Outsourcing Library Services at the National Library and Archives of Iran (NLAI): Benefits and Challenges

Document Type : Research َ Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor, National Library and Archives of Iran

2 Manger of Outsourcing Department, National Library and Archives of Iran

Abstract

Purpose: Assessing outsourcing the library services at the NLAI and its effect on the improvement of the performance of the support services of the library.
Methodology/Research Design: Views of the managers and the staff working in the Processing, Providing, Information, and Financial Department who were and are involved in outsourcing projects were surveyed. Data was collected using a questionnaire designed by the researchers and distributed among 173 potential respondents, out of which 128 were completed and returned. Descriptive and analytic statistics, as well as T test was carried out to draw results from the data.
Findings: Outsourcing has led to minor improvements in terms of effectiveness; moderate improvement in terms of efficiency; but rarely enhanced the quality of activities.
Results: Outsourcing has not improved performance at the NLAI considerably.

Keywords


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