تحقیقات اطلاعرسانی و کتابخانههای عمومی (May 2022)
Investigating the Administrative Structure of the Board of Trustees of US Public Libraries in order to Provide a Model for Use in Public Library Associations of Iran
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the administrative structure of the board of trustees of US public libraries in order to provide a model for use in public library associations of Iran. Method: The present research is an applied study in terms of purpose and is a quantitative and qualitative analysis in terms of methodology. To answer research questions about US public libraries, the laws and guidelines of the board of trustees of US public libraries were used. Websites of www.publiclibraries.com, and www.ala.org, and search engines and social networks were used to identify the libraries under study and the persons, authorities and structures of each library. Findings: The findings show that the board of trustees of US public libraries focus more on financial, administrative, human and policy issues; Topics related to community relations, formal and legal social assemblies, participation, coordination and cooperation among boards, associations and assemblies, educational and workshop topics, monitoring contracts, and so on have also recently been added to this type of tasks; In the composition of their members, there is a variety of duties and responsibilities in different geographical areas; Their duties and powers are more detailed and realistic and represent the local face more vividly; There is no defined procedure for appointing or electing their board of trustees, and the procedure for appointing board members of public libraries in each state is almost different from other states; Most of their members are real members; Most of their members work in non-profit organizations; Most of their members are women; Furthermore, the average age of their members was 47 years. Conclusion: it is suggested that the administrative structure of public libraries in Iran be changed based on the administrative structure of public libraries in other countries in such a way that they should have a balanced mix of local and state support. It is also suggested that Iranian public library associations emphasize more on demographic, gender, age, and occupational diversity of their members. Moreover, new duties and functions should be defined for Iranian public library associations and their powers should be increased. Finally, it is predicted that by taking advantage of the experiences of other countries and consequently increasing the duties and powers of Iranian public library associations, the local aspect of Iranian public libraries will be strengthened, and the decision-making process will be accelerated.
