Purpose: In the current era of escalating technology and information density, libraries possess an unavoidable necessity to perpetually assess and refine their established procedures and internal processes.The central goal of this study is to delineate the critical dimensions, components, and quantifiable indicators associated with the principal difficulties confronting libraries dedicated to children and young adults in Iran.
Method: This investigation utilized a mixed methods approach, integrating meta synthesis and the Delphi technique. In the initial meta-synthesis phase, out of 200 studies (2015–2025),45 relevant papers were selected, challenge components were systemically derived.These extracted elements were then reformulated into a structured questionnaire, administered to twenty subject matter experts over two assessment rounds. All aggregated data were subjected to rigorous statistical analysis.
Findings: Guided by expert consensus, seventeen distinct indicators were successfully mapped across three primary structural components. Expert agreement was notably strong: one indicator scored the maximum of ten, eight others scored nine, five scored eight, three indicators scored seven, showing high consensus. Mean score analyses clearly established the structural, organizational component (mean = 8.570) as paramount.This was followed by development and innovation (mean = 8.400),and the cultural and educational component (mean = 8.280).
Conclusion: Synthesizing expert viewpoints demonstrated that,concerning the challenges of children’s and young adult libraries,the most significant components by order of importance are structural and organizational,development and innovation, and cultural and educational. Among specific indicators, “distinction between children’s and young adult libraries and specialized libraries” ranked highest,whereas “promotion of culture and education” and “service inefficiency” were the least critical.