Research on Information Science and Public Libraries

Identifying the components of the Information Resource Selection Behavior of the Members of Public Libraries Using Metasynthesis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Shiva Yari 1
Alireza Noruzi 2
Fatemeh Fahimnia 3
Mohsen Nowkarizi 4

1 PhD in Knowledge and Information Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Prof., Department of Information Science and Knowledge Management, College of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

3 Associate Prof., Department of Knowledge and Information Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

4 Prof., Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract
Purpose: It is impossible to increase the use of information resources in libraries and provide user-centered information services without understanding how users select and search for information resources. selecting information sources involves identifying a subset of available information sources that best meet the information needs of users. Selecting the right source of information has a significant effect on whether the source is read or not. On the other hand, acquisition, organizing resources, and arranging them in libraries, as well as designing an efficient and user-friendly user interface that supports book selection, requires sufficient knowledge of resource selection behaviors by users; This is what not sufficiently known in Iran. Thus, this study aimed to identify the components and dimensions of the selection behavior of information resources of public library users and to design the relevant conceptual model.
Method: The present research is a meta-synthesis study that was conducted with a qualitative approach, using the seven-step Sandelowski and Barroso method. The research population consists of articles and dissertations published in seven Persian databases and eight international databases between 2000 and 2020 (1379 to 1399 SH). Out of 7560 identified sources, 35 sources were approved under the Vital Skills Assessment Program. The codes were extracted from the articles and the reliability of the coding was assessed using the kappa coefficient.
Findings: A total of 176 codes including 26 concepts were extracted and categorized under five categories as follows: user-related factors (including source selection objectives, tasks, and needs, personality traits and user life, demographic characteristics, interest and emotion, previous user experiences, reasons for interaction or relationship with books, selection strategies and costs); book-related factors (including appearance features, bibliographic elements, content elements, content quality, storybook content, book style, language and relevance, popularity, and distinction); library-related factors (facilities, shelves, and arrangement of books and ancillary programs); barriers and restrictions (including individual, library and community barriers and restrictions); and recommendations and theatrical productions of works (including direct and indirect recommendations and theatrical productions of works). According to the findings, a user, depending on his situation, spends time and money under the influence of the library environment and its facilities, and examines and selects a source in terms of various appearance and content features, and communicates with that source (book) and reads it for reasons such as the overall perceived attractiveness of a book, being engaged with the story in the book, the atmosphere of the book, the personal experience narrated by the characters, and so on. Influenced by the recommendations and theatrical productions of works, he may face obstacles in choosing the source that have been created by himself, library or the community.
Originality/value: The model of information resource selection behavior of public library members is indicative of the complexity and effectiveness of this behavior from a wide range of factors, including individual differences, physical and content characteristics of the book, and environmental factors. The designed model can be used as a basis for a broad survey of users’ information resource selection behavior in physical and virtual environments, as well as as a guide to collection building, space designing, and service designing in libraries, compilation of resources, and designing the appearance and structure of books by authors and publishers.

Keywords

Information selection behavior
Users
Public libraries
Metasynthesis
۱. بلغاری، ساقی (۱۳۹۴). ارزشیابی محتوای کتاب مدارهای الکتریکی رشتۀ‌ الکترونیک شاخۀ فنی‌وحرفه‌ای بر اساس ویژگی‌های تعیین و سازمان‌دهی محتوا از نظرِ هنرآموزان شهر تهران [پایان‌نامۀ کارشناسی‌ارشد]. دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد تهران مرکزی، مجتمع دانشگاهی ولیعصر (عج).
۲. پورعبادی، رضا، میرحسینی، زهره؛ و نشاط، نرگس (۱۳۹۴). پراکندگی موضوعی و میزان استفاده از کتاب‌ها در کتابخانۀ عمومی کتابخانۀ ملی. مطالعات ملی کتابداری و سازماندهی اطلاعات، ۲۶(۱)، ۱۰۰-۸۵.
۳. حیاتی، زهیر؛ و حمیدی، علی (۱۳۸۵). معیارهای انتخاب و ارزیابی نشریات الکترونیک در کتابخانه‌های دانشگاه‌های دولتی و مؤسسات پژوهشی ایران. مطالعات ملی کتابداری و سازماندهی اطلاعات، ۱۷(۴)، ۱۵۹-۱۷۲.
۴. خواجه، طیبه؛ و بلاغی، رؤیا (۱۳۹۷، ۲۵ تیر). بررسی رفتار اطلاع‌یابی سلامت کاربران کتابخانه‌های عمومی شهر بندرعباس [ارائۀ مقاله]. اولین همایش فناوری اطلاعات و ارتقای سلامت، انجمن فناوری اطلاعات و ارتقا سلامت، تهران، ایران.
۵. رحمانی، سمانه، عباسی، زهره؛ و صنعت‌جو، اعظم (۱۳۹۵). واکاوی مؤلفه‌های اساسی خط‌مشی مجموعه‌سازی و مدیریت مجموعۀ مرکز اطلاع‌رسانی و کتابخانۀ مرکزی دانشگاه فردوسی مشهد. پژوهشنامۀ کتابداری و اطلاع‌رسانی، ۶(۱)، ۳۲۱-۳۴۰.
۶. زارع، امین؛ گودینی، یاسر؛ و ریاحی، عارف (۱۳۹۴). مطالعۀ عوامل مؤثر بر استفاده از کتابخانه‌های عمومی (مطالعۀ موردی کاربران کتابخانه‌های عمومی کرمانشاه). نظام‌ها و خدمات اطلاعاتی، ۴(۳-۴)، ۵۱-۶۲.
۷. سپهر، فرشته (۱۳۷۸). وضعیت انتخاب و سفارش نشریات ادواری لاتین در کتابخانه‌های مرکزی دانشگاه‌های کشور. تحقیقات کتابداری و اطلاع‌رسانی دانشگاهی، ۰(۳۰-۳۱)، ۵۹-۸۵.
۸. شکوهیان، محبوبه؛ عاصمی، عاصفه؛ و شعبانی، احمد (۱۳۹۷). بررسی نیازهای اطلاعاتی نوجوانان کتابخانه‌های عمومی شهر اصفهان. مطالعات کتابداری و علم اطلاعات، ۱۰(۳)، ۶۵-۸۶.
۹. مؤتمنی، علیرضا؛ همتی، امین؛ و مرادی، هادی (۱۳۹۱). شناسایی و اولویت‌بندی موانع جوانان در استفاده از خدمات کتابخانه‌های عمومی: مطالعۀ موردی شهرستان سمنان. تحقیقات اطلاع‌رسانی و کتابخانه‌های عمومی، ۱۸(۴)، ۳۶۳-۳۸۳.
۱۰. نعمت‌الهی، لیلا (۱۳۹۱). بررسی نگرش کتابداران کتابخانه‌های عمومی استان فارس نسبت به‌روشِ مجموعه‌سازی متمرکز در این کتابخانه‌ها [پایان‌نامۀ کارشناسی‌ارشد]. دانشگاه شیراز.
۱۱. هاشمی، راحله (۱۳۸۹). انتخاب و ارزشیابی کتب انگلیسی در محیط‌های غیرانگلیسی‌زبان [پایان‌نامۀ کارشناسی‌ارشد]. دانشگاه تبریز.
۱۲. یاری، شیوا (۱۳۹۴، ۲۰ آبان). استفاده از اینترنت و رسانه‌های اجتماعی در بین اعضای کتابخانه‌های عمومی شهر کرمانشاه و تأثیر آن بر عادات خواندن آنان [ارائۀ مقاله]. هشتمین همایش ملی ادکا با عنوان «رسانه‌های اجتماعی در مراکز اطلاع‌رسانی»، دانشگاه شهید بهشتی، تهران، ایران.
۱۳. یاری، شیوا (۱۳۹۶). رؤیت‌پذیری کتابخانه‌‌های عمومی شهر کرمانشاه. تحقیقات اطلاع‌رسانی و کتابخانه‌های عمومی، ۲۳(۲)، ۱۹۸-۱۷۳.
۱۴. یاری، شیوا؛ و اجاقی، رضوان (۱۳۹۴، ۵-۶ اسفند). کنکاشی در عوامل جذب و توسعۀ مخاطب در کتابخانه‌های عمومی از دیدگاه کاربران کرمانشاهی [ارائۀ مقاله]. همایش ملی «کتابخانه‌‌های عمومی: عوامل و موانع جذب و توسعۀ مخاطب» ، اهواز، ایران.
15. Abel, E., Keane, J., Paton, N. W., Fernandes, A. A., Koehler, M., Konstantinou, N., ... & Embury, S. M. (2018). User driven multi-criteria source selection. Information Sciences, 430, 179-199.
16. Albanese, A. (2020, April 3). Are public libraries in decline? Publishers Weekly. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/82925-are-public-libraries-in-decline.html
17. Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (2014). CIPFA Library Survey Shows Continuing Decline in Buildings, Books and Borrowers as Cuts Continue to Bite. http://www.cipfa.org/ About-CIPFA/Press-Office/latest-press-releases/CIPFAlibrary-survey
18. Chinchpure, S., Tr, A., Raju, A., Kr, A., Ar, A., & Barate, A. T. (2018). Utilization of the Library and Internet as a Source of Scientific Information by the Nursing Students. Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research, 2(4), 2774-2784.
19. Coates, T. (2019). On the closure of English public libraries. Public Library Quarterly, 38(1), 3–18.
20. Dawkins, B. K. (2017). Need help choosing good books for students? A book selection study, book selection checklist, and a discussion of how educators can select books that engage young readers of color and possibly improve reading achievement. Journal of Education & Social Policy, 4(2), 1-10.
21. Erwin, E. J., Brotherson, M. J., & Summers, J. A. (2011). Understanding qualitative metasynthesis: Issues and opportunities in early childhood intervention research. Journal of Early Intervention, 33(3), 186-200.
22. Hernon, P., Altman, E., & Dugan, R. E. (2015). Assessing service quality: Satisfying the expectations of library customers. ALA Editions.
23. Jacoby, J. W., & Edlefsen, K. (2020). “I Love Paw Patrol!”: Book Selection and the Allure of Popular Media Characters Among Preschoolers. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 34(2), 208-222.
24. List, A., Grossnickle, E. M., & Alexander, P. A. (2016). Undergraduate students’ justifications for source selection in a digital academic context. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 54(1), 22-61.
25. Maynard, S., Mackay, S., & Smyth, F. (2008). A survey of young people's reading in England: Borrowing and choosing books. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 40(4), 239-253.
26. Mohr, K. A. (2006). Children's choices for recreational reading: A three-part investigation of selection preferences, rationales, and processes. Journal of Literacy Research, 38(1), 81-104.
27. Ooi, K., & Liew, C. L. (2011). Selecting fiction as part of everyday life information seeking. Journal of Documentation, 67(5), 748-772.
28. Randall, R. (2013). How Young Adult Readers select fiction in public libraries: a study of the factors which influence information-seeking in context [Master’s thesis, Victoria University of Wellington]. ResearchArchive.
29. http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10063/2659/thesis.pdf?sequence=2
30. Reuter, K. (2007). Assessing aesthetic relevance: Children's book selection in a digital library. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 58(12), 1745-1763.
31. Reutzel, D. R., & Gali, K. (1998). The art of children's book selection: A labyrinth unexplored. Reading Psychology: An International Quarterly, 19(1), 3-50.
32. Ross, C. S. (2000). Making Choices: What Readers Say About Choosing Books to Read for Pleasure. The Acquisitions Librarian, 13(25), 5-21.
33. Ross, C. S., McKechnie, L., & Rothbauer, P. M. (2006). Reading matters: What the research reveals about reading, libraries, and community. Libraries Unlimited.
34. Sandelowski, M., & Barroso, J. (2007). Handbook for synthesizing qualitative research. New York: NY: Springer.
35. Stenseth, T., & Strømsø, H. I. (2019). To read or not to read: A qualitative study of students’ justifications for document selection in task-oriented reading. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 63(5), 771-788.
36. Tao, D. (2008). Using theory of reasoned action (TRA) in understanding selection and use of information resources: an information resource selection and use model [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Missouri]. MOspace.
37. https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10355/6736/research.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y
38. Taylor, J. B., Hora, A., & Krueger, K. S. (2019). Self-selecting books in a children’s fiction collection arranged by genre. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 51(3), 852-865.
39. Verma, J., & Sonkar, S. K. (2013). Impact of E-Resources and Web Technology on Reading Habits. In Challenges of Academic Library Management in Developing Countries (pp. 68-74). IGI Global.
40. Wu, C. Y., & Lin, C. S. (2016). The pleasures of reading mystery fiction and mystery readers’ book selection behavior. Journal of Educational Media and Library Sciences, (53), 361-388.
41. Xie, I., & Joo, S. (2009). Selection of information sources: Accessibility of and familiarity with sources, and types of tasks. Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 46(1), 1-18.
Research on Information Science and Public Libraries
Volume 27, Issue 1
Spring 2021
Pages 101-71

Home

Submit Manuscript

Reviewers

Contact Us