نشریه مطالعات کتابداری و سازماندهی اطلاعات
سال بیست و چهارم شماره 1 (پیاپی 93، بهار 1392)

The model of internal evaluation for assessing factors and indicators affecting quality in the Library and Information Science Department of Tarbiat Moallem University of Tehran has been employed in this research. Methodology/Approach: This research is descriptive and evaluative. The studied population includes faculty members، heads of departments، students، alumni، employers of alumni، and library officials. The data have been used in four subpopulations without sampling، including faculty members، students، department head، and library officials and two subpopulations with convenience sampling i. e. alumni and employers. The data collection tools were questionnaires، interviews and a checklist which had been prepared based on 7 factors، 40 criteria، and 124 indicators. The Quality of the studied department was analyzed using descriptive analytic methods. The incomes section، with an average of 2. 25، is in a relatively favorable condition، the processes part، with an average of 2. 40، is in a favorable condition and the outcomes section، with an average of 2، is in a relatively favorable condition. The group is generally in a relatively favorable condition. This study، in line with other studies and specialized texts، confirmed that using the internal evaluation model، due to its comprehensive look at the factors affecting academic departments and the collaboration of faculty members in the process of evaluation، can show the aspects of the quality of the academic system and it can lead to an increase in the feeling of responsibility of the faculty members towards evaluation and improving quality and become a basis for strategic and functional planning of the department. Based on the results، applied and research suggestions have been proposed for improving the quality of departments.

The aim of this research is to develop a model for core competencies of students of library and information science at a general level and to evaluate the extent to which undergraduate students of library and information science at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad have the intended core competencies. Methodology/Approach: The current research is theoretical-applied and the research methodology is record-based، analytical and survey-based. The research population includes all undergraduate students of Library and Information science at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad who studied at this university during 2010-2011. The core competency model studied in this research consisted of twelve core competencies. The findings of the research showed that in all cases، 8th semester students had a better condition in comparison with 2nd semester students and the difference between them is significant. Training had been effective in improving the level of core competencies through different semesters. Finally، it was proposed to design a syllabus based on the double helix model and to take into consideration the competencies in two levels، i. e. general and specialized، as a basis for educational planning in undergraduate level of library and information science.

Determining the most frequently used references، the most cited author، core interpretations about the poems book، and the formats of the resources cited in books about Hafez. Methodology/Approach: Citation analysis. The average citation to resources was a little more than 11 documents. The resources were divided into three groups i. e. poem books، non-poem books and papers. The findings show that the «Discussion about the works، thoughts and life of Hafez» book is the most highly-cited resource and this book is in the group of non-poem books. The «Divan of Hafez» based on the Mohammad Ghazvini and Ghasem Ghani copy is the mostly cited book in the poem books group. In the papers group، the «Hafezology» paper of Saeed Niaz Kermani has the highest number of citations. Among the authors، Baha''odin khoramshahi is cited most and after him، with a large difference، Ghasem Ghasem Ghani، Abdolhossein Zarrinkoob and Parviz Natel Khanlari and Mohammad Moein have the highest number of citations. In the end، a table introducing 34 highly cited interpretations is provided. Hafeznameh (Khoramshahi)، Az Koocheh Rendan (Zarrinkoob)، Hafez-e Shirin Sokhan (Mohammad Moein)، Sharh-e Sudi (Mohammad Sudi) and Ayene-ye Jaam (Zaryab Khouei) are in the top of the table. The conclusions of the research do not show a desirable condition for citation in Hafez books. Almost 20 percent of the books have not cited any books. If we add the books that do not have a references section and references that have been acquired from other parts of the book like the text، footnote، and initial pages، this will reach to 40 percent. In fact only 60 percent of the studied books have a references section. Such a research on other subjects in Persian texts will probably not return very different results. Anyway، there is a high need for attending to such an issue i. e. lack of using the works of ancestors when writing.

Satisfied customers of a library might not return to that library due to reasons such as seeking diversity or the advertisement of competitors. However، the returning of these customers is the ultimate goal of any service organization. Specialists in the field of marketing consider the loyalty of customers to the services as the solution to this problem. In one part، this paper discusses the importance and necessity for the loyalty of costumers and in another، it investigates the role of social media in increasing the loyalty of costumers to libraries. Methodology/Approach: Literature review. The loyalty of library costumers is necessary in this era. To this end، there must be some programs in libraries for improving the loyalty of costumers. One of the free and accessible tools is social media. Social media can improve the loyalty of costumers by increasing direct and bidirectional interactions، personalizing services and using face-to-face marketing techniques. Libraries، alike other service organizations، must run customer loyalty programs and it is very simplistic to suppose that satisfied customers will come back and unsatisfied customers will not. Using the capabilities and capacities of social media can play an important role in this issue. In the informal environment of social media، dissatisfaction، as well as satisfaction may spread rapidly and this may threat the reputation of a library.

This study introduces the methods and indicators proposed for evaluating digital libraries. Methodology/Approach: Study and analysis of published text. Various approaches have been proposed for the evaluation of digital libraries. Indicators and criteria such as usability، accessibility، maintainability، validity، accuracy، proportionality، searchability، and usefulness have been common in the literature. Human-computer interactions، the function of information retrieval system، and digital technologies have been adapted from the criteria for evaluating traditional libraries. Findings/ Digital libraries are technically، organizationally، and socially complex systems and no model can simply take into consideration all of these aspects. Therefore، based on various aims، different models and methods are used.

This research studies the extent to which graduate students at Shiraz University use the mentioned databases and the problems that they have in this regard. Methodology/Approach: The research population consists of higher education students of Shiraz University among which a sample of 360 students were selected through random sampling. The data collection tool was a questionnaire. Its validity and reliability (α=0. 902) have been verified. The higher education students of Shiraz University frequently use online full text databases. Students mostly use ScienceDirect and Elsevier databases. Students mostly use online databases for doing their thesis and coursework and for writing and translating books and papers. Since the most important reason for not using the mentioned databases by students is that they are not familiar with them، ongoing educational programs must be planned for this matter. On the other hand، information and communication infrastructures must be developed for providing services related to the databases outside the university.

It is obvious that the familiarity and proper understanding of management models، including the excellence model of the European Foundation of Quality Management، their goals، roles and functions in libraries can solve many of the management problems in university libraries. This model is a collection of methods and tools used for evaluating organizations and moving towards organizational excellence. Methodology/Approach: The present research is a comparative survey. The research population includes all the managers and officials working in central libraries of the University of Tabriz and Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (22 participants). The data collection tool was a questionnaire approved by the European Foundation of Quality Management. Cronbach''s alpha coefficient was used to assess the reliability (α=0. 97). In order to analyze the findings of the research، descriptive statistics (frequency، percentage، and mean) was used to describe the existing status، and inferential statistics (independent t-test) was used to study the significance of the difference between the criteria of the model of organizational excellence in central libraries of studied libraries. Findings show that the quality of management in the central library of the University of Tabriz is in an average level، having 546. 45 points out of 1000 of the organizational excellence model، and in it the empowerment field has 285. 03 points and the results fields has 260. 41 points. The highest point is for “partnerships and resources” and the least point is for “policy and strategy”. On the other hand، the central library of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences has gained 446. 07 points and in it the empowerment field has 240. 36 points and the results field has 205. 71 points. The “partnership and resources” criterion has the highest point in this university and “results of human resources” criterion has the lowest point. Using the EFQM model has led to the identification of the strengths and weaknesses in 9 management fields of central libraries of University of Tabriz and Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Finally، the weak points were studied as fields for improvement.

The aim of this research is to identify the factors and components affecting the views of students and alumni of the Ph. D. level of library and information science about the job opportunities of this field. Methodology/Approach: The methodology of this research is combinatory. In its quantitative part، a questionnaire has been used and in its qualitative part interviews were employed. The studied population consists of Ph. D. students and alumni who studied in governmental and private universities during 2009-2011 or have graduated recently. Among the 120 members of this group، 62 responded to the electronic questionnaire and 15 participated in the telephone interview. In the quantitative part، the data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire and they were analyzed using analytic statistics. Later in the quantitative part، the required data were collected through interview with a qualitative approach. The findings of this research show that among the factors affecting success in finding an appropriate job، the studied group gave the highest scores to educational background، computer skills، research skills، good command of English، and communicative skills respectively. After these factors، the students considered thesis subject and the fame of their supervisors and advisors to be important. Analysis of the interviews also show that in addition to the mentioned factors، the students mention other variables such as personal interests، professional skills، geographical location of the place of employment، keeping up with the news of the job market، the reputation of the student’s university، internship and practical skills، and the ability to communicate with experts of other fields. From the viewpoint of the studied population، the most important obstacles to employment are: lack of meritocracy، lack of social acceptability، employment of non-expert staff، lack of transparency in the employment process، unprofessional interviews in employment exams، and lack of proportion between admitting students into universities and the job market. The students and alumni of this field of study hope to find better job opportunities due to the merits that they have gained in the Ph. D. level. However، they are concerned about the small and large obstacles that may stop them from reaching the position where they deserve.

The aim of this research is to determine the patterns of collaboration and analyze the co-authorship networks of Sharif University of Technology during 2005-2010. Methodology/Approach: This research was carried out through scientometrics approach. The research population includes the publications of Sharif University of Technology indexed in the Web of Science website during 2005-2010. The number of publications of Sharif University of Technology had generally increased during 2005-2010، however، there were some fluctuations in this upward trend. The growth rate of publications in these five years was 10. 38. Among 1017 different universities and institutions، five universities had the highest amount of collaboration with Sharif University of Technology in terms of the number of papers and two indicators i. e. LCS and GCS. The findings also showed that institutional and inter-institutional collaborations were at the highest level while international collaboration was at the lowest level. The number of publications with a single author is decreasing and publications with two or more authors are constantly increasing. In the analysis of co-authorship networks، applied physics and civil engineering have the highest number of lines and nodes among 25 subjects. The results indicated that three subjects، i. e. analytical chemistry، polymer science، and organic chemistry have the highest density and compression or cohesion among the subjects. Organic chemistry، physical chemistry and plasma physics rank highest based on the peak indicator. Co-authored publications are increasing in Sharif University of Technology and collaboration in authorship is in an acceptable level in this university. The highest amounts of cooperation in the field of science are in chemistry، physics and mathematics; in the field of engineering، civil and petroleum engineering rank highest.

This research aims to analyze and compare the viewpoint of users and librarians of the National Library of Iran about the quality of information services in this library. Methodology/Approach: In terms of its goal and type، this research is applied، and in terms of its data collection method، it is a survey study. From the viewpoint of the staff، the staff and the quality of the resources had only met the minimum expectations of the library users. The quality of the library environment in a real level (existing) was higher than the lowest expectations of the users. From the viewpoint of the users، the library staff had not been successful in satisfying their expectations. The quality of the library resources in its current state is lower than the least expectations of the users. The National Library is in a better state in terms of the location and environment dimensions than the effectiveness of services and information control. There is a significant difference between the viewpoint of the two studied groups in minimum and maximum levels. From the users’ viewpoint، the library had not been successful in meeting even their minimum expectations and it is very far from reaching the desired status.