Assessment the status of rural libraries services in East Azarbaijan Province and villagers' viewpoint toward the libraries effect on reduction of social deprivation

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the status of rural libraries services in East Azarbaijan province and surveying villagers' viewpoints toward the libraries' effect on the reduction of social deprivation. Method: The current research is applied in terms of research objectives and descriptive in terms of data collection, which was carried out using a survey method. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. Alpha Cronbach's calculated 0.79 as the reliability of the questionnaire and its validity was confirmed by experts. The statistical population of this research is the users of 18 rural libraries operating in East Azarbaijan province, whose number is 43,635 people. Among these people, 380 people were selected as a sample according to Krejcie and Morgan's formula for sample size. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics including t-test. Findings: Based on the results, different types of services were identified provided by rural libraries of East Azarbaijan Province. “Making books accessible” is a role that most of the respondents believe that their respective rural libraries do perform. On the other hand, most of the respondents believed that the rural library of their region does not fulfill its role well in the “dissemination of information resources and providing services in the local language” and “making electronic and internet resources accessible”. Regarding the barriers to the use of rural libraries, “the disproportion of the provided services to the needs of the villagers” was identified as the biggest obstacle to the use of rural libraries in East Azarbaijan province. From the viewpoint of rural users, the effect of rural libraries on the sense of citizenship and life satisfaction is moderate. While the effect of rural libraries on the social alienation (negagtive impact) and social interaction is slightly higher than average. Originality/value: Investigating the role of rural libraries in East Azarbaijan province in providing information services and identifying the views of rural library users on the effect of libraries in reducing social deprivation are this research contribution.