Document Type : Original Article
Author
Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Abstract
The management of public libraries in Iran faces numerous issues at the national level. This study aims to identify the system of issues affecting the management of public libraries in the country. Employing a qualitative approach, the research utilized the meta-synthesis method based on Sandelowski and Barroso's seven-stage model. From an initial pool of 64 nationally focused articles published in Iran between 2011 and 2025, 13 studies were selected after a multi-stage screening process based on criteria such as relevance to the research community, validity, and timeliness. By synthesizing the qualitative findings and results of the selected studies, the extracted themes and concepts were organized into 61 codes and 14 concepts, which were subsequently categorized into four main areas: policymaking, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The findings reveal the most critical issues within each category:Policymaking Issues: ambiguity in institutional roles,.Planning Issues: strategic gap between the current and desired situation, .Implementation Issues: human resource challenges .Evaluation Issues: ineffectiveness of strategic control systems.In conclusion, the management of public libraries in Iran at the national level is confronted with a network of interconnected issues across policymaking, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Resolving these management challenges requires a systematic and holistic mechanism and approach—one that takes into account the continuity of issues and their mutual effects on one another. In this approach, rather than addressing each issue in isolation, the set of issues within the categories of policymaking, planning, implementation, and evaluation is considered as a cycle and a recurring, continuous process.
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