RESEARCH ON INFORMATION SCIENCE AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES (PAYAM-E-KETABKHANEH (LIBRARY MESSAGE))
Year:2011 | Volume:17 | Issue:1 (64)|Papers Count:8

Purpose: Making use of the quantitative method of data envelopment analysis (DEA), this research tries to calculate the efficiency and ranking of public libraries in Iranian provinces in 2008.Methodology: This research is an applied study and was conducted as survey. Data collection was performed from internet. The time interval of the used data was the year 2008 and data were classified with respect to province. Public libraries located in 30 Iranian provinces were evaluated in terms of several input indices, including the number of books, literate population of each province, the number of libraries in each province, the number of librarians, the number of seats, and total number of audiovisual materials in libraries of each province, and also with regard to several output indices, including total number of members, the number of books lent, and the number of clients visiting each library of the provinces. Excel software was used for data collection, while analyzing and solving the model was accomplished using Excel DEA Solver software.Findings: According to the results, the libraries in 15 provinces out of the whole 30 provinces were efficient, whereas the others were inefficient. Using super-efficiency score, it was found that the highest super-efficiency scores among the provinces with efficient libraries belonged in descending order to Ilam, South Khorasan, and Semnan, while among the inefficient provinces, Bushehr, Qom, and Kordestan got the lowest super-efficiency scores.Originality/Value: Performance evaluation has gained a specific position in the library and information sciences literature and has been a matter of debate among the experts. Through employing a quantitative method which is reliable for performance evaluation, the present study tries to evaluate the performance of public libraries in Iranian provinces and propose applied strategies to promote their performance level.

Purpose: This study was carried out to measure the level of participative management  among managers and staff of Iran Public Libraries Foundation.Methodology: This study is a survey in which the population under study included the headquarter staff of Iran Public Libraries Foundation as well as Librarians of public libraries in Tehran Province. To this end, 221 persons were chosen by simple random selection. We used researcher-made questionnaire. To carry out statistical analyses, the Spearman’s correlation test, one-sample t-test, and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test were used.Findings: The obtained results for Iran Public Libraries Foundation indicated an average level of intra-organizational collaborations and above average level of inter-organizational collaborations. Furthermore, it was shown that there is positive association between demographic characteristics (management experience and work experience) and the collaboration level of managers and staff, whereas a negative relationship exists between the education level and staff’s collaboration level.Originality/Value: This research measures the level of participative management in Iran Public Libraries Foundation and the related libraries with regard to intra-organizational and inter-organizational collaborations and analyzes these two dimensions from different aspects; it is among the first researches that has studied this management subject among staff of Iran Public Libraries Foundation.

Purpose: We have studied in the present research the role of occupational stress and job expectation in following the conflict management strategies among librarians of Iran Public Libraries Foundation.Methodology: This study used correlation analysis and is a survey. Through simple random selection, 115 librarians were chosen among librarians of Iran public libraries Foundation. They filled out stress sources questionnaire (Hellriegel and Slocum), job expectation questionnaire (Lussier), and conflict management questionnaire (Puttnam and Wilson). The obtained data were analyzed using independent t-test, test of significance of the Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis.Findings: It was indicated that among the librarians, the components related to stress sources are significantly associated with conflict management strategies. Besides, there is a significant relationship between retaining factors and solution-oriented strategy, and an inverse significant relationship between work experience and competition approach. Additionally, this study investigated the difference between the librarians with LIS degree and those graduated from other majors, regarding the strategy they follow.Originality/Value: This paper has suggestions considering how to follow the best approaches in order to reach the most appropriate conflict management strategies (e.g. solution-oriented strategy) and mentions the role and effect of demographic characteristics, stress level, and people’s expectation of their job in pursuing these strategies.

Purpose: Ever increasing need to information as well as increasing demand of researchers as the main leaders of knowledge production emphasizes the necessity to reach organizational agility in libraries, which includes the concept of providing rapid and flexible library services. To reach agility, its specific capability must initially be acquired. One of the best approaches to reinforce such abilities is to follow the total quality management (TQM) strategies so as to make the internal processes and library services agile. This research is therefore devoted to finding the relationship between each of the major dimensions of TQM with main components of organizational agility in libraries.Methodology: This research is an applied one and its methodology is a field study. The population under study included all public libraries in Yazd City. Data collection was accomplished by literature review, interview with experts, and questionnaire. The obtained data was analyzed using correlation test and the technique of network analysis process, by the software SPSS and Super Decisions.Findings: The dimensions of TQM which had highest relationship with promotion of agility abilities in library services can be mentioned, in descending order, as leadership, individuals, being customer-oriented, and process.Originality/Value: Considering the remarkable position of organizational agility in management system of the modern competitive business world, libraries seem to be a proper position to implement such knowledge. This can also be useful in promoting the quality of providing services to libraries clients. Existence of sufficient infrastructures in this regard is necessary; so, during the implementation of an agile system following TQM, the existing systems should be evaluated and compared with previous yields and future goals, and continuous improvement should be made.

Purpose: Web services are presently considered as technologies with highest number of applications for the purpose of providing the automatic, high-quality, and fast information interactions. The aim of this paper is therefore to provide a comprehensive framework for a collection of significant services offered by Farsi websites in libraries to be used in future designs. It also aims to classify the intelligent software agents in order to be used in the services with highest number of applications offered by Persian websites to promote the quality of these services.Methodology: The essential key services for creating a website were extracted after investigating the 100 most visited Iranian websites as well as 100 top non-Iranian websites. These services were then studied and analyzed using statistical tests, content validity value, and Shannon’s entropy. Afterwards, the literature related to intelligent software agents was comprehensively reviewed and these agents were classified with regard to their applications and their adaptation to the services with highest number of applications offered by websites of digital libraries.Findings: Employing the concepts of semantic webs and web services under the title of semantic web services leads to intelligent web services and qualitatively results in websites’ promotion. One of the approaches taken for improvement of websites is to utilize web services that employ intelligent software agents, which assists the website administrators in processing information and identifying the needs of visitors of websites and increases websites’ ability to meet their demands at proper time with high quality and safely. Findings of the present study can be used in design of websites of electronic libraries. Providing the identified key services is the first step for creating these websites for electronic libraries. The results of the research also indicated that due to their various characteristics and functions as well as their potential use in cyberspace, intelligent software agents can help in providing the main services in websites of electronic libraries and have value added.Originality/Value: The suggested framework is useful for designers and administrators of the websites of digital libraries and enables them efficiently design web pages and meets the demands of clients effectively.

Purpose: This paper tries to qualitatively present the issues related to axes of development in digital libraries, including human force, content, services, and technology, and provide a clear viewpoint in this regard by considering all existing aspects.Methodology: In this paper, all existing resources were used. Through citation (library) method, the related literature was studied and, besides using their findings, they were referred as evidence.Findings: As this study showed, four major elements have considerable effect on design and development of digital libraries and if a digital library is intended to be established and developed, each of these axes should be carefully be examined. In addition, establishment and development of a digital library needs some prerequisites which have been mentioned in the present study and paying attention to them can save time, energy, and cost.Originality/Value: Initially a comprehensive plan of the axes of development in digital libraries has been proposed in this paper. Afterwards, through a comprehensive literature review, the individuals taking part in design, production, and use of digital libraries are provided with a clear view of the potentials and demands in this area. It also assists the related officials to make better decisions prior to taking any action. Finally, acquaintance with importance of each of these axes and the elements of digital library development enable their use when necessary.

Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the publication status of Iranian scientific journals with regard to scope, organizational affiliation, scientific level, publication language, electronic publication, and full-text access, either free or paid.Methodology: The evaluative research method has been used in this study. A checklist was employed for collection of data related to scope, organizational affiliation, and scientific level. The samples included journals with scientific-research and scientific-promotional status approved by the National Scientific Journals Supervision Commission (Ministry of Science, Research and Technology) and the National Medical Science Journals Commission (Ministry of Health and Medical Education). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis.Findings: As the results show, more than 530 scientific journals are published in Iran, most of which are affiliated with state-run universities and research institutes. Regarding the access status, only about 40% of the journals allow free access to full-text articles via their websites; medical journal had better status in this regard.Originality/Value: Publication of scientific journals is one of the most significant indexes of scientific development. Therefore, quality and quantity of the journals published in a country can be used as an index for assessing the level of scientific activities in a country or a certain community. The present study is the first of its type to investigate the publication status of Iranian scientific journals as well as their electronic publication status and free access to their articles.

Purpose: examining that the postmodern library as a fluid, ambiguous, and “quantum” organization how could be assessed.Methodology: conceptual analysisFindings: Today’s academic libraries face unprecedented challenges developed by the "dynamic of perpetual change". The present environment of unpredictable and perpetual change is not a phase or a period of transition but the new reality. In order to meet the demands of this new environment, experts advocate the creation of flexible, highly responsive, and collaborative organizational structures.Originality/Value: This article tries to suggest a new conceptual framework and a different mental construct, if the postmodern library is to survive in an age of assessment.