RESEARCH ON INFORMATION SCIENCE AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES (PAYAM-E-KETABKHANEH (LIBRARY MESSAGE))
Year:2021 | Volume:27 | Issue:1 (104)|Papers Count:7

Nowadays, as accepted as the era of information or digital, time has changed and has invited all people to a new world in which everybody must define himself. Avoiding from getting benefit from this human progress is useless; Rather, we must know this great technology best and adapt ourselves with its consequences. In fact, in many countries and among many nations there had been people who at first denied a new technology but afterwards they had to accept it. Those people who predict new comings in science and technology, and plan to use them are more broad-minded. The first step in knowing a new technology is to recognize its challenges. Indeed, there is no scientific progress that has no side effect in using it properly. The motivation for new technology which has changed the picture of the world has been for real progress, amusement, adventure seeking, getting rid from the disasters, benefit making, or other purposes even human depopulation. However, we can divide the challenges of information technology into several subjective areas, but broadly we can divide them into two sections: invasion of waves, and invasion of thoughts. Invasion of waves has been much discussed in these days, especially after the appearance of Corona virus. Many clips were delivered and read out as a consequence of 5G. It is obvious and undeniable that waves affect our cells. I do not want to discuss it more. But what is more important is the invasion of thoughts. When I talk about invasion of thoughts I do not mean the obscene literature about corruption and disbeliefs, but I mean fake news and knowledge on social, cultural and political subjects claimed to be science but they are not. Content production is very important, and if a content is not identical, its owner may selfdeceive in such a way that he may boast that he is a man of knowledge. Some of the impacts of such Pseudoscientific information are as follows: It gives false knowledge, increases hesitation, adds to confusion, reduces the ability to make decisions, and complicates decision-making, and increases suspect and enmity. In such case, one who has plotted will gain. In this situation what is very important is the need for consultation. Men and organization should find some persons or places to receive guidance from them. Although internet is a source of consultations, individuals still need persons or places for help. Public libraries are one of these places for consultation. If we regard them as places for only reading, internet and mobile and other media are rivals for them. Therefore, libraries have to take on other duties in order to be alive. Some of duties that may be taken on by libraries are as follows: Culture and economic education and training for family, community and country, job finding and skill increasing, education and consultation, preparing forum for philosophical debates, hygiene, psychology and psychotherapy and how to use drags, consultation for social disabilities and disorders, creation of useful social networks, partnership in information and knowledge plans, creation of cultural and social contents, outsourcing the tasks of librarians to communities, and mass media especially radio & television, and mainly considering and investigating the conduct and demeanor of library members and others in order to attract them to the libraries.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify platform-based services and their priorities in order to apply them in Iran’ s public libraries. Method: This research is an applied study in terms of purpose, including a mixed approach in terms of the research framework. First, the platformbased services were identified through using the meta-synthesis method. Then, after searching through the literature and selecting the appropriate sources by meta-synthesis, 9 articles were eventually investigated as the final selected resources. Then, after the key codes were extracted from the sources and the concepts were categorized, platform-based services were identified. In the second stage of the research, a researcher-made questionnaire was used in order to determine the importance of the services extracted by 38 experts and professionals of public libraries. In order to identify the most important services based on the professionals’ views, data was analyzed by SPSS using the Binomial test. Findings: Through the meta-synthesis applied, 28 services were extracted under 3 categories: education-oriented services (11 services), accessibility and information services (9 services), cultural and leisure services (8 services). According to the experts, the most important services to be applied in the Iranian public libraries include: three education-oriented services (teaching children how to interact, lifelong learning education, and health literacy education), five services related to accessibility and information (establishing a digital library, information consultation for entrepreneurs, access to local information, access to health information, and interlibrary loan) and seven cultural and leisure services (allocating space to groups and associations, creating space for public gatherings, providing equipment and facilities for studying or doing homework, setting up an attendance program for entrepreneurs and producers, creating space for public participation, creating space for scientific conferences, and interaction between suppliers and demanders). Originality/value: From a platform perspective, Iran’ s public libraries, should be not only a conduit for access to information and information resources, but also an interface between users and local organizations. In the area of education, public libraries should be a platform for providing education by various organizations to people; In the area of accessibility, they should provide access to government, local and commercial information; In the field of cultural services and leisure, which was more important for the experts under study, in addition to being a place of communication for people, they should also use the physical space of the library as a venue for providing services. Iran’ s public libraries should provide a platform for local users, organizations, companies or any other type of body to use the physical space of public libraries for official ceremonies, festivals, traditional markets and exhibitions.

Purpose: Due to the importance of using toys in libraries and its unreasonable role in the development of individual and social personality of children, today many libraries around the world, as well as in Iran by the Iran Public Libraries Foundation, use this possibility. Continuation of the process of sending toys by the Iran Public Libraries Foundation requires a thorough review of the activities performed and identification of their weaknesses and strengths. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the current status of the use of toys and its related factors in Iran public libraries. Method: This is an applied study that was carried out using the survey method. The statistical population of the study included all librarians of Iran public libraries, 899 of whom participated in the study. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. To assess the validity of the questionnaire, face/content validity was used. A number of experts, including professors of Knowledge and Information Science and researchers in the field of educational sciences and toys, reviewed the questionnaire and after correcting their opinions, the validity was confirmed. Cronbach’ s alpha method was used to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. Cronbach’ s alpha coefficient for the whole questionnaire was 0. 918 and for each part of the questionnaire, the alpha coefficient was higher than 0. 8, which indicates the high reliability of the questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics and SPSS software. Findings: The findings showed that the use of toys in the country’ s public libraries is above average. Most of the clients in the toy sector are children aged 5 to 9 years and 3 to 5 years. In terms of gender, the female clients were more than twice as many as the boys. In terms of using the type of toys, the tendency to use group toys is more than individual toys, among which the two categories of intellectual and educational toys were most welcomed by clients. A survey of users’ satisfaction with the toy sector showed that although the overall satisfaction with this sector was above average, the low variety, quantity and quality of toys and also not having enough space for the toy sector and the lack of working hours of this section is one of the factors leading to dissatisfaction with the toy section. The findings also showed that from the librarians’ point of view, using toys in public libraries has been very effective, has recorded a positive experience of the library in the minds of clients, and has strengthened the spirit of collectivism in children and increased library visits. Finally, the findings indicated that librarians have little knowledge and skills in the field of toys and are not qualified to work in the toy sector. Originality/value: The present study examines the current status of the use of toys in Iran public libraries and identifies the strengths and weaknesses related to the toys, toys section and librarians of the toy section, providing accurate information to the managers and experts of the Iran Public Libraries Foundation in order that they can plan more precisely and eliminate the shortcomings in this field. It is also a basis for further research in this area as well as for the development of its theoretical foundations.

Purpose: It is impossible to increase the use of information resources in libraries and provide user-centered information services without understanding how users select and search for information resources. selecting information sources involves identifying a subset of available information sources that best meet the information needs of users. Selecting the right source of information has a significant effect on whether the source is read or not. On the other hand, acquisition, organizing resources, and arranging them in libraries, as well as designing an efficient and userfriendly user interface that supports book selection, requires sufficient knowledge of resource selection behaviors by users; This is what not sufficiently known in Iran. Thus, this study aimed to identify the components and dimensions of the selection behavior of information resources of public library users and to design the relevant conceptual model. Method: The present research is a meta-synthesis study that was conducted with a qualitative approach, using the seven-step Sandelowski and Barroso method. The research population consists of articles and dissertations published in seven Persian databases and eight international databases between 2000 and 2020 (1379 to 1399 SH). Out of 7560 identified sources, 35 sources were approved under the Vital Skills Assessment Program. The codes were extracted from the articles and the reliability of the coding was assessed using the kappa coefficient. Findings: A total of 176 codes including 26 concepts were extracted and categorized under five categories as follows: user-related factors (including source selection objectives, tasks, and needs, personality traits and user life, demographic characteristics, interest and emotion, previous user experiences, reasons for interaction or relationship with books, selection strategies and costs); book-related factors (including appearance features, bibliographic elements, content elements, content quality, storybook content, book style, language and relevance, popularity, and distinction); libraryrelated factors (facilities, shelves, and arrangement of books and ancillary programs); barriers and restrictions (including individual, library and community barriers and restrictions); and recommendations and theatrical productions of works (including direct and indirect recommendations and theatrical productions of works). According to the findings, a user, depending on his situation, spends time and money under the influence of the library environment and its facilities, and examines and selects a source in terms of various appearance and content features, and communicates with that source (book) and reads it for reasons such as the overall perceived attractiveness of a book, being engaged with the story in the book, the atmosphere of the book, the personal experience narrated by the characters, and so on. Influenced by the recommendations and theatrical productions of works, he may face obstacles in choosing the source that have been created by himself, library or the community. Originality/value: The model of information resource selection behavior of public library members is indicative of the complexity and effectiveness of this behavior from a wide range of factors, including individual differences, physical and content characteristics of the book, and environmental factors. The designed model can be used as a basis for a broad survey of users’ information resource selection behavior in physical and virtual environments, as well as as a guide to collection building, space designing, and service designing in libraries, compilation of resources, and designing the appearance and structure of books by authors and publishers.

Purpose: Today, challenges and opportunities have emerged for libraries as a result of the changes in the world of information and extensive access to the Internet and Web 2, durability of the stereotypical and old image of libraries, coinciding with the change of their roles, and changes in technology and the publishing industry. Therefore, branding for libraries is crucial to their sustainability in the complex world of information. The concept of brand in libraries’ context should be examined to provide a comprehensive definition of brand and its dimensions for libraries, managers, and librarians, and to guide them to understand its concept and the importance of branding. The purpose of this study is to identify the concept of brand for libraries based on a systematic review of the literature. Method: This research is a qualitative study with a systematic review of the literature based on the nine steps of the National Health Service (NHS) Center for Reviews and Dissemination. To do this, articles, dissertations, and theses on the subject of library branding were searched in 10 Iranian and seven global databases. The search period was from the beginning until June and July 2019 in the global database and from the beginning until September 2019 in the Iranian databases. The retrieved works were evaluated for quality and finally 36 English and 3 Persian researches were analyzed. The results of the study were validated based on the method of Creswell and Miller (2000) by using the methods of exchange with peer debriefing, the audit trail, and prolonged engagement in the field. For reliability analysis, the Gibbs method (2007) was used. Findings: Brand in libraries conceptualizes with 11 dimensions including brand identity, brand association, brand awareness, brand imagery, brand compatibility, brand quality, brand credibility (brand expertise and brand trustworthiness), brand superiority, and behavioral loyalty. Originality/value: The world of marketing and branding is complex. Managers and librarians cannot be expected to be familiar with these concepts and are able to go ahead in the right way of marketing and branding without being trained or studying in this area. This is the first study to conceptualize brand for libraries. Research results can be a proper guide to easily understand the brand concept and its importance for libraries, managers, and librarians. Public libraries, in particular, can adopt the results in order to attract and maintain more users.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the textual and paratextual elements in retrieving fiction from the readers’ perspective in order to provide the most appropriate access points for the readers and to improve access to fictions based on the readers’ needs. Method: The current research is an applied study in terms of purpose, applying a mixed method that was conducted using the sequential exploratory strategy. The statistical population in both stages of the study were readers of fiction literature who were selected by purposive sampling strategy. In the first stage of the study, 14 fiction readers participated in a semi-structured interview. The collected data were coded and analyzed based on the six-step content analysis framework of Brown and Clark using MAXQDA software (2018 version). In the second stage, the opinions of 12 experts in the field of fiction were used to weigh and determine the importance of each textual and paratextual element. The data collection tool at this stage was a pairwise comparison questionnaire designed based on a 9point scale. Expert Choice software (version 11) was used to analyze the data in this stage. Findings: According to the results of the first stage of this study, 24 textual and paratextual elements in the form of 6 main themes were identified by a thematic analysis of the interviews. Then, according to experts, 19 of these extracted elements were selected as important elements in fiction retrieval. In general, the results confirmed that from the readers’ point of view, textual and paratextual elements could be useful in understanding, evaluating, determining and selecting sources, and help fiction readers to find relevant fictions. By use of textual and paratextual elements of fiction to enrich library catalogues and create several access points, we can improve fiction retrieval. Therefore, it is suggested that these elements be used in the design and development of retrieval systems in libraries in order to increase the efficiency of these systems and enable successful search and retrieval for fiction readers. Originality/value: The results of this study provide a starting point for the development and design of fiction search and retrieval systems based on the needs of the reader. By using both textual and paratextual elements of fiction to enrich library catalogs and create several access points, we can develop and improve search and retrieval systems and increase the efficiency of this systems in retrieving fictions which readers want.

Purpose: Every organization’ s commitment to its social responsibilities is a way to form a positive mental image among its audience that can affect their attitude towards using of the organization’ s services. In the present era, despite the various media with diverse capabilities in the field of providing and disseminating of information, the field of information is experiencing intense competition, and this competition has affected the survival of libraries as a cultural institution with a long history. Therefore, public libraries need to take on social responsibilities to ensure their survival. Accordingly, the present study seeks to determine the impact of users’ perceptions of social responsibility on usage of public library services and resources usage through the perceived organizational image. Method: This is an applied research that was conducted by using a surveycorrelation method with a causal approach. The study population consisted of 119, 409 members of Khuzestan public libraries, 383 samples of whom were selected by stratified sampling. Data were collected using a 40-item questionnaire in a five-point Likert scale based on the previous studies such as Becker-Olsen, Cudmore and Hill (2006) and Perez and Torres (2017) and a researcher-made one based on Kamali (2019) research for the usage rate section. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using the composite reliability coefficient of Dillon-Goldstein (CR) average variance extracted (AVE) and Cronbach’ s alpha and its divergent validity was determined by the HTMT matrix method and the average variance extracted (AVE) measure. After distributing the questionnaires, 345 items (return rate = 90%) were returned and then the data analysis was performed using SPSS 25 3 and Smart-PLS software. Findings: The results showed that the level of research variables is higher than the theoretical average (3), which is relatively desirable (mean of the users’ perception of social responsibility = 4. 02, mean of use services and resources = 3. 4, and mean of the perceived organizational image = 3. 89). Furthermore, the impact of users’ perception of social responsibility on the usage of public library services and resources (T-Value = 2. 945) and perceived organizational image (T-Value = 25. 407) is significant at a lower level than 0. 05. Originality/value: The findings of the study showed that the more users understand the social responsibility of public libraries, the more they use the services and information resources of libraries. In addition, the adherence of libraries to social responsibility also led to the formation of a constructive and positive image. For this reason, the studied variables can be taken into account by policy makers and managers in developing organizational strategies.