Comparing the Effectiveness of the Public Libraries of Iran Public Libraries Foundation and Art and Culture Organization of Tehran Municipality

The purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of the public libraries of Iran Public Libraries Foundation and those of Art and Culture Organization of Tehran Municipality. This study also evaluated the present situation of these libraries and has been compared them with the standards of public libraries.

This research is an applied survey and had mixed data collection method. A questionnaire was used for measuring the effectiveness of the libraries and a check list was used for evaluating their present situation.

Research findings showed that the effectiveness of public libraries of Iran Public Libraries Foundation is more than municipal libraries. In the former, there is a positive significant correlation between library collection and the average of library effectiveness. Also, there is a positive significant correlation between the educational degree of managers and the average of effectiveness in staff and resources, while in municipal libraries, there is a positive significant correlation between educational degree of managers and staff effectiveness. There is a positive significant correlation between the number of professional liberians and effectiveness of these libraries. In municipal libraries, there is a positive significant correlation between computers of members and employees and dimensions of staff effectiveness.

Considering the role of public libraries in cultural and social development and multiplicity in the management of these libraries in the country, it is necessary to measure the effectiveness of these libraries for evaluating their performance, because the main reason for measuring effectiveness is getting closer to the ultimate goal of each library.