Information and Knowledge Management
saleh rahimi; Hasti Sedighi; Mahmoud Moradi
Abstract
he purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between information literacy with organizational creativity and job performance of public librarians in Kermanshah province.This research has been done by descriptive-correlation method. The statistical population of this study consists of ...
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he purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between information literacy with organizational creativity and job performance of public librarians in Kermanshah province.This research has been done by descriptive-correlation method. The statistical population of this study consists of all librarians of public libraries in Kermanshah province (170 persons). Based on Cochran formula, 118 individuals were selected as sample. The sampling method used was stratified random sampling. Three standard questionnaires were used to collect data: Qasemi Information Literacy (2007), Dorabaji et al (1998) and Paterson Job Performance (1970). The reliability of the questionnaires was calculated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and was 0.81, 0.93 and 0.97, respectively, indicating that the questionnaires have a good reliability. Descriptive indices, Pearson correlation coefficient and Sobel test were used to analyze the data and test the research hypotheses.The results showed that librarians who are more creative and high performing, have more information literacy, and can achieve higher goals. Therefore, it can be said that increasing information literacy among librarians makes them more creative and enhances their job performance and consequently improves the performance of public libraries.Based on the results,it can be said that increasing information literacy among librarians makes them more creative and enhances their job performance and consequently improves the performance of public libraries. As a result, Kermanshah Public Library Managers can improve the information literacy of librarians, Enhance their organizational creativity and career performance and improve the performance of their public libraries under their management.
mahnaz namdari; mahmoud moradi; saleh rahimi
Abstract
IntroductionAt the present time, the advancement of technology in every field has accelerated to such an extent that its effects are evident everywhere, so people do not use previous methods to meet their needs. It is in this situation that institutions, organizations, bodies, etc., must change in order ...
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IntroductionAt the present time, the advancement of technology in every field has accelerated to such an extent that its effects are evident everywhere, so people do not use previous methods to meet their needs. It is in this situation that institutions, organizations, bodies, etc., must change in order to maintain their survival and be present in the competition scene, otherwise, they will face challenges. Libraries are among these organizations. If libraries want to move forward with changes and developments and continue their development and evolution, they must have a plan. One of the plans that are proposed in libraries, especially in university libraries, is "strategic planning", having a strategic plan that has a specific time frame, a set of processes or should include special components appropriate for each library, examine the external environment and give a better understanding of the current and future state of the library and create a competitive advantage (Bayat and Esfandiari Moghadam, 2014, p. 85). The strategic planning process in this research is considered based on Bryson's authentic model (2013), the components that Bryson considered for this process in the book Strategic Planning in Government, Public and Non-Profit Organizations include: 1) initial agreement, 2) determining organizational tasks, 3) analyzing stakeholders, 4) mission, 5) understanding the organizational environment, 6) determining strategic issues, 7) determining strategy, 8) describing plans and actions, 9) vision of the organization and 10) operational plan. David (2013) believes that information is updated from moment to moment, as a result, information collection, analysis, and sending and receiving this information affects strategic decisions. It should be noted that information is effective in strategic planning if it is obtained from scientific research and research results and has scientific support in general. The main question of the research is how to rely on evidence-based librarianship with the components of 1) asking/formulating a detailed question in one of the subject areas of librarianship, 2) obtaining/finding the most appropriate evidence, 3) evaluating 4) applying and 5) evaluating the results, to strategic planning with the components of 1) initial agreement, 2) determining organizational tasks, 3) stakeholder analysis, 4) mission, 5) understanding the organizational environment, 6) determining strategic issues, 7) determining the strategy, 8) describing plans and actions, 9) vision of the organization and 10) operational plan helped. According to the purpose, the current research aims to answer the following questions:To what extent is the state of strategic planning of university libraries in Kermanshah based on strategic planning components?To what extent is the awareness of evidence-based librarianship among managers and librarians of university libraries in Kermanshah based on the components of evidence-based librarianship?What is the relationship between strategic planning and evidence-based librarianship components from the point of view of university library managers and librarians? Literature ReviewAccording to the definitions of Elsan and Eddy (1982, p. 4), strategic planning is "a systematic effort, in order to make decisions and carry out fundamental activities that shape the nature and how and why of the organization's actions" in ideally, strategic planning requires gathering extensive and effective information, defining the organization's mission as well as strategic issues, and finally carefully examining various solutions to achieve organizational goals and the future results of current decisions (Bryson, 2010, p. 19). Alphabet of strategic planningA: Where are we?B: Where do we want to be?A: How to reach the destination Planning in the library is not a new phenomenon. The expansion of the use of strategic planning in libraries and the desired results were among the factors that led library managers to strategic planning. Strategic planning in a general perspective leads to the development of understanding and awareness of how the library participates in the development of society. The concept of evidence-based librarianship Evidence-based librarianship means the optimal use of existing research findings in compiling and revising the professional activities of librarians and information specialists. Evidence-based librarianship, with a history of ten years, is considered a relatively new approach in this field, based on which librarians first collect and interpret scientific findings and then create the necessary context for integrating new knowledge to provide their own professional activities. (Mansourian, 2019) Since the idea of evidence-based librarianship was first proposed, its proponents have tried to develop a conceptual framework, principles, and steps for it that would help information professionals understand it and enable them to combine it with their professional performance (Lerdal, 2002). Evidence-based librarianship provides a self-correcting framework in such a way that until new information becomes available, it suggests new directions or methods, Cromley and Kofogianakis (2006).
MethodologyThe present study was descriptive and conducted in a survey method. The statistical population of this study is librarians of Kermanshah University Libraries, which is a total of 63 people. Due to the limited number of people in the statistical population, therefore, sampling has been considered in the research. The data collection tools were two researcher-made questionnaires, strategic planning, and evidence-based librarianship.
ConclusionUniversity libraries perform poorly in terms of implementing strategic planning and using evidence-based librarianship, so it seems that they still follow the previous routine in managing library affairs and providing services.Evidence-based librarianship with an approach to seeking information and expanding knowledge and having a detailed and regulated framework in five stages of formulating questions, obtaining evidence, evaluating evidence, using evidence, and evaluating the effectiveness of the operational plan, has a high capacity in implementing the process. It has strategic planning. Evidence-based librarianship by understanding and recognizing the need and formulating the question in the first stage, extracting valid evidence and finally creating opportunities in the second stage, prioritizing refereed sources in the third stage, and providing a solution with scientific support in the fourth stage, and by examining the effects of the decisions taken in the fifth stage, respectively, leads to transparency and understanding of the problem, to smoothing the detailed information about the problem in question and creating a strategy, to evaluating the strategy and achieving an effective strategy, not sacrificing time and resources in wrong decisions, increasing awareness and knowledge regarding the effectiveness of a strategy, and will be effective in strategic planning. The process of strategic planning in order to identify issues, determine goals, adopt strategies, and predict results requires approaches to gather information, critical analysis, and organization of information, so evidence-based librarianship with accumulated knowledge can be the focus of strategic planning. In other words, evidence-based librarianship acts as a tool in providing detailed information related to the subject for strategic planning, and the effectiveness of this information is to be placed in the framework of the evidence-based librarianship approach. In this way, the information produced in evidence-based librarianship will play a decisive role in strategic planning.
Mahmoud Moradi; Saleh Rahimi; Forozan Karami
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this research is to determine the amount of electronic and printed resources and its effective factors among students of Razi and Azad University of Kermanshah.Methodology: This research is applied in terms of its purpose and in terms of survey method. The data gathering tool ...
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Purpose: The purpose of this research is to determine the amount of electronic and printed resources and its effective factors among students of Razi and Azad University of Kermanshah.Methodology: This research is applied in terms of its purpose and in terms of survey method. The data gathering tool is a questionnaire. The statistical population is the students of Razi and Azad University of Kermanshah in the academic year 1995-96, of which 35014 people and the sample number are estimated using 380 Cochran formulas. A stratified random sampling method was used for sampling, and descriptive statistics mean, standard deviation, and inferential statistics, variance, and ANOVA were used. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21 software.Findings: The results of the study showed that 63.45% of the students used electronic resources and 36.55% of printed materials. Among the sources of electronic sources, the databases with the highest of 92.6 percent and the rate of use of electronic resources are very high, and print resources are moderately evaluated. The extent to which information needs are met by databases with an average of 4.66 at the highest level and the websites with the average of 2.37 have the lowest level of satisfying the information needs of the students. Access to information in the shortest time (4 / 88%), the most important inducing factor, and destructive effects on the eyes and brain (58.9%), were the main inhibitor of using electronic resources. Correct and valid information (62.1%), the most important factor provoking, and the time consuming process of search and lending (61.8%), were the main deterrent to using print resources.Conclusion: The results of the research showed that, while using electronic resources due to their advantages, they are more than printed sources, but print resources are still used remarkably, so electronic resources can not be obtained. They are completely replaced by print sources, but used as complementary material.