Payam Hanafizadeh; Alihosein Noorafrooz
Abstract
Purpose - Activities of academic libraries, like other areas and fields, have been greatly influenced by new technologies. Thus, libraries need to be at a suitable level of e-readiness to offer effective services according to the present era. This research aims to develop a primary conceptual model for ...
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Purpose - Activities of academic libraries, like other areas and fields, have been greatly influenced by new technologies. Thus, libraries need to be at a suitable level of e-readiness to offer effective services according to the present era. This research aims to develop a primary conceptual model for evaluating the e-readiness of academic libraries.
Methodology - Documentary library researching and analytical surveying were the methods used in this study. Initially, through in-depth study of e-readiness literature, as well as information and communication technology in libraries and information centers, suitable indicators for assessing the e-readiness of university libraries were identified and extracted. Then, these indicators were limited to 66 indicators with several stages of refinement and correction. At the next stage, these suggested indicators were classified in next levels and components (main areas and sub-areas). The data gathering tool was a researcher-made questionnaire that used experts' opinions for the importance of the indicators and their weighting. In order to ensure the validity of the instrument, structural equation models (confirmatory factor analysis) were used.
Findings - The model of evaluating the e-readiness of academic libraries includes 4 dimensions, 12 components, and 64 indicators, which were developed based on the research literature and expert opinion. The proposed model was launched as a case study for evaluating the electronic readiness of the libraries of one of the largest Iranian universities (Allameh Tabataba'i University). The analytical report of the digital gap in these libraries is also presented.
Originality – An e-readiness literature review revealed that there is no comprehensive model with various dimensions for evaluating the electronic readiness of academic libraries and determining their digital gap. Therefore, developing such a model is the result of the present study. Determining the digital gap through this model makes it possible to discover the reasons for this gap, and also to plan for developing and enhancing the indicators of e-readiness in academic libraries.
