Library and Information Science Research
Year:2021 | Volume:11 | Issue:1|Papers Count:18

Introduction: The aim of this study was to study the views of Razi University students on the dignity of the library and the library profession.Methodology: The approach of the present study was quantitative and the method used to perform it was survey. The research population consisted of all students of Razi University in Kermanshah who were 14752 at the time of conducting the research, in November 2019. The sample size was determined using Morgan's table of 375 people. A constructed researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data.Findings: The research findings showed that the dignity of the library is lower than the average level of the views of the students of Razi University and the dignity of the library profession is lower than the average level.Conclusion: Explaining the reasons for the low dignity of librarians from the perspective of Razi University students, we can point to some possible factors such as the lack of familiarity of respondents with the librarianship profession, their lack of confidence in librarianship, lack of expertise in librarianship, lack of up-to-date scientific content, weakness. He pointed to professional and professional associations of librarianship and the like. It should also be noted that research on the dignity of libraries and librarians everywhere is unprecedented, but research has shown that research that has studied both the dignity of the library and the library profession has not yet been conducted; therefore, the findings of this study appear to be new.

Introduction: Topic modeling is one of the text mining techniques that allows you to discover unknown topics in a collection of documents, interpret documents based on these topics, and use these interpretations to organize, summarize, and search for texts automatically. Familiarity with the concept and technique of topic modeling, and its application in discovering topics and organizing information is one of the main goals of this research.Methodology: The present study is a review-analytical type in which, while introducing topic modeling, it has categorized and reviewed the applications of this technique based on its performance and provided a sample of research that has used this technique.Findings: Topic modeling algorithms is used not only in addition to the three main objectives of discovering hidden topics, interpreting documents based on topics, and finally organizing and classifying texts, but also is used in discovering hidden topics and relationships in the fields of science, information retrieval, categorizing documents based on topics, discovering outstanding patterns and emerging events, clustering the concepts of scientific fields, analyzing the course of conceptual evolution during historical periods, determining the hierarchical relationships of concepts. A specific scientific field or field and vocabulary enrichment.Conclusion: Topic modeling based on machine learning and artificial intelligence knowledge has been proposed as one of the new approaches to organizing information resources and serious studies are being conducted in this field. Therefore, by using topic modeling algorithms in order to automate the extraction of the subject and discover the hidden issues in the source, it is possible to strengthen and update the new systems of organizing information resources.

Introduction: Naming as a linguistic phenomenon conveys descriptive, expressive and social meanings. According to their information, educational and cultural functions, public libraries have branches throughout the country. Each of these branches has a name, and their proper naming can help create value and success and promote their status. In this article, an attempt is made to examine the current situation of the names of the Iranian public libraries and extract its problems.Methodology: In two stages, the researchers first described the status of public library letters using the content analysis method. Crosscheck control was used to validate the findings. Then, they extracted the problems of naming based on the comparison of the current situation with the instructions for naming public libraries and the instructions for writing Persian script and linguistic criteria.Findings: The results of the first phase showed a tendency to using more anthropomorphically masculine names, including the names of martyrs of the Islamic Revolution, Religious, cultural and literary figures of similar values. Also, most of the names belong to contemporary people, and most of the names in the libraries belong to the martyrs of a particular region or have special characteristics (martyrs of anonymous or unknown martyrs). The current process of naming public libraries in the country did not indicate a scientific policy, leading to problems such as lack of religious sensitivity or lack of attention to linguistic criteria such as length of letters, etc. in public library naming.Conclusion: It can be concluded that the status of the naming of public libraries in Iran, as well as the naming of places and passages that were studied in the literature has a tendency to anthropocentric designations, masculine, contemporary people and among the names of libraries, the greatest repetition is related to the names of the martyrs, infallibles, and religious figures; and attention to the scientific, cultural and women celebrities in naming has been significantly lower. This situation reflects the ideological practices of the rulers on public libraries-like other urban spaces. Although naming can be used as a powerful tool to better perform the socio-cultural functions of the library, officials use this tool to symbolically control the environment. It was also concluded that the current guidelines for naming public libraries are not fully implemented and there are discrepancies between the current status of library names and organizational and national guidelines. It is recommended that conflicts are resolved and also naming policy was amended by Iranian Public Libraries Foundation.

Introduction: Professional ethics and communication skills of staff are effective in service quality. The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating role of professional ethics in relation to communication skills dimensions and service quality. Methodology: This study is applied and descriptive. Also, this research is correlational using structural equation modeling. The population of the study consisted of staff and clients of public libraries of East Azarbaijan province. 200 employees and 1,000 clients (5 clients for each employee) were selected using the Krejcie & Morgan sampling table and simple random sampling. Then, questionnaires were distributed among them. In this research, researcher-made questionnaires of professional ethics with 8 items, communication skills with 26 items and 5 components and quality of service with 10 items were used. These tools were based on Cadozer's professional ethics (2002), Queendom communication skills (2004), and LibQual service quality (2003) Questionnaires, and their reliability coefficients were 0.79, 0.82 and 0.87, respectively. Data were also analyzed using structural equation modeling test and AMOS software. Findings: The mean score of communication skills, professional ethics and quality of services of the staff of public libraries in East Azarbaijan were 3.59, 3.22 and 3.54, respectively. Also, there is a significant relationship between the variables of professional ethics and skills of insight into the process (β=0.22, t=3/99), relationship with certainty (β=0.13, t=2/23), ability to receive and send messages (β=0.15, t=3/76) and listening (β=0.21, t=3/84). In addition, there was no significant relationship between the variables of librarian's professional ethics and the quality of their service (β=0.47, t=7/42). Also, the results of structural equation modeling test showed that the proposed model regarding the relationship between communication skills, professional ethics and quality of service employees of public libraries has a goodness of fit (RMSEA=0.052، CFI=978، GFI=0.972). Conclusion: The present study is the first to investigate the relationship between three variables of professional ethics, communication skills and service quality using structural equation modeling. Overall, it can be said that communication skills and professional ethics are the essential skills of employees that can affect the quality of service provided. Accordingly, in the process of hiring in various office positions having communication skills and ethics must be considered as factors affecting organizational processes and service quality by managers and planners. Conducting training, interpersonal communication and professional ethics keep up to date public librarians and will be effective.

Introduction: The present study was conducted with the aim of explaining library services to the blind and visually impaired and providing suggested solutions to public libraries in Iran. Methodology: This research is an applied research in terms of nature and purpose and was conducted with using a survey method. The research population consisted of librarians and managers of 46 public libraries under the auspices of the Public Libraries of the Country, which had a section for the blind and visually impaired and their special services. The data collection tools were two questionnaires designed by the researchers, the first for librarians in the mentioned section, and the other for the managers of these libraries, based on the standard of public library services for the blind and visually-impaired compiled by the Public Libraries Foundation in 2016. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Findings: The findings of compare mean statistical hypothesis test, considering the fact that the significance level is less than 0.05 and the confidence interval of the difference for the variables of "special services for the blind and visually impaired, the status of information resources and the status of manpower working in public libraries in Iran" are positive, these variables follow the standard level more than the average. Moreover, for the variables of "building, equipment, hardware and software for the blind and visually impaired in public libraries of Iran", the significance level is less than 0.05 and the negative ranges of the mean difference demonstrate that these variables follow the standard level less than the average. Conclusion: Based on the research findings, there is a need for more compliance with the standard under review, especially in the field of construction and equipment. It seems that in addition to the development of the standard, the executive guarantee of the implementation of the standard by the public libraries of the country is necessary and will help in improving services to the blind and visually impaired.

Introduction: Today, customer service is the ultimate goal of any service-making organization. The eagerness to return is a solution to the problem that can be created by library patrons to further the goals of libraries and one hope that visitors would return to the library again and again. So, the purpose of this study is to investigate the role of quality of services provided, satisfaction and perceived usefulness on the desire of willingness to returning by clients of the central library of Kermanshah Razi University, Iran. Methodology: This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of data collection. The statistical population is all students of Razi University Central Library, among whom 372 students were selected by simple random sampling method by using Morgan table. Data were collected using service quality, satisfaction and perceived usefulness questionnaires and a researcher-made questionnaire on willingness to return. Findings: Based on the data analysis, the quality of services provided with 0.63, the perceived usefulness 0.95 and satisfaction 0.63 affect the rate of enthusiasm for the willingness to return in Razi University Central Library clients. The quality of service provided, the perceived usefulness and the satisfaction of the rate of willingness to return to use are also increased. The results also showed that there was a significant relationship between gender and the level of desire to willingness to return and men had a greater desire to willingness to return to the library than women. But there was no statistically significant difference in eagerness to willingness to return with regard to education and number of visits to the library. Conclusion: Considering the effectiveness of the quality of service provided, perceived usefulness and satisfaction in increasing the rate of willingness to returning clients, the necessary conditions and measures should be taken into account to promote all three variables. The results of this research can be used in long-term planning of Iranian libraries.

Introduction: The porpuse of present study is to tracking the mission and position of the school library in upstream documents such as the Perspective Document of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Horizon of 1404, the Constitution, the Sixth Five-Year Law on Economic, Social and Cultural Development of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Document of the Scientific Comprehensive Map of the Country, the Document of the Cultural Engineering Map of the Country, the Document of the Fundamental Transformation of Education and National Curriculum. Methodology: This descriptive research was performed by documentary method and qualitative content analysis based on the missions of the school library from the perspective of IFLA in the upstream documents of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Maxqda software was used to analyze the data. Findings: The objectives of school libraries were placed in three main cultural, technological and educational categories according to the 13 missions of the school library from the perspective of IFLA. Among the documents examined, the school library is mentioned directly four times. The perspective Document, the Sixth Development Plan, the Scientific Comprehensive Map of the Country, the Fundamental Transformation Document and National Curriculum on Culture, the Constitution, and the Cultural Engineering Map on Education have the most important goals related to the school library. The goals related to technology are also significant in the Perspective Document, the Sixth Development Plan and the Comprehensive Scientific Map of the Country. Conclusion: The diversity of categories and themes identified in the three documents of the Country's Cultural Engineering Plan, the Document of Fundamental Transformation and the National Curriculum in relation to the mission of the school library, shows the high potential of the above three documents in guiding the mission and function of the school library. In the paragraphs related to the mission of the school library in the upstream documents, the school library is not directly mentioned, but many of these missions can be followed, realized and implemented by education and in particular school libraries. These libraries will be able to achieve the major scientific, educational, cultural and technological missions of the country, as well as other educational, social and cultural institutions of the country, provided that they have the necessary support such as receiving budget, facilities and equipment acting as powerful arms and prepare the ground for the growth and excellence of their users, first and foremost, the citizens of every society.

Introduction: Collection Development is considered as one of the most basic activities affects the user satisfaction with libraries.The purpose of this study was to analyze the collection development of printed and electronic books in the central libraries of universities under the supervision of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology in Tehran.Methodology: The study was an applied in terms of purpose, which has been done with a qualitative approach of phenomenological type. The data gathering tool was a semi-structured interview, including 15 open- ended questions, through which 10 collection experts or managers of the central libraries of universities in Tehran were interviewed. To design the interview questions, library studies were conducted in the field of collection development, its policy and the process of collecting resources in libraries.Findings: Collection development process in academic libraries in the fields of printed books was influenced by factors that were classified into categories of collection development policies, identification of user needs, provision of sources, budget and collection evaluation. There was no written policy for e-book collection and free downloading, purchasing resources collectively, subscribing through databases, or exchanging and collaborating between libraries were used to provide them. The challenges of libraries in collection development consist of the lack of written policy, the need for librarians to increase their knowledge and library softwares weakness.Conclusion: It can be concluded central libraries lack a group of important components of collection development. Accordingly, it can be concluded that a set of external and internal factors are involved in the shortcomings. International sanctions, university policies and the way the budget are allocated, the lack of need for collection policy and the lack of planning for collection evaluation were among the influential factors. The results of the present study can be used to identify the collection development methods currently used in university libraries and to address the their weaknesses and challenges.

Introduction: The Internet of Things develops libraries services by smartenihng and integrating activities and having a direct impact on informstion management. Internet of Things services improve the availability and accessibility of information in the library and promote the growth and development of the libraries. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to determining the Internet of Things usability factors in library in order to provide qualitative model using grounded theory.Methodology: the research has been done qualitatively using the the Grounded Theory method. Data were collected from interviews with a community of 13 Knowledge and Information Science experts from Universities and Scientific centers using targeted sampling and snowball research methods. Data collection in three stages of open coding, axial coding and selective coding, they were analyzed, then a qualitative research model was designed. Responsive validity method was used to assess the validity of the interview tool and double coding method was used to assess the reliability.Findings: Findings show that IoT usability has 29 factors, in 5 categories. And in the form of a paradigm model including causal factors categories (6 factors). Underlying factors categories (5 factors). Interfering factors categories (5 factors). Strategies categories (6 factors). Results factors categories (7 facors) presented. According to the findings of the research, 5 groups of factors of IoT usability in libraries have an optimal role in the information management and development of services. The rapid adoption and expansion of the new IoT approach and the application of its components in library development programs are, above all, the result of the advantages and disadvantages that lie in this approach.

Introduction: Information behavior is a term used to describe many methods of human interaction with information. Information avoidance (IA) is also one of the aspects of information behavior and human interaction with information. IA is a set of selective behaviors and actions intended to stop, limit, and delay the search, the encounter, the processing, and the use of information. The main purpose of this study was to investigate medical students’ IA in the study of scientific articles. Methodology: Students of Hamedan University of Medical Sciences took part in the present study, which was an applied survey. The sampling technique for this survey was random. Students completed electronic questionnaires for both IA and Need for Cognition (NFC). One-way analysis of variance, simple linear regression and multivariate regression were used for statistical analysis. Findings: Across all students, IA and NFC averaged 2. 21 and 3. 55, respectively. Results showed that students' grades were associated with the level of IA. There is a significant relationship between IA and NFC, which decreases with the student's grade. Conclusion: IA decreases with increasing NFC, as well as increasing grades of medical students. This process can be accelerated for lower grading. It is suggested that information literacy training courses, library tours, and introduction of specialized databases will be held for them.

Introduction: This study was conducted to determine the amount of information pollution in the Magiran and Noormags databases and to examine the status of information pollution in terms of the content of abstracts, bibliographic information, key words, and the methods of writing. Methodology: The research method was an analytical survey utilizing the researcher-designed questionnaire. Inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The two populations of this research were chosen from the MagIran and Noormags databases. Questionnaires were submitted to all the postgraduate students in Educational Sciences at the Faculty of Psychology of Isfahan University, Iran. There was no sampling. Findings: The findings showed no significant difference in the overall amount of information pollution in the content of abstract, bibliographic information, keywords and the method of writing between the two databases. But overall information pollution in the MagIran is .95 less than Noormags, which is due to the less availability of information pollution in bibliographic information and key words in Noormags. Conclusion: Abstracts and the writing styles in Noormags are in better condition and there are less information pollution compared to MagIran.

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to study the metacognitive strategies of information search skills of the students. This purpose is followed in order to explore the dimensions of metacognitive strategies of information search among students in Shahed University and validate an instrument for measuring these strategies. Methodology: This research is a survey research. The statistical population of this research included all undergraduate and postgraduate students of Shahed University that 386 numbers of them randomly selected, who were requested to complete a modified version of the Metacognitive Strategies for Library Research Skills Scale (Catalano, 2017) with 29 items. The collected questionnaire data were analyzed via the SPSS and AMOS software. Findings: Findings showed that awareness, planning, cognitive strategy, debugging and self-checking are the most important dimensions of meta-cognitive skills of information search of Shahed University students. And all dimensions have a positive and significant relationship with each other and have a desirable situation. Also, comparison of metacognitive skills of information search among bachelor and master students showed that planning, cognitive and self-checking factors in senior students were significantly higher than undergraduate students. Conclusion: The results showed that the metacognitive of information search among Shahed University students have different dimensions, and that the reliability and validity of the examined questionnaire are established. Since, metacognitive strategies are important in information search success, it is recommended that these strategies are instructionally strenghthened in university students.

Introduction: Open Educational Resources (OER) is a complex word, and refers to trends and movements and ranging from public resources (open), public access (open access), public archives, to free publishing. The present article deals with the open science movement as a structure that strengthens the education ecosystem.Methodology: This review is an analytical and evidence-based study that relies on the open-source ecosystem model to analyze related components including learning stakeholders (individuals, organizations, and communities) and learning tools (tools and content) along with providing national and insightful documentation and, at the end, provides policy advice to the country in this regard.Findings: Research results, data, methods, as well as teaching materials, software, and teaching tools are available for free and can be used over and over again. Web2 and repositories can be introduced as learning tools in providing open resources. The international community pays attention to each case.Conclusion: Acknowledging the issue of open science, all its components in the development of the field of information science is undeniable. And professors, experts, and researchers in this field, due to the use of modern technologies in the world such as holding educational webinars have not been deprived of the achievements of open educational resources in advancing the goals of this field.

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to analyze the M.A. and Ph.D exams of knowledge and information science discipline and compare them with B.A. and M.A. curricula. This comparison was carried out based on Bloom's revised taxonomy in two aspects of the status of the dimensions of knowledge (factual, conceptual, procedural and metacognitive) and the status of cognitive skills (remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate and create). Methodology: This study is an applied research with qualitative approach, using content behavioral goals of the curriculum analysis method (qualitative and quantitative). The research population was the questions of M.A. and Ph.D exams of knowledge and information science in 2014-2018. The tool of this research was a check list based on the Bloom revised classification scheme by Anderson & Krathwohl (2001). For data analysis software MAXQDA 2018 was used, and the reliability test by using intercoder agreement was 91.2%. Findings: Findings showed low appropriateness between behavioral goals of B.A. curriculum and M.A. exam questions in two dimensions of knowledge and cognitive skills as well as between behavioral goals of M.A. curricula and Ph.D exam questions in cognitive skills, but in knowledge dimension there is some proportianallity. Conclusion: The behavioral goals of B.A. and M.A. need to be revised. Based on this revision and change, it’s also necessary to create a content change in the M.A. and Ph.D exams.

Introduction: Social cataloging applications are a new technology which its adoption can affect the scientific, research, applied and commercial fields in many ways. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the acceptance of the mentioned technology by graduate students as a research group, based on the secondary model of unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2).Methodology: This research is an applicable one, which has been done by mediating role-modeling method. The research sample consisted of 184 students in the fields of English language and literature, information science and computer engineering- the trends of Information Technology at the University of Isfahan. Three fields of English, cataloging and technology were selected. The data collection tool was the questionnaire of Venkatesh about acceptance of technology which was used after customizing and determining validity and reliability. Hypotheses and questions were designed based on the relationships in the conceptual model of the research. The conceptual model of the research was the UTAUT2 model plus three variables of added profession, technology readiness and language. The research hypotheses were analyzed using block regression model, probit regression model and path model.Findings: The findings showed that among the seven factors in the main model, performance expectancy and hedonic motivation had the most positive and significant effect on behavioral intention. After that, the social effect, price value and effort expectancy, by turn had a more to less effective effect on behavioral intention. Age moderated the relationship between price value and hedonic motivation on behavioral intention. Profession moderated the relationship between effort expectancy and behavioral intention, and experience moderated the relationship between behavioral intention and use behavior. Behavioral intention showed a very strong positive and significant relationship on use behavior. It should be noted that the three modifiers of language, technology readiness, and gender had no effect on model's relationships.Conclusion: It seems that for graduate students, what is most important in using social cataloging applications is their usefulness and enjoyment. The older the students, the more they value the cost of running the software. An easy understanding of the use of this technology in students who specialize in cataloging is more predictive of behavioral intention in using such software.

Introduction: The current study aims at determining the possibility of applying the citation network of the available references in postgraduate students’ research proposals for suggesting related articles. Methodology: As a quantitative and quasi-experimental research, 60 graduate students (30 MA and 30 Ph.D.) from Shiraz University, were purposefully selected and voluntarily participated in the study. The participants were students of different fields of study in the area of social science. The Web of Science Citation Indexing database, from which the source citation network was derived, was used in the study. Findings: The findings showed that the frequency of the partially related articles was the highest among the three classes of articles (related, partially related, and unrelated). The results of the study also maintained the positive opinion of the users of the related articles suggested by reference citation network to be as effective. Comparing to the MA students, the Ph.D. candidates were also shown to consider the suggested articles to be more effective. That is, the PhD candidates regarded the suggested articles as more related. Moreover, participants with different levels of English language proficiency similarly assessed the relation of the suggested articles. Conclusion: The findings of this study can provide information for researchers, research systems designers, scientific source and information retrieval system advisors and specialists in the related area about the way the proposals’ citation information can be used for finding relevant information and sources, and accordingly, enriching researches.

Introduction: Design and implementation of management information systems (MIS) and in particular for the public sector, is a challenging and time consuming task. The purpose of this paper is to propose a tentative model for implementing MIS in higher education domain. Methodology: The main methodology used in this work is the design science method. Research and development patterns and prototyping have been used in this methodology to create solutions and processes. Findings: This work presents an evolved tentative model for building and implementing MIS in the higher education domain. This model consists of suggestions for proper organization, designed processes for performing steps and required operations, and also solutions to potential challenges. Given the structural similarity of different universities, using our evolved experimental model can reduce costs and fasten the implementation for similar systems in higher education domain.

Introduction: Big data is a set of data that, with its special features, cannot be stored, managed and processed by conventional software systems. Cloud computing is a collection of virtualized resources with easy access and usability. Cloud-based storage technology is able to effectively manage big data. The purpose of this study is to determine the current status of libraries̓ big data management based on cloud computing and its Component ranking in the libraries of first level universities in IranMethodology: The present study is an applied and in terms of nature, method and control of variables is a descriptive research. The statistical population includes all librarians working in the libraries of first level universities in Iran, 520 people. The questionnaire was provided to the respondents electronically and a total of 393 questionnaires were received and analyzed. Data collection tool is a researcher-made questionnaire that examines previous studies of six main components affecting the libraries̓ big data management based on cloud computing in the libraries of first level universities in Iran that including manpower, organization, infrastructure, economic issues, culture and data management was identified, which was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis. To analyze data from descriptive and inferential statistics with software Spss 22 and Amos 22 were used.Findings: The current situation of library data management based on cloud computing in the libraries of Iran's top-level universities was considered unfavorable from the librarians' point of view, with an average of 23.582 and a standard deviation of 7.655 equal to -0.41730. Ranking the components of the current situation from strength to weakness, respectively 1. Manpower With a factor loading rate of 0.64, 2. Economic issues with a factor loading rate of0.60, 3. Infrastructure With a factor loading rate of0.59, 4. Data Management With a factor loading rate of0.58, 5. Culture With a factor loading rate of 0.57 6. Organizations With a factor loading rate of 0.52 are located.Conclusion: Librarians are practically dealing with big data because of their day-to-day dealings with very large volumes of data. Matching the average budget of these libraries with the current needs and providing the necessary funds for the digitization of resources and the existence of appropriate legal hardware and software infrastructure, it can pave the way for the necessary steps to take advantage of cloud-based storage services. Most librarians, while understanding the culture of free access to information, understand the importance of providing analyzed data to clients, but clients' perception of receiving such data is moderate. Low awareness and understanding of officials and unwillingness to interact and cooperate with organizations active in this field, does not provide a stable environment to work with big data and provide services based on them.