public library

The aim of this study was to examine the awareness, attitudes and practices of public librarians in Qom province regarding green information literacy and their role in environmental conservation.

This applied research employed a descriptive-survey method. The statistical population includes 75 librarians working in 24 public libraries in Qom province, from whom 40 were selected through stratified random sampling and responded to a researcher-developed questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software with descriptive and inferential statistical methods.

The librarians had a moderate understanding of green information literacy, with more than half being unfamiliar with the concept prior to the study. However, they demonstrated a positive attitude toward environmental protection and high motivation to engage in eco-friendly activities, although limitations such as a lack of educational resources and weak institutional support hindered practical implementation. The results also indicated that public libraries can play a crucial role in raising environmental awareness among users and librarians, through information dissemination, training and awareness programs as well as contributing significantly in the promotion of green information literacy.

This study highlights the need to expand environmental education for librarians, develop supportive policies within related library institutions, and enhance collaboration between libraries and environmental organizations. Future studies are recommended to extend the research scope to other provinces and employ qualitative methods to gain deeper insights into the challenges and opportunities in this field.

The aim of this research was to analyze the spatial distribution of current libraries and the optimal distribution of libraries in the future in Rasht city.

In this research, the data of Rasht's existing libraries, statistical blocks of the 2015 census of the Rasht, and Rasht's spatial data were used in shape file format. This research was conducted based on the instructions of the Iran Public Libraries Foundation, 2017. Spatial statistics analysis has been used to investigate the spatial distribution of existing libraries and network analysis has also been used to determine the service range of libraries. Finally, VIKOR decision-making model was used to prioritize future service areas.

The values ​​of the tests show the significance of cluster distribution of libraries in Rasht city, which indicates heterogeneous distribution based on population or distance from population centers. In fact, the distribution of libraries in Rasht is not suitable and they are mostly concentrated in the city center. There are few libraries in the south, west and north of Rasht city. Based on the criteria of distance and population for existing libraries, 4 service areas were determined (due to the proximity of some libraries to each other, their service areas were merged with each other). Considering the population of Rasht city, there is 14,991 square meters lack of library infrastructure to reach the access standard in this city. The existing libraries cover only 163,633 people (equivalent to 24.2%) of Rasht’s population, and with the development of about 3500 square meters of library space at the available libraries, 32.4% of Rasht's population will be covered by library services. By conducting network analysis and applying distance and population filters, twenty future service areas in Rasht city were proposed to cover the population of Rasht city in the most equitable way. These twenty areas will cover 442,575 people of the population of Rasht city, which includes 65.3% of the population of Rasht, and if they are realized and the infrastructure level of the current libraries is increased, a total of 661,943 people (97.7%) of the population of Rasht city will be covered by public libraries services. In determining the priority of the future service areas, the population is more important than the distance, and respectively, the areas with the largest population in the south, west, north and northeast of Rasht city are in the first six priorities for the construction of new libraries, and marginal areas in the north of Rasht is the last priority due to its lower population and proximity to existing libraries. 2.3% of the population of Rasht, including 15,322 people do not have the necessary population and distance criteria, and currently it is not possible to propose the establishment of a new library for them, who are mainly located in the south of Rasht city.

Originality/value: 

Conducting land use planning researches is the basis of future planning. Lack of this type of studies and lack of foresight will lead to waste of resources and duplication in different projects. According to the basic criteria, this research has determined the amount of library infrastructure based on the population, the amount needed to increase the infrastructure of existing libraries and also the number and area of ​​new libraries in order to cover the needs of the population of Rasht city. By doing it, libraries can be expanded in principle in Rasht and new libraries can be established at the right areas of the city.

This study aims to identify, categorize and analyze the components of social responsibility in Iranian public libraries. Specifically, it seeks to determine the extent to which these components are realized within Iranian public libraries.

This research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative methods. In the qualitative phase, through a review of English-language research articles, the components of social responsibility in public libraries were identified and categorized into 5 primary dimensions and 11 sub-categories. A conceptual model was designed using a concept sorting method. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire was developed based on the identified components. Content validity was established using the Content Validity Index (CVI), with a mean CVI of .80 per item. Reliability was assessed through the split-half method, yielding a Spearman-Brown coefficient of .891. Data collection occurred between January 2023 - June 2023. The sample size was calculated to be approximately 160 participants using Cochran's formula. Then, a systematic sampling technique was employed to select 80 participants from Hosseiniyeh Ershad Library and another 80 from Park-e Shahr Library, both located in Tehran. Data collection spanned a period of 45 days. For data analysis, a variety of statistical tests were utilized, including binomial tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and structural equation modeling.

The study revealed a complex structure of social responsibility in public libraries, composed of five primary dimensions and eleven secondary dimensions. These dimensions include popularization of critical rationality, encompassing critical thinking and historical awareness; responsiveness, characterized by reasoned argumentation and a commitment to justice; dialogical rationality, emphasizing freedom of expression and inclusive dialogue; social inspiration, fostering social art and literature; and socialization, promoting privacy, community integration, and public awareness. The findings indicated a general gap between the expected and actual levels of social responsibility in the studied libraries. While no significant differences were observed between the responses of users from the two libraries, demographic factors such as age and income influenced perceptions of social responsibility. Younger individuals (aged 31-40) were less likely to perceive social inspiration as fulfilled, while those with higher incomes (10-15 million Tomans per month) reported lower levels of satisfaction in critical rationality, social inspiration and socialization. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that the paths of critical rationality, social inspiration, and socialization were the only significant paths in the model, meaning that dialogical rationality is a factor influencing social inspiration, and the combined effect of these two factors influences socialization. Furthermore, dialogical rationality had the most powerful indirect effect on socialization, suggesting that popularization of dialogical rationality is the most prioritized social responsibility of public libraries.

Originality/Value: 

This research contributes to the field by providing a comprehensive framework for understanding the components of social responsibility in public libraries. Additionally, it highlights the significance of dialogic rationality in achieving the broader goals of social responsibility within these institutions.

The aim of the present research examine the researches related to digital libraries and distance and digital education services to identify the basic issues of this field and to introduce the digital library reference model for the development of a collaborative model in digital libraries.This research is a review type that was conducted using the library method and the articles on this topic were studied in the English and Persian databases. The findings showed that the three main policy concepts, content and architecture, are considered critical success factors for the implementation of digital libraries in distance and digital open education, which are strategic planning and policy development, digital content and information services, and infrastructure. Technology and skills development have been adapted.According to the findings, it is concluded that the collaborative model for implementing digital libraries in open distance and digital education (ODDE) can ensure that digital libraries are jointly designed, which leads to wider adoption and use in open distance and digital education. Also, digital libraries can increase the sense of cooperation and culture of knowledge sharing to improve learning and teaching and communication between learners and teachers.

The present research with the aim change the mission of public libraries from "book lending institutions" to "social centers" and provide personalized intelligent services to users by applying data mining methods. The current research has been carried out with the aim of identifying the applications of data mining in public libraries with regard to different dimensions, including service analysis, quality analysis, collection analysis and application analysis, as well as determining the functions and techniques of data mining. The search algorithm for this scoping review is designed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flowchart following the steps of the methodological framework of Arksey & O'Malley. Using Endnote, as the information resources management software, 32 duplicate articles and 395 articles as a result of (non)compliance with the purpose or inclusion and exclusion criteria of the research were removed from the total number of 438 studies. Ten main articles in English and two related main articles in Persian were finalized and finally 13 articles have been selected. The application of data mining in public libraries is very wide and can be used as a powerful tool in the fields of management, reference services, organization, storage and retrieval, information, marketing, budget and collection building. In general, the findings of the current research indicate that the subject of data mining applications in providing services and functions of public libraries has received little attention in researches. Data mining of users' data, makes it possible to identify the resources and topics with the highest demand and, as a result, prepare a set of desirable books and resources for delivery to users. Therefore, by recognizing the needs and preferences of users, it is possible to prioritize library information resources and improve the services provided to users, including the borrowing process, fast and effective search system, personalization and customized provision of services, and the entire process of communicating with users. As a result, the necessity of data mining in public libraries is recognized as an important tool for identifying the library's strengths and weaknesses, improving management processes and improving the performance and upgrading of library services consistent with the needs of users, optimizing resources and identifying the needs of diverse users. The current research debuts a point for future researchers to use appropriate data mining functions and techniques for evaluation purposes in public libraries according to their specific needs.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between organizational citizenship behavior and job performance among public librarians in Ilam province.

The methodology applied for this research was descriptive and correlational in nature, with data collected through survey methods. Utilizing the organizational citizenship behavior questionnaire developed by Podsakoff et al. (1990) and the job performance questionnaire by Paterson (1970), the study focused on the librarians in Ilam province in 2023. With three predictor variables considered, a confidence level of 0.95, test power of 0.90, and G*Power software indicating a minimum required sample size of 99 individuals, a total of 103 participants were included in the analysis after accounting for an additional 5% sample volume.

The findings revealed significant relationships between altruism and civil virtue among librarians, as well as associations between respect for librarians and their job performance. However, no significant correlations were found between conscientiousness or chivalry and job performance.

In democratic systems, increasing attention is being placed on citizen participation. Active engagement from organizational members as good citizens is crucial for fostering positive behaviors within an organization. Recognizing organizational citizens as valuable resources, their behavior plays a key role in overall success. This study highlights the positive link between organizational citizenship behavior and librarian performance in Ilam province.

Value: 

This study adds to the existing literature by examining the impact of organizational citizenship behavior on librarian job performance and underscores the importance of this relationship in enhancing professional performance. The results can offer valuable insights for cultural officials, public library managers, and policymakers seeking to motivate library staff effectively.

A digital library is a collection of digital objects, such as books, magazines, audio recordings, video recordings, and other documents that are accessible electronically. Public libraries also use digital libraries in their activities to improve the quality of services. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of establishing the status of the digital library in Iran Public Libraries Foundation, based in Kerman city. The present survey research methods a descriptive-analytic, statistical population consisting of 62 members of managers and staff working in 9 the public libraries of Kerman city. Due to the limitation of the size of the community, Sampling has not been done and all the people were considered as statistical samples. Data was collected using a researcher-made checklist with confirmed structural and content validity. The checklist questions were prepared and organized according to the objectives of the research and by the basic questions. The validity of this checklist was confirmed through the opinion of the subject experts and the examination of the dimensions of the research components and compliance with similar texts and research. TOPSIS method has been used to check research hypotheses. As well as for the implementation of information architecture using similarity to ideal option (TOPSIS) among the public libraries of various attributes, including the city of Kerman (the skills of librarians, technical equipment and facilities available in the library, the library's budget situation and telecommunication infrastructure) were studied, so the weight of the rating criteria to the libraries on a five-step were explained. The results showed that the findings showed: Central National Library with a coefficient of 0.590 is close to the ideal coefficient in comparison with other libraries, and Yazdani Far Library is ranked ninth with a coefficient of 0.248. Strengthening digital technology, explaining the nature, function, advantages, and disadvantages of digital libraries, digital protection, and information security, user privacy protection, resource sharing methods, and educational programs are among the important issues in creating digital libraries. According to the results of the research, it was found that public libraries in kerman are not in a favorable situation in terms of telecommunication infrastructure, Therefore, it was suggested to provide the necessary infrastructure for the use of information technology. Teaching the use of related technologies, increasing the speed of the Internet, providing the necessary infrastructure, and providing the necessary equipment are among the suggestions of the research.Originality/value: Creating a digital library is very beneficial in the effective use of information resources. Paying attention to the essential infrastructures and basic components in the digitization of public libraries of Kerman for the use of information technology is one of the benefits of this research.

 The role of public libraries has changed and expanded compared to the past. Since the beginning of the new century, we have seen fundamental changes in the roles and services of public libraries, especially with emphasis on their social roles. Therefore, considering the expansion of the range of services of these libraries and their impact on society, this research aims to identify and analyze the community roles of public libraries.

 This research is practical in terms of its purpose, and the nature of the data is a qualitative type, performed with the systematic review technique and the application of the four-stage model of Okoli and Shabram (2010). To select the articles correctly in the second stage of the mentioned model, the process of selecting the articles of Silva (2015) was used. The statistical population was the texts were published in the Persian language between 1381 and 1401, and in English between 2002 and 2022. After searching the databases and retrieving 1819 articles, the articles were cleaned and screened. Finally, 201 articles related to the social roles of public libraries were selected.

 Studies related to the social roles of public libraries in the country, despite their importance, are nascent and have only been paid attention to in the last decade, so the lack of research in this field is evident. But this research abroad has met with more success among researchers, they have had a long history and much research has been carried out. The findings showed that public libraries have seven roles including 1. Promoting social justice, 2. Developing social capital, 3. Increasing social participation, 4. Promoting social resilience, 5. Community building, 6. Managing natural crises, and 7. Reducing deprivations and injuries. Social, they play in the community.

  The primary condition for success in fulfilling these roles is a complete and comprehensive understanding of the position of public libraries in the local social network. To achieve this goal, public libraries need to be aware of their societal conditions above all. By organizing activities that lead to creating a space for meeting, developing personal relationships, and communicating with members and different strata of society, public libraries present their new community roles and strengthen the position of the library as a reliable institution worthy of trust at the community level. They help by performing the roles mentioned in this research, public libraries can contribute to social development and be a positive factor in the change and evolution of society. In this way, libraries and their facilities, activities, and programs must take steps in line with the social, cultural, political, and economic needs of the communities to become a part of the community in the real sense. Therefore, they should play their role in this field and overcome the difficulties, with comprehensive measures and proper awareness and knowledge enhancement of the audience, as well as the use of human and educational resources to improve the quality of the citizens 'lives.

Although virtual services have been developed in libraries, they are still considered as third places as they provide facilities for community meetings and programs. The COVID-19 pandemic caused closure, delay and change in library services around the world. The news and statistics confirm that the total working hours of public libraries per week decreased compared to the pre-COVID-19 years; The number of in-person visits to these centers dropped; and the number of resources checked out declined. However, the pandemic caused a greater attention to electronic books and virtual services. Public libraries in the cities and villages of Iran were also content to rapid changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. For a considerable period of time, the libraries were closed for visits and in-person services in compliance with health protocols. Iran Public Libraries Foundation coordinated over 3000 libraries around the country by organizing the employees telecommuting, providing digital resources and encouraging the librarians to provide useful content on social media. The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic led the researchers to explore the various aspects of the spread of this disease on information services and library programs. A variety of topics have been investigated including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of digital resources, collection making priorities and budgeting, virtual reference services, health literacy etc.; However, despite the sinking of this pandemic, the research on COVID-19 impacts on libraries is still increasing. The current issue of the Journal of Research on Information Science and Public Libraries (RISPL) is dedicated to new studies conducted on the effects of Covid-19 pandemic on the public libraries in Iran. The participation of librarians in social networks and the analysis of the content produced by them, the factors affecting the audience's tendency to view and use the virtual pages of public libraries, the experiences of librarians in providing online and in person programs and services during the pandemic, the readiness of libraries and use of virtual platforms are the main topics of the articles published in this issue.

The spread of Corona and the closure of public libraries caused the activities of libraries to continue in the virtual space and librarians to seek to create content for their libraries. The library staff started providing content for their websites, weblogs and social media. The purpose of this research is to analyze the online content created by the librarians of public libraries affiliated with the Iran Public Libraries Foundation during the COVID-19 pandemic on Instagram in order to gain knowledge about their experiences.

The current research is descriptive and applied and was carried out using the documentary method, in which the pages of Iranian public libraries on Instagram were carefuly watched for their contents and topics. The research population included 2700 branched of public libraries affiliated to the Iran Public Libraries Foundation, from which a sample of 336 libraries was selected using Morganʼs table. The sample was categorized in a way to include representatives from 31 provinces. The data about posts, followers and subject tags was extracted and entered into the Excel software. For this purpose, the posts were separated according to the publication date of each post (before the COVID-19 pandemic, during the closure of libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic, and after the COVID-19 pandemic). In order to test the research hypotheses, the Pearson correlation coefficient and regression tests were used.

The results showed that the contents provided by the librarians on the official pages of Iranian public libraries mostly refer to four thematic classes: library workshops, training courses, announcements of the upcoming cultural-literary events, and news on calendar events. In case of the workshops, Tehran province had the highest number of posts (with 804 posts) and Qom province had the lowest number of posts (with 98 posts). For training courses, Tehran province showed the highest number of posts with 75 posts and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province showed the lowest number with 3 posts. In the case of announcements of cultural-literary events, Tehran province had the greatest number of posts with 112 posts, while the lowest number of posts belonged to East Azarbaijan province. In the case of calendar events, Tehran province has the highest number of posts with 121 posts, while Kurdistan province and Kahegiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad province had the lowest number with 11 posts. The results for Spearman test revealed a significant correlation between the degree and the number of followers, and the number of posts. There was also a significant relationship between the degree of library and the time lapse between the published posts.

Originality/value:

 The conditions of Corona and quarantine during the pandemic forced the librarians of public libraries to continue their activities and services such as lending, reference services, events on social networking platforms, particularly Instagram. The findings of the current research showed that smaller libraries have offered more and more diverse content on Instagram. It seems that there is a closer connection between the local communities and the librarians of smaller libraries, and the audience of these libraries is more interested in following their library pages, and this in turn can lead to more content and news related to libraries. The experience of online content creation during the Corona pandemic can be used to expand the range of offline services of libraries, manage crisis situations and motivate librarians to create content.

The main objective of this study was to investigate the role of Kermanshah public libraries in attracting users from the perspective of their clients.

This research utilized a quantitative survey method. The statistical population consisted of all members of public libraries in Kermanshah, totaling 12,197 individuals. The sample size was determined to be 372 members, selected through simple random sampling using Cochran's formula.

The findings indicated that the highest percentage of efforts made by libraries to attract users was through reserving and lending resources (41.3%). Conversely, the use of advertisements had the lowest percentage (2.02%). In terms of users' tendencies towards different book subjects, specialized books (27.7%), general information (22.6%), and fiction/poetry (20%) were the most preferred categories.

The study identified several factors that have contributed to a decrease in the number of library visitors, including a lack of suitable reading resources, inadequate facilities, an unappealing environment, and traditional library management practices.Value: This research provides valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of public libraries in Kermanshah when it comes to attracting users. This knowledge can aid library officials and trustees in identifying the information needs of their users.

The present study aims to study time management in updating information, and professional planning of knowledge and information science specialists in public libraries of Kerman province.
This survey research is an applied study. The statistical population includes all the employees of public libraries in Kerman province, numbering 82 people. The sample size was selected as 68 people based on Morgan's table and the stratified random sampling method. The study population was determined by the city, where from each, and based on the population the sample was selected. Two researcher-made questionnaires including time management and updating information were used to collect data. The time management questionnaire included 40 questions about the methods of monitoring and controlling time in performing professional activities. The updating information questionnaire was also designed including 15 questions regarding the up-to-date use of information sources, websites, media, databases, and access to specialized information. The face validity method was used to calculate the validity of the measurement tool. The reliability of the questionnaires was also evaluated using Cronbach's alpha test. The coefficients for time management and information updating questionnaires were determined as 0.845 and 0.948, respectively, which indicates the high reliability of the measurement tool. Data analysis has been carried out by SPSS software. Descriptive statistics were used, including mean and standard deviation as well as inferential statistics including Pearson-Spearman correlation coefficient and multivariate regression model.
The results showed that the correlation coefficients of the Pearson and Spearman tests between the two variables of time management and updating information are 0.412 and 0.318, respectively. As a result, there is a direct and meaningful relationship between staff time management and information updating in public libraries of Kerman province. Considering that the value of R2adj (adjusted R2) is equal to 0.174, therefore, the variance score confirms the updating of the information. Based on this, there is a significant linear relationship between goal setting, prioritization of goals and activities, operation planning, delegation of authority, management of communication and management of staff meetings, and updating of information. The multiple correlation coefficient is r=0.498, which shows the relationship between goal setting, prioritization of goals and activities, operation planning, delegation of authority, communication management and staff meeting management, and updating information. Considering that the significance level is equal to 0.006 and smaller than the α=0.05 level, therefore, this relationship is significant. Considering that the value of R2adj (adjusted R2) is equal to 0.174, then the variance score confirms the updating of the information.
The results showed that there is a direct relationship between employee time management and updating information in public libraries of Kerman province. The greater the ability of employees in time management, the greater their ability to update information and increase the quality of specialized work. In addition, there is a close relationship between planning operations by employees and updating information; That is, the more the employees plan operationally and objectively to deal with matters, the better they can update their information in specialized and general fields. Strong organization including delegation of authority and a suitable work environment is very important for managers to have effective time management and it is appropriate for managers to focus on beneficial activities. Therefore, it is suggested that library staff prioritize their goals according to their importance; allocate a specific time to plan and update their information; prepare short-term and long-term career goals; grade organizational goals; hold meetings at the right time; specify the start and finish of the work; specify the method of doing the work and have a specialized study program.

Today, in addition to their traditional role in accessing books, and providing a place for reading and other recreational and recreational purposes, public libraries are considered as spaces of society that also have important social roles and functions. This research was conducted with the aim of identifying and ranking cultural factors affecting the role of Iran's public libraries as community centers, and in order to provide a conceptual model in this field, based on Jürgen Habermas' theory of the public sphere.

This research is applied in terms of its purpose; In terms of data collection, survey; And in terms of the nature of the data, it is a mixed research of an exploratory type, which was carried out with a systematic approach of database theorizing. In the qualitative part, effective factors were identified by conducting 33 interviews and 2 focus groups (each group has 4 people and a total of 8 people). The validity of these factors was confirmed by using the content validity ratio (CVR) index, and their reliability was confirmed through the Fleiss' kappa coefficient test. In the quantitative part, the reliability of the tool was confirmed using a questionnaire consisting of 16 items and with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.91. Finally, factors were ranked by Shannon's entropy method.

The findings showed that three cultural factors, including local discourse, the arena of understanding and cultural diffusion, are effective in playing the role of public libraries as community centers. Meanwhile, the field of understanding is considered the most important factor and cultural diffusion has the least effect in this field. All factors had content validity higher than 0.33 and Kappa coefficient higher than 0.7, so all of them have the necessary validity and reliability. Finally, the conceptual model of the research was designed and drawn in six sections.

Jürgen Habermas' theory of the public sphere is one of the sociological theories, which is close to the goals and mission of public libraries. On the other hand, the culture factor is a fundamental factor for playing the role of public libraries as community centers. In this regard, many people may still think that public libraries are a place only for reading, but a review of the various actions and activities of public libraries shows that these places carry out various activities that advance the cultural development of societies. In this way, public libraries play a prominent role in carrying out cultural activities. In order to fulfill its role as a community center, public libraries need to promote the native discourse of the society, be a safe arena for free discussion and understanding of different sections of the society, and spread culture in local communities.

The aim of this study was to identify and prioritize the risks of Iranian public library services.

The present study was applied in terms of purpose and combined research in terms of method. In the present study, hyper-combined (qualitative) techniques, kappa coefficient calculation, and Delphi (quantitative) techniques were used. The scope of the research included all articles published in the period 1990 to 2020 in Persian and English. The statistical population is a meta-combination of all articles published between 1990 and 2020 that are indexed in various databases; Were examined. In the Delphi technique, the research community includes all specialists in the field of information science and knowledge, public libraries, management, and information technology who already have a history of cooperation with libraries; Was. To determine the exact number of people in the community, all researchers who have conducted research in the subject areas presented in the table above were identified. Then 24 subjects were selected by purposive sampling.

Based on published sources, 69 risks in 8 categories. According to experts, the most important challenge facing libraries that have received the highest score from Iranian experts is the loss of library content, inability to purchase new resources or disconnect library resources due to lack of funds, economic issues, censorship, virtualization, Sanctions, etc., which can be a major challenge for public libraries. Challenges of not promoting and encouraging cultural institutions to lead the community to public libraries and increase library competitors (search engines, databases, Internet cafes, etc.) in providing the information needed by customers (given that competitors can provide content in a more user-friendly way to customers Are also in second place and can pose a risk to public libraries.

Due to the rapid growth of information resources and the diversity of information resources, the library should choose several ways to retrieve the information needed by customers and using interlibrary loan methods, joint sharing of databases and the possibility of sending retrieved resources through Email responds to customers' information needs. Also, the method of selecting the resources of the public libraries of the country is centralized and the library does not have a direct influence on the selection of resources. Therefore, the way of selecting resources should be reviewed and the ways of choosing books by the target community should be expanded, that is, users should be able to choose the books they need through social networks, comments box and suggestions on the library website.

The main purpose of this research is a survey the gap between their expectations and perceived performance of SAMAN capabilities based on the expectation-confirmation theory.

This research is functional and the method of the survey is descriptive-analytical approach. Statistical study of this research is All 220 librarians working in public libraries in the province of Khorasan Razavi that use SAMAN software. The data collection tool is questionnaire. In order to access the reliability of the data collection tool, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used.

Findings showed that the gap between expectations and perceived performance is -0/415. Although, the results showed that there is little gap between expectations and perceived performance, but librarians expressed their satisfaction higher than average (3/519).

The overall result indicates that SAMAN designers should try to fill this gap by the consideration of librarians changing expectations in order to cause SAMAN capabilities more usefulness.

RFID is an acronym for “radio-frequency identification” and refers to a technology whereby digital data encoded in RFID tags or smart labels are captured by a reader via radio waves. Radio Frequency Identification(RFID) is one of the important technical tools for the detection of information resources in the library. This system provides fast and convenient access to resources, prevents theft, accelerates library services, and increases the efficiency of library activities. The aim of this research is to study the feasibility of using RFID in the libraries of Kerman. The research is survey-descriptive. Its statistical population consists of all managers and employees of 8 public libraries in Kerman. The tool of data collection is a researcher-made questionnaire, which was used to determine its validity, using the face validity method, and the mathematical expectation was 0.73, which is an acceptable value to confirm the validity of the questionnaire. In order to calculate its reliability, Cronbach's alpha was used which is 0.814, indicating the acceptable reliability of the questionnaire. Data analysis was done with inferential statistics tests, a prioritization index based on the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), and SPSS version 20 software. TOPSIS is a multi-criteria decision analysis method that compares a set of alternatives based on a predetermined criterion. The findings indicate that the ability to implement RFID in terms of infrastructure and technological tools in the public libraries of Kerman city is moderate. In terms of existing software, these libraries have the ability to implement RFID. Also, the human resources working in the public libraries of Kerman are moderately prepared for the implementation of RFID. In addition, at present, the technological infrastructure for the implementation of RFID does not seem to be sufficient. It is worthwhile that the selection of the software should be done carefully and studied sufficiently. It is necessary to use RFID in the public libraries of Kerman. The results show that the limitation in the implementation of RFID in the public libraries of Kerman city is mostly related to the expert manpower, budget, and technical issues. According to managers and librarians, it is necessary to carry out this process and take advantage of its facilities. The implementation of educational programs, mid-term and long-term planning, management interaction with library experts for better implementation, and using the capabilities of RFID in providing library services, such as lending, organizing, retrieving, and managing the collection, are among the suggestions of this research.

Considering the importance of individual, professional skills and specialized knowledge in librarians to improve information services for children and adolescents, it is necessary that groups of knowledge and information science for training and practitioners and officials of public libraries for pathology and foresight in the children and adolescents sector, plan and act. Gaining knowledge about the current situation of the skills of librarians in the children and adolescents section of public libraries and identifying their strengths and weaknesses provide the basis for further research. In addition, the librarians of these departments will realize their job sensitivity with a more complete understanding of these skills. Considering the emergence of technologies in libraries and the diverse and growing needs of the society and the importance of evaluating the skills of librarians in the children and adolescents section, the present study aims was to investigate the skills of librarians in the children and adolescents section of the public library of Qom, Markazi, Hamedan and Zanjan provinces.

The present research is an applied study which has been carried out using descriptive-survey research method. The statistical population of the study included 100 librarians working in the children and adolescents section of public libraries under the auspices of the General Directorate of Public Libraries of the five provinces of Zanjan, Hamedan, Arak and Qom and a stratified random sample was used. The collection tool in this research is a researcher-made questionnaire, in which the skills of librarians in the children and adolescents section are categorized based on 9 components in three personal, professional and technical fields. The reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was obtained using Cronbachʼs alpha 0/959. To analyze data, Excel 2016 and SPSS (version 20) were used, and descriptive statistical methods and Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Shapiro-Wilk and Wilcoxon tests were utilized.

The results indicate that the skills of interest and enthusiasm, communication, child psychology, familiarity with childrenʼs literature, collection making, information technology, management and service delivery are at a moderate (intermediate) level in these provinces. The skills of interest and enthusiasm with an average of 3/84, management with an average of 3/89 and service delivery with an average of 3/82 have been ranked first to third, respectively, and Zanjan with an average of 3/93, Arak with an average of 3/91 and Hamedan with an average of 3/61 are ranked first to third, respectively. IT skills have a significant relation with work experience, and the more work experience librarians have, the higher their level of IT skills are rated. The finding that information management and time management have a significant ralation with the education level indicates that librarians with higher education can have a better information and time management.

Originality/value:

 The present study was able to evaluate the skills of child and adolescent librarians in libraries in four provinces of Iran.

The aim of this study is to achieve a conceptual model for the transformation of Iranian public libraries into social centers, based on the theory of the public sphere of Jürgen Habermas.

The current research is applied in terms of purpose, survey in terms of the data collection method, and is a mixed-method study of exploratory type in terms of the nature of the data, which was conducted with a systematic approach to grounded theory. In the qualitative section, first, by conducting 33 interviews and 2 focus groups, effective factors were identified and extracted. The validity of these factors was proved through the content validity ratio (CVR) and their reliability was also proved by the Fleissʼ kappa coefficient test. In the quantitative part, the reliability of the tool was confirmed using a 117-item questionnaire with an average of 0.86. Finally, the factors were ranked using the Shannon entropy method.

The seven factors of human resources, construction and equipment, social, political, structural, cultural and economic have an effect on the transformation of public libraries into social centers, among which the cultural factor has the greatest effect and economic factor has the smallest effect. All factors had a content validity greater than 0/33 and a kappa coefficient greater than 0/7, and thus had the necessary validity and reliability. The conceptual model of the research was also drawn in six sections.

Originality/value:

 The public sphere theory is one of the famous theories of sociology. Although the standards in this theory are related to public libraries, it has received less attention in Iran. Public libraries can connect the government and with the nation through the components of the public sphere, and while informing people about government and governance decisions, those decisions can be challenged and decisions can be made in the public profitability. In this case, library is one of the factors responsible for the growth and prosperity of society. It also becomes a factor promoting general welfare in the society and establishing peace and tranquility.

The tacit knowledge transfer is an interactive process based on trust between the parties. Individual motivation seems to be effective in increasing staff's willingness to transfer tacit knowledge. Accordingly, the current research studied the effect of organizational trust and the mediating role of individual motivation on the willingness to transfer tacit knowledge among public library staff.

The current research is applied based on the purpose and descriptive in terms of the data collection method. The statistical population includes all the employees of the public libraries in Fars province in 2021 (350 people), which by Cochran's formula, 142 people were selected as the statistical sample. To collect data, Fuller (2018)'s Organizational Trust Questionnaire and Individual Motivation Questionnaire were used. In order to investigate the effect of organizational trust on individual motivation and tacit knowledge transfer, confirmatory factor analysis and partial least squares technique have been used. The software used for data analysis are SPSS and PLS software.

The results show that the effect of organizational trust on the desire to transfer tacit knowledge is 0.390. The effect of organizational trust on personal motivation of employees is 0.798 and the effect of individual motivation of employees on the desire to transfer tacit knowledge is 0.437. Therefore, organizational trust and individual motivation have a direct positive and significant effect on the desire to transfer tacit knowledge of employees. But the indirect effect of organizational trust on the tendency to transfer tacit knowledge due to individual motivation is 0.349, which has decreased compared to the direct state.These results show that employees' individual motivation has a moderate effect of organizational trust on the desire to transfer tacit knowledge.

Although organizational trust and individual motivation each have a direct positive and significant effect on the desire to transfer tacit knowledge of public library staff, the mediating role of individual motivation has not increased the effect of organizational trust on the desire to transfer tacit knowledge. Therefore, individual motivation cannot be considered as an effective mediating variable in the process of effective tacit knowledge transfer.