods survey. The samples of this study have been chosen among M.A. and PhD students majoring in Humanities/Social Sciences and Sciences/Engineering in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.Findings: Findings showed that SMT elements support users’ information seeking behavior in databases’ user interfaces which have been analyzed. It is also found that the help of databases’ user interface to users’ information seeking behavior was in a desired level. This study showed that the current user interfaces in these databases are not able to support the users’ information seeking behavior in problematic situations and put them in confusing and ambiguous conditions. Furthermore, the results indicated that elements of Dervin’s SMT are applicable to database user interfaces, and are probably effective in re-designing and improving these environments.

Purpose: This study intends to investigate the demographic differences of critical thinking dispositions in the employees of the Central Library, Museum, and Documents center of Astane Qudse Razavi.Methodology: In this study, carried out via descriptive method, the participants were 163 employees of the Organization of Libraries. They were asked to complete a researcher-made questionnaire and their opinions were analyzed by Multivariate Analysis of Variance and One Sample T-test.Findings: Results revealed that the mean of critical thinking dispositions in participants was so low. Moreover, there was a significant difference between dimensions of critical thinking dispositions and organizational job, average study time, and work experience.However, there was no significant difference between dimensions of critical thinking dispositions and education, field, and sex in the employees of the Organization of Libraries.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between spiritual leadership and job satisfaction among the librarians of University of Isfahan, Isfahan University of Technology, and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.Methodology: The research method was descriptive-correlative and the population consisted of all the librarians (N=164) in 2013. The sample was estimated 91 people using Cochrane formula In this study, spiritual leadership and job satisfaction questionnaires were used. Cronbach Alpha was used to determine the reliability of the variables.Findings: The results of this study suggested that: there is a positive and significant correlation between spiritual leadership and job satisfaction in libraries of University of Isfahan, Isfahan University of Technology, and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The findings also showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between librarians’ job satisfaction and spiritual leadership components including: perspective, faith/hope, meaning, and membership and organization commitment. Yet, there is no significant relationship between librarians’ job satisfaction and other spiritual leadership components including altruistic love and religious faith.Regarding the importance of spiritual leadership and a positive correlation between spiritual leadership and job satisfaction, managers need to pay more attention to the component of spiritual leadership.

Purpose: This study aimed to measure the information load of words in Farsi scientific texts and determine the relationship between some properties of the words and information load of the texts based on Shannon entropy.Methodology: The study was conducted based on the content analysis of a number of 320 articles that were published in scientific-research Iranian journals in 2009. And the articles were chosen through random sampling method.Findings: The entropy analysis indicated that there is a relationship between word frequency, word status, word length, and information load of the texts. The findings also showed a significant difference between information loads of the texts in different scientific areas.

Purpose: English abstracts are the only way through which non-speaking readers can access Persian papers, the quality of English abstracts from the viewpoint of semantic and syntax should be controlled. Adopting a linguistic framework, the present study sought to determine the linguistic and orthographic problems embedded in English abstracts of MSRT’s high ranking basic sciences journals, aiming to determine the degree to which these abstracts corresponded to ISO-214 standard for the compilation of abstracts.Methodology: The design used was a descriptive-comparative one.Twenty four MSRT high ranking journals (220 English abstracts) of sciences comprised the sample data of the study extracted from a population of 44 MSRT sciences journals.Findings: The analysis revealed that there were 1439 errors (of 27 types) in the 220 abstracts analyzed. The error type “inappropriate use of definite article ‘the’” (198 cases, 13.75%) was the most frequent one whereas “spacing problems” (150 cases, 10.42%) and “punctuation problems” (124 cases, 8.61%) ranked second and third. Further, the adherence of the English abstracts to Iso-214 was found to be 74% (X=7.16, SD=1.34).

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the present situation of Iranian University Libraries in case of experience and knowledge documentation and documentation barriers in order to present solutions for documentation of experience and knowledge in Iranian academic libraries.Methodology: This research was a descriptive-analytic type and the data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was measured through content validity technique, and its reliability was measured by calculating Cronbach’s Alpha which rendered an alpha of 0.82 (a=0.82). The questionnaire was distributed among 88 managers of the central libraries under study. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics such as (frequency tables, and calculating percentages, mean, and standard deviation of the variables) as well as inferential statistics techniques (Friedman and t-test).Findings: Findings of the study indicated that libraries’ condition of documentation is relatively unsuitable, while the data showed that managers are highly aware of this matter. Lack of motivation in managers, different management styles, lack of knowledge about the ways of documentation, and its nature and quiddity were identified as the most important barriers to documentation. The result of a t-test showed that there were not significant differences between the viewpoints of the central library managers of universities under the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, and the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education regarding documentation.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the information poverty of post graduate students of Birjand University with respect to its 4 indicators (information overload, information vacuum, information inequality, and digital divide) and the role of globalization in information poverty from their point of view.Methodology: This study was a descriptive survey. The population consisted of post graduate students of Birjand University in the academic year 2014-2015.from which a sample of 120 participants was selected based on non-proportional stratified random sampling method. To collect the data, two researcher- made questionnaires were used after examining their reliability and validity.Findings and results: The rate of students’ information poverty was more than average. The highest rate belonged respectively to information inequality, digital divide, information vacuum, and information overload. From the students’ point of view, globalization neither increased nor decreased the rate of information overload and information inequality. However, globalization decreased information vacuum and digital divide.

Purpose: There are several various aspects regarding the role of university libraries informative services to the faculty members of universities which should be considered and studied. Not only university libraries affect the form and way of accessing the information, but also they can impact the behavior and perception of the members of faculty. Therefore, a better understanding of the faculty members of universities behavior on the services offered at the universities’ libraries could lead to a better design and plan to provide the required services at the university libraries.Methodology: This is a descriptive-survey study with the research society of faculty members of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad which is based on the Ajzen theory of planned behavior. The research studies the behavior and understanding of the faculty members of using the Central Library of Ferdowsi University. Ergo, assessing the reliability and the validity of the questionnaire through the stratified sampling, 320 questionnaires were distributed 278 of them were considered for the data analysis through the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).Findings: The results showed that the controlled beliefs and intentions directly affected the behavior. The controlled beliefs, mental standards, and the controlled behavior can affect the attitude. The attitude affects the behavior through the intention indirectly. Behavioral and standard beliefs affect the behavioral control and mental standards.

Purpose: This research aimed to survey the professional and non-professional information needs of the faculty members of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.Methodology: Out of 664 faculty members in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in the academic year of 2010-2011, 242 faculty members were selected by using stratified random sampling method. The data were collected by a researcher made questionnaire.Findings: In general, the most important professional information needs of the faculty members are related to their main job. In case of non-professional information needs, while the most important information needs are related to social affairs, the least important needs center around political affairs. Faculty members get most of their needed information from internet. There was a significant difference between faculty member's information needs in different faculties.With regard to difficulties in providing the information needs, faculty members believe that the major problem is the unaccountability of the managers.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish scientometrics departments in the Iranian academic libraries based on the SWOT model.Methodology: This is an applied study carried out by the survey method. The study population included 80 librarians of Mashhad universities. Data collection was based on the statistical distribution of the questionnaire following the SWOT model.Findings: The results of the data analysis based on the SWOT matrix showed that the academic librarians in Mashhad are not familiar enough with scientometricsand the scientometrics tasks moreover; Mashhad universities do not have scientometrics departments. The results also showed that human resources, organizational culture, and technology has respectively had the greatest impact on the establishment of scientometrics departments. Moreover, it was shown that the strengths with the total weight of 3.98 points had the highest score in comparison with opportunities with the 3.79 points, and weaknesses and threats with a score of 3.12 and 3.75 points respectively.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to design a pattern for delivering outreach library services to the retirees of the Education Department of Bojnourd.Methodology: This was an applied study. The statistical population consisted of all the retirees of the Education Department of Bojnourd city in 2013. The estimated sample size was 130 and cluster sampling was adopted. Data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire.Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).Findings: The findings showed that the most requested library resource was newspapers. The retirees tended to use library loan services, ancillary services, reference and research services, and information services, respectively. In general, the retirees had the most tendency towards the religious programs (from ancillary services) and the least tendency towards the show programs (from ancillary services). They preferred non-person method for delivering library services (except ancillary services) during the week, especially during the evening.Based on the findings, a pattern for delivering outreach library services for the retirees of the Education Department of Bojnourd was designed.

Purpose: The present study aims to determine the librarians' innovative behavior and its influential factors on the acquisition process.Methodology: The methodology for this study is based on survey research. The instrument for collecting data was questionnaire. The research population consisted of 104 librarians and active managers in the acquisitions process of the Organization of Libraries, Museums, and Documentation Center of Astane Qudse Razavi.Findings: The librarians' innovative behavior was at an average level (2.24). Furthermore, the librarians' innovative behavior was higher than the average level in two stages: idea exploration and idea generation. Their behavior was at an average level in the other stages: championing and idea implementation. Out of 81 ideas presented by librarians working in the acquisitions process, 61 ideas (75.3%) have been implemented. Among these, most of the ideas (37) were about providing services to the potential users. Most of the implemented ideas were related to the process innovation (59.01%). The investigation of the influential factors on innovative behavior showed that 28.9% of innovative behavior changes are defined by knowledge; 28.2% by relations, and 13.3% by commitment.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the types of electronic services in public libraries on the users' satisfaction level.Methodology: This study is of descriptive and analytical type and is done by the survey method. The statistical population was all the active members of public libraries in the West Azerbaijan province. Sample selection was done through multistage cluster sampling method. A questionnaire was distributed among 382 individuals and the data were analyzed by the SPSS software.Findings: The users' satisfaction with the internet part was an average of 2.98 and with the telephone services was an average of 2.58.The satisfaction of the users with the library software, Irannamaye database, Audio and visual materials services, and the library weblog was 3.36, 3.44, 3.24, 3.32, respectively, was above the average. Most of the users' satisfaction level was with the electronic services belonging to Irannamaye database.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between tendency toward teleworking and organizational commitment (affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment) among the librarians of Isfahan public universities.Methodology: The research method was descriptive – correlational survey and the population consisted of all librarians in Isfahan University (University of Isfahan, Isfahan University of Medical Science, and Isfahan University of Technology) in 2011-2012 (N=164). To determine the sample size, 107 librarians were selected based on Cochran formula and random stratified sampling method. In order to collect the required data Allen and Meyer’s organizational commitment questionnaire (1990) and the researcher made questionnaire of teleworking were used. The face validity was approved by experts and its reliability was calculated by Cronbach's alpha coefficient (a=0.86). To analyze the data descriptive and inferential statistics were used using SPSS software.Findings: The results revealed that organizational commitment was significantly associated with tendency toward teleworking in Isfahan public universities’ librarians. There is no significant difference between the average of tendency toward teleworking and any of the demographic variables. Also, there is no significant difference between the average of organizational commitment and demographic variables of gender, organizational position, place of service, and measure of study, but there is a significant difference in the two variables of academic degree and field service record of librarians. Considering the fact that some of library activities have the potential of teleworking if appropriate infrastructure exists, based on the criteria of organizational commitment, managers can plan appropriately to implement them.

Purpose: The main objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between information literacy skills and effectiveness of primary school teachers in Sari city.Methodology: Due to the nature of the study, descriptive-correlational survey method has been used. For data collection two researcher-made questionnaires have been employed. The population of the study was all the primary school teachers in Sari city (N=469). Based on simple random sampling and using Krejcie and Morgan table, 210 teachers were selected as the sample population. For data analysis and hypotheses testing, one-sample t-test and Spearman correlation test has been used employing SPSS software version 20.Findings: Results showed that the information literacy skills of teachers and their efficacy has been higher than average. Also, there is a positive and significant relationship between teacher's information literacy skills and their effectiveness and all its three dimensions including: teaching skills, professional character, and classroom management skills.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the main elements of collection and collection management policy of Information Center & Central Library of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.Methodology: This study was an applied research study done through a survey analysis. The population of this study comprised of a representative group of managers, experts, and librarians. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire with 12 parts and 58 items on a five point Likert Scale. Its validity was confirmed by collection management experts and its reliability was calculated through Cronbach’s alpha (a=0.93). For the analysis of the data with regards to descriptive and inferential statistics, the SPSS software version 21was used.Findings: The findings showed that 12 components are required: 1.Philosophy and Goals, 2. Definitions, 3. Selecting or deselecting the resources, 4. The Users’ issues, 5. Providing and Acquisition, 6. Access issues, 7.Digitization, 8. Budget and Finance, 9. Preservation, 10. Weeding, 11. Executive Management, 12. Implementation and Review. From the perspective of the research community, 9 components (p>0.05) were accepted and only 3 components, Philosophy and Goals, Selecting or deselecting the resources and Weeding were significantly different. These 3 components in the focus group were examined and confirmed by experts. Thus, a collection management policy model with 12 components and details was proposed for Information Center & Central Library of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the readability of Roshd encyclopedia articles to determine their readers.Methodology: A sample of 150 articles was selected by random non-proportional stratified sampling. The data collection tools were the three indicators of Gunning/Dayani, Flash/Dayani, and Fry/Dayani formulas.Findings: The readability of the articles was determined, based on the three indicators, as suitable for the high school levels and higher. Considering the Gunning/Dayani indicator, the lowest level of readability was related to the category of "Islamic Studies" equivalent to the freshman level (high school) and the highest level was related to the two categories of "Healthcare" and "Computer Science and Mathematics" which were equivalent to the junior level. Regarding the Flash/Dayani indicator, 3 categories of "Humanities", "Computer Science and Mathematics", and "Healthcare" had the highest level equivalent to junior level, and the categories of "Islamic Sciences", "Experimental Sciences", and "Arts and Entertainment" were at the lowest level equivalent to the freshman level.Considering the Fry/Dayani indicator, the lowest level was equivalent to the freshman level and was related to the category of "Islamic Sciences" and the highest level was related to the category of "Humanities" equivalent to the early years of the university. There was a significant difference among the groups' means based on the Gunning/Dayani and Flash/Dayani indicators at the level of 0.05. There was a significant relationship among the results obtained through Gunning/Dayani and Flash/Dayan indicators at the level 0.05.