Feasibility Study of Providing Effective Services on Economic Development in Mashhad Public Libraries

Economic growth and development is one of the most important goals that economic planners and executives of any society seek to achieve. According to experts, the library, as the main center of information and knowledge, in different types and directly and indirectly, has a significant role in the various types of development (especially industrial and economic development). Public libraries can contribute to the long-term economic success and play a major role in the economic development by providing resources for existing businesses and starting potential businesses, providing literacy services, providing job and employment resources, etc. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of providing the effective services on the economic development in public libraries of Mashhad.

This study was an applied research that was conducted through a survey. The research population involved the librarians of Mashhad public libraries and the managers and experts of the General Directorate of the Public Libraries of Khorasan Razavi Province and Mashhad (112 people). The desired sample (86 people) was selected based on Krejcie and Morgan’s sample size table through simple random sampling method. The required data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed through the SPSS using descriptive and inferential statistics.

According to the librarians and managers’ viewpoint, in total the possibility of providing effective services on economic development (including literacy services, training and development of human resources skills, informing services, consulting and reference services, and library research activities) was more than the medium level in the public libraries of Mashhad. The librarians and managers evaluated the necessity of providing effective services on the economic development more than the medium level. The status of space and equipment infrastructures, library and information related facilities, and technology to provide effective services on economic development in public libraries of Mashhad was more than the medium level. However, the status of the infrastructures of human resources and budget was less than the medium level. Therefore, the revision in the policies and guidelines of public libraries’ services; providing the necessary infrastructure and facilities to deliver effective services for economic development, especially the allocation of adequate budget and human resources to the public libraries; creating appropriate conditions for providing effective services on economic development, especially in the field of library research activities, consulting services, reference services and training and development of human resources skills are recommended.

The present study is one of the few domestic studies focusing public library services that have an impact on economic development. It has also examined the views of decision-makers and agents of these services who have encountered different problems in libraries. Utilizing the results of this study, the managers and authorities of Public Libraries Foundation can perform the necessary planning in order to play one of the important roles of the public libraries, which is to contribute to the economic development of the community.