Analysis of Factors and Components Affecting the Voluntary Activities of Iranian Libraries

In the present era, libraries and information centers, with the pervasiveness of voluntary activities, have taken advantage of the presence of volunteer forces to dynamize and develop service delivery. The present study seeks to analyze the factors and components affecting the voluntary activities of Iranian libraries.

The present study is a quantitative survey. In this study, the cluster sampling method was used and the data were collected with a questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software. The statistical population included professors of Knowledge and Information Science, cultural trustees, library executives, librarians and experts in Knowledge and Information Science, and library staff in 5 provinces of Bushehr, Khorasan Razavi, Khuzestan, Qazvin and Hamedan.

Findings showed that the correlation between the factors of the ruling context, intervening, strategic, and outcome with the variables of causal factors were 0.419, 0.503, 0.65, 0.448, respectively, which was significant at the level of p<0.05. In other words, the more the benefit of the factors of the ruling, intervening, strategic, consequential context increases, the more the causal factors increase, and the less the ruling context, intervening, strategic, consequential, the less the causal factors decrease. The results also showed that the value of t-statistic observed in the variable of voluntary activities and its factors was positive and significant (p<0.05). The level of Iranian libraries utilization rate from the factors and components affecting voluntary activities is above average.

The results showed that librarians and libraries in Iran welcome the implementation of the plan to employ volunteers and there is a significant relationship between the factors and components of volunteer activities in Iranian libraries. In this regard, it is necessary to provide a more effective presence of volunteer forces in the country's libraries to dynamize and develop services by creating laws, reforming policies and attracting the support of governmental and non-governmental institutions. Because volunteers, as great social assets, which are also referred to as national wealth, will play an important and essential role in the expansion of promotion and cultural activities, therefore, it is suggested that a general outline of the process of recruitment, employment and management of volunteers be prepared by the trustees of the libraries and provided to the librarians for further familiarization. This plan can be studied first in the research community (libraries of five provinces) in an experimental way, and after solving possible problems, it can be implemented all over the country. On the other hand, considering the readiness of libraries and librarians to accept volunteers, it is suggested that the plan of calling and recruiting volunteers should be included in the agenda of libraries to lead to the quantitative and qualitative growth and development of libraries and their services.