Analytic Review of Digital Libraries’ Evaluation and Success Models

Abstract

: This paper discusses the dominant models of a broader field of success and evaluation of digital libraries and seeks the relationship between the models and their origins. The main objectives of the paper are recognizing digital libraries’ key success and evaluation models, holistic representation of the links between DLs’ evaluation and success models and frameworks in a unique window, and introducing the applicaton of management success models in DLs’ success models as a conceptual model for future research.  For this purpose, first the importance of DLs and theoretical framework of the paper is set forth. Data gathering was carried out by search and retrieval tools like specific databases and search engines. Evaluation of the paper by referring to their citations in google scholar lead to selection of 25 papers from 144 retrieved ones.Then the fundamental DL models are discussed as constructs. After that, the management models that are adopted for construction of DLs evaluation and success models are briefly introduced and in a next part, the relationship between the fundamental models and DLs success and evaluation models are analyzed using a map of their relationships. In part discussion and conclusion, three categories of librarians’ practical perspective, computer experts’ research perspective and management models’ conceptual lens are introduced. This paper also predicts that the conceptual lens of management models will add value to DLs’ success models in the future. The paper recommends the adoption of institutionalization theory for the future research opportunities.

Keywords

• Success Models
• Evaluation Models
• DLs’ Evaluation
• Digital Libraries
• Management Success Models
• Management Lens
• Conceptual Lenses