Facilitating and Helping to Develop Small Businesses, Are Khuzestan Province Public Libraries Ready?

Considering the importance of small businesses in the economy and the role and extent of public libraries in providing services, this research was conducted to design a model and examine the level of readiness of public libraries in Khouzestan province in facilitating and developing small businesses.

This research is applied in terms of purpose, in terms of the method of data collection, it is a survey-type descriptive research, and in terms of the nature of the data, it is an exploratory-type mixed study, which was carried out with the thematic analysis technique. In the qualitative section, factors were first identified using snowball sampling and conducting 14 interviews. The validity of these factors was confirmed with the content validity ratio (CVR) index and their qualitative reliability was confirmed through Felice's Kappa coefficient test. In the quantitative part, a questionnaire consisting of extracted qualitative factors was distributed among 173 public library librarians in Khuzestan province. Then, using the SWOT matrix analysis model, the factors were categorized into two internal categories (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities and threats).

This research shows results in 4 dimensions of internal factors including "resources and services", "manpower", "marketing and advertising" and "technology and space"; and 4 dimensions of external factors including "laws and regulations", "management attitudes", "training" and "communications and interactions". From the total of 17 components that were examined in 4 dimensions of internal factors, 1 strength point and 9 weakness points were observed, and the remaining 7 factors were in an average situation, which gives an average of 2.389. On the other hand, the public libraries of Khuzestan province are faced with 2 opportunities and 9 threats out of 19 investigated factors in 4 dimensions of external factors and the other 8 factors have an average status and an average of 2.482 for external factors. It turns out that the situation is relatively favorable, and the overall average obtained for all components and dimensions under investigation is 2.438, which indicates a relatively favorable situation.

Small businesses can use the services of public libraries to start and develop. However, the public libraries of Khuzestan are in relatively favorable conditions to support and facilitate small businesses. For this reason, to support these businesses, first and foremost, this should become part of the mission and goal of Khuzestan public libraries. If business support becomes part of the value system and mission of public libraries, a dynamic and business-supporting library may be created in that system and mission.