Categories, Components, and Items of Platform Thinking for Development and Effectiveness of Public Library Services

Social institutions, including public libraries, in connection with their duties and response to the growing changes in society, always aim to provide a platform for sharing experiences and social knowledge. This research seeks to identify important categories and components and items in platform thinking for the effectiveness of public library services from the perspective of experts so that it can be used as a model for implementing platform thinking effectively in public libraries.

Delphi and panel formation method were employed. ‌‌ Panel participants were 15 LIS experts and public library professionals. A questionnaire based on the review of the literature was designed and‌ validited. Feedbacks from two rounds of the Delphi inqury resulted in developing categories, components, and items required for platform thinking for the development of Hosseinieh Ershad Public Library services were identified.

The results showed that from the experts' point of view, what categories, components and items are important in shaping public library services based on the platform thinking model. A good increase in averages, so that only one component is below ninety percent and the other is above ninety percent, is an important point. Such a high percentage of agreement indicates the good attitude of experts towards each component and their suitability for inclusion in the research and the final questionnaire. The scores of the second round showed that the experts agreed with the changes. The results showed that the components of the model were closer to their views and the division of this round caused the experts to look at these components more positively and in their views were closer to each other than the first round.

According to the obtained results, all categories, components and items required for role-playing as a platform, with an average score of 875%, which is very close, were approved by experts. After analyzing the data in two Delphi rounds, the main topics were categorized and in its sub-category, the components were divided and the examples of the initial questionnaire were separated and a number of items were compiled under each component and the possibility of using categories and components in drawing thinking model. A platform was created. Finally, 6 categories, 17 components and 89 items of platform thinking model for the development and effectiveness of public library services were identified, which can be evidence of greater validity for drawing the model and its greater equality with the views of experts, and can be used as a basis for designing platform thinking model.