Purpose-There are many challenges in the development of a digital library (DL) and their complexity can be approached effectively with a maturity model. In a maturity model, the features of a phenomenon are divided into different levels and at each level, they are first improved before going on to the improvement or realization of the next level. The purpose of this study is to design a digital library maturity model (DLMM) in Iran. Design/methodology/approach-The DLMM was designed using a qualitative approach, metasynthesis and the Delphi technique. First, the maturity features of a DL were identified by assessing 68 sources of study concerning DLs and maturity models using meta-synthesis. The maturity features were then validated by experts using the three-round Delphi technique. Finally, the experts were asked to categorize these features into the five levels of the capability maturity model (CMM) as the base model. Findings-By analyzing these sources, three categories, seven concepts and 35 codes for the maturity features of a DL were identified. The majority of previous studies focused on the use of hardware/software systems as the backup and empowerment of DLs and the concept of DL content. The maturity features were then validated by experts using the three-round Delphi technique. Like the base model, DLMM has five levels, and most features were categorized into the third and fourth levels by the experts. Features such as human resources, needs assessment of DL and readiness to create a DL were included in the second level. Originality/value-This work adds the concept of the maturity model to the literature of DLs.
PurposeThis paper aims to present the results of a study on success factors of resource sharing (RS) and cooperation in Iranian Academic Libraries (IAL), from the point‐of‐view of librarians who have direct experience of such activities. It investigates and compares the librarians' experiences of, and opinions on, the importance of the success factors in the current and desirable situations in the IALs.Design/methodology/approachBased on a comprehensive review of the relevant literature, 58 success factors of RS were identified from the previous studies. Using Likert scale technique, the importance of the factors in the current and desired situations of the RS programs were explored and ranked, based on the experiences and opinions of a sample of “key informants” who had direct experience of RS activities in the context of IALs. Then the consistency and/or inconsistency between the current and desired situations of the success factors were identified, using gap analysis method.FindingsThe findings revealed that almost all of the success factors mentioned in previous studies are considered important by the respondents. However, only eight factors received high rankings in the current and desired situations of the RS programs in the IALs.Research limitations/implicationsThe research focuses on factors identified in previous studies. This may ignore certain, especially cultural, factors, which are effective in the context of IALs.Practical implicationsThe study highlights the importance of success factors in development or improvement of any RS activity. The factors would provide both researchers and practitioners with a rich framework to examine the current situation of their RS programs and develop informed strategic plans to improve that. In particular, the findings inform the RS planners and policy makers that particular attention needs to be given to the factors that are identified as very important by the study participants. These factors would alert them to the causes and impacts of such a deficiency in the RS and library cooperation systems.Originality/valueThere is no comprehensive study on the success factors of RS in libraries and, as such, no investigation of the factors in some real‐life contexts of RS activities. Both researchers and practitioners in the field of RS may value the novelty and results of this study.
PurposeThis study identifies factors affecting brand building for academic libraries affiliated with the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT) in Iran.Design/methodology/approachThis research applied the grounded theory method based on the three open, axial and selective coding steps (Strauss and Corbin, 1998). The research tool was interviews conducted with 20 experts in librarianship, marketing and branding.FindingsLibrary building architecture, library information resources and services, librarians' branding, marketing activities and library management are the causal conditions affecting brand building. The national economic situation, the digital publishing situation in the country and different characteristics of the new library community are the intervening conditions affecting brand building. The role of other libraries in society in the scientific education of the new generation provides contextual conditions for brand building. The higher education system and the library parent organization play a part in the operative actions/interactions for brand building. The consequences of brand building are brand image development, brand excellence and brand behavioral loyalty for libraries. Library brand identity is also a core category in brand building.Originality/valueFacing steep challenges by emergent services, academic libraries are ill-prepared to meet the needs of the new information society solely with traditional services and functions. Academic libraries are required to rebrand themselves to be more successful at delivering a strong performance within a changing information environment by enhancing their brand image and establishing a more effective relationship with users.
Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to design a conceptual model for the scholarly communication system in the Iranian Research Institute for Scientific Information and Documentation (IranDoc). Design/methodology/approach -Some models have been developed to describe the scholarly communication process in different contexts but few considered this process from the organizational point of view. In the model, the organizational structure of scientific communication in IranDoc was considered. This model has four levels:, e.g. person-to-persons (P2P) scientific communication, person-to-organizations (P2O) scientific communication, organization-to-organizations (O2O) scientific communication, and organization-to-persons (O2P) scientific communication.Findings -A conceptual model for scholarly communication within IranDoc is designed. Scientific and research institutions can establish their scholarly communication system by customizing the model. Research limitations/implications -The model is fairly conceptual and does not refer to technological aspects of the system. The implementation implications of the model are also not considered, so it could not be used directly in action. As it has been developed specifically for IranDoc, it may need some revisions to be used in other contexts. Originality/value -Compared to the earlier models, the main differences and innovations in the model are: its organizational structure; detailed functions of the organizational scholarly-communication; researcher based approach of the model; and different and new levels of the model analysis. This model can be applied in research institutions and generalized to those institutions in which information plays an important role.
The purpose of this review is to explore factors affecting brand building in libraries. Based on the nine steps of the National Health Service (NHS) center for reviews and dissemination, articles on the subject of library branding were searched in nine Iranian databases and seven international databases. The search period includes all date range of databases until 7–22 January 2021. The results were assessed for quality and 44 English articles and 3 Persian articles were selected for further analysis. Factors in promoting libraries brand building fall five categories. They include library architecture, library information resources and services, librarians’ personal branding, marketing, and library management. Inhibiting factors in libraries brand building have two final categories including internal and external inhibiting factors to brand building. Internal inhibitors covered branding costs, lead-time for branding, effort for branding and its management, the difficulty of strategic brand planning, and library staff unpreparedness. External inhibitors covered the difficulties of branding in the digital age and the economic situation of the country. If libraries manage their brand and move toward rebranding in line with the new information environment, they will be able to survive in today’s competitive world and build their true value in relationship with users.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.