The Influence of Librarian's Individual Characteristics on the Acceptance of Information Technology: A Case Study of Namayeh Library Management Software

This study aims to investigate the influence of individual's characteristics on the acceptance of Namaye library management software by librarians in Tehran public libraries. This is an analytical survey project. The research population consists of all of the 131 librarians and the head of public libraries affiliated with the Public Libraries Foundation, in Tehran. Data was collected using questionnaire, and analyzed using both descriptive and analytic statistical methods in SPSS. The findings demonstrate that the demographic characteristics of librarians and their work experience do not have a significant impact on their acceptance of this technology. In addition, the librarians’ willingness to continue using the software appears to be moderate which significantly affects their acceptance of the software. According to the findings, librarians who are 50 to 60 years old; those who have more than 26 years of work experience; those who have bachelors degree qualification; and those who are educated in fields other than LIS, showed the highest acceptance rate for this technology. Originality / value: Library software packages have been used in Iran public libraries for more than a decade, but so far no study has been performed to investigate the effect of individual's characteristics on the acceptance or rejection of these technologies. This study can provide new and useful results for planners, managers and the staff of public libraries that will help them to make the right decisions on modifying, upgrading, continuing, terminating or replacing alternative technologies. It can also help them to understand how to select the most appropriate staff for their libraries and how to train these staff.