Associate Prof. of Knowledge and Information Science, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran , s.rahimi@razi.ac.ir
Abstract: (194 Views)
Purpose: Librarians, as individuals who work in the field of organizing and indexing information resources, not only need to have technical knowledge related to their job, but also need to have some soft skills. Therefore, the aim of the present research is to determine the status of knowledge level, soft skills, and required abilities of librarians in public libraries of Kermanshah province.
Methods: The present research is applied in nature and conducted using a survey method. The statistical population of this study consists of all public librarians in Kermanshah province (140 individuals), and based on the Cochran formula, the sample size was calculated as 102 individuals. The Sanders questionnaire (2019) was used to collect research data. Because the questionnaire is standard, therefore, its validity has already been established. Also, to test the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used, the alpha obtained was 0.79, which was calculated to be more than 0.7, which indicates the desired reliability coefficient for the questions of this questionnaire. In this way, the validity and reliability of the research data collection tool were ensured and approved for distribution and implementation. SPSS software, Friedman test and data frequency distribution were used for data analysis.
Findings: According to the Friedman test, the selected skills have a significant difference with each other in terms of mean. The surveys showed that the highest priorities according to public librarians were interpersonal communication skills and Customer service skills, which are among the communication skills. This means that according to librarians, it is important for librarians to establish the best possible communication with library users. Interpersonal communication skills, customer service skills, search skills (ability to search databases, internet resources, and catalogs efficiently and effectively), knowledge of professional ethics, evaluating and selecting information resources, teamwork, writing, taxonomy/classification development are among the other important skills considered in terms of librarians' needs. This means that all graduates must be familiar with these skills regardless of their future career path. Soft skills are effective for librarians in many aspects of their work, and they contribute to improving library services, enhancing the quality of services, and increasing user satisfaction. Since soft skills are considered essential by librarians in public libraries and are required by all graduates in the field of library science, it seems necessary to focus on updating the curriculum of information science and knowledge studies to include courses that teach soft skills. Efforts should be made to educate students on soft skills through training in order to enhance their capabilities in this area.
Originality/value: The findings of this research are important for librarians in public libraries. Because librarians interact directly with their users, i.e., the community, having soft skills can lead to improved services provided by the library and librarians and greater user satisfaction. Research in this area can help improve the performance of librarians and identify their training needs as well, help design more appropriate training programs for them, and significantly contribute to improving the services provided by libraries. This research, by systematically identifying and prioritizing the soft skills of librarians in public libraries, can cover the gap in this area. Soft skills are important for librarians in public libraries. These skills help librarians to provide information services to users in a desirable way, establish effective communications with them, and solve problems efficiently. In addition to improving the quality of library services, these skills help create a friendly, dynamic, and vibrant environment for users and play an important role in enhancing the efficiency and progress of public libraries.
Methods: The present research is applied in nature and conducted using a survey method. The statistical population of this study consists of all public librarians in Kermanshah province (140 individuals), and based on the Cochran formula, the sample size was calculated as 102 individuals. The Sanders questionnaire (2019) was used to collect research data. Because the questionnaire is standard, therefore, its validity has already been established. Also, to test the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used, the alpha obtained was 0.79, which was calculated to be more than 0.7, which indicates the desired reliability coefficient for the questions of this questionnaire. In this way, the validity and reliability of the research data collection tool were ensured and approved for distribution and implementation. SPSS software, Friedman test and data frequency distribution were used for data analysis.
Findings: According to the Friedman test, the selected skills have a significant difference with each other in terms of mean. The surveys showed that the highest priorities according to public librarians were interpersonal communication skills and Customer service skills, which are among the communication skills. This means that according to librarians, it is important for librarians to establish the best possible communication with library users. Interpersonal communication skills, customer service skills, search skills (ability to search databases, internet resources, and catalogs efficiently and effectively), knowledge of professional ethics, evaluating and selecting information resources, teamwork, writing, taxonomy/classification development are among the other important skills considered in terms of librarians' needs. This means that all graduates must be familiar with these skills regardless of their future career path. Soft skills are effective for librarians in many aspects of their work, and they contribute to improving library services, enhancing the quality of services, and increasing user satisfaction. Since soft skills are considered essential by librarians in public libraries and are required by all graduates in the field of library science, it seems necessary to focus on updating the curriculum of information science and knowledge studies to include courses that teach soft skills. Efforts should be made to educate students on soft skills through training in order to enhance their capabilities in this area.
Originality/value: The findings of this research are important for librarians in public libraries. Because librarians interact directly with their users, i.e., the community, having soft skills can lead to improved services provided by the library and librarians and greater user satisfaction. Research in this area can help improve the performance of librarians and identify their training needs as well, help design more appropriate training programs for them, and significantly contribute to improving the services provided by libraries. This research, by systematically identifying and prioritizing the soft skills of librarians in public libraries, can cover the gap in this area. Soft skills are important for librarians in public libraries. These skills help librarians to provide information services to users in a desirable way, establish effective communications with them, and solve problems efficiently. In addition to improving the quality of library services, these skills help create a friendly, dynamic, and vibrant environment for users and play an important role in enhancing the efficiency and progress of public libraries.
Type of Study: quantitative |
Subject:
Information Resource Management
Received: 2023/07/2 | Accepted: 2024/05/25
Received: 2023/07/2 | Accepted: 2024/05/25
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