Investigation of Golestan University of Medical Sciences libraries compared to the standard of Iranian academic libraries

Evaluation of academic libraries is an important step towards discovering their weak points and improving their efficiency. This study aimed to evaluate Golestan University of Medical Sciences libraries compared to the standard of Iranian academic libraries.
This applied study was conducted by comparative survey method in Golestan University of Medical Sciences in 2015. The study population included 5 libraries of Golestan University of Medical Sciences. The study data were gathered using a researcher-made questionnaire that was extracted from standard of Iran’s academic libraries. The validity of the questionnaire was approved by the faculty members and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha of 0.78. After all, the data were presented through tables and graphs using Excel software.
The findings of this study showed that the libraries of Golestan University of Medical Sciences contained 46826 resources, comprising 8.75% of the required standard resources. Besides, 12 human workforce worked in these libraries none of whom was professional in this field. Moreover, the study libraries were matched with the standard of Iran’s academic libraries regarding resources by 8.75%, human workforce by 31%, and space by 54%.
The study libraries were not appropriately matched with the standard of Iran’s academic libraries. This can be improved by creation of a central academic library, renewal of the organizational structure according to the standard of academic libraries, and employment of professional workforce.
Keywords: Standard, Academic libraries