Assessing the Digital Library Services in Iran’s Virtual Higher-Education

Abstract

In virtual higher education systems, one of the most important priorities for achieving the goals of education and research refers to the development of digital libraries and its dynamism to provide better and more information services. Ease and speed of access to educational resources in virtual education depends on the quality of digital libraries. Accordingly, the study of virtual higher education in the digital library services is considered as main objective of the research. In this research the documents and survey method is used. The population in this study included all students, teachers and experts in virtual higher education institutions. Sample size included 60 teachers and scholars, who were selected based on Cochran formula among 400 students and random sampling method was used to reach the target student population. The data were collected by using a questionnaire, which its reliability is 0.70. Results of t- test showed that the quality of library services is desirable (t = 10.845, P <0.01) because the index average of the quality of library services (39.36) is greater than the assumed mean (30) and this difference is significant .According to the experts’ viewpoints, (t = 2.644, P <0.05), this situation is favorable because the index mean (33.53) is greater than the assumed mean (30) and this difference is significant. But, according to the students’ viewpoints (t = 1.029, P> 0.05), the quality of library services at moderate downward, because the index mean (29.63) is less than the assumed mean (30). Respectively, this difference was not significant. Overall, the results of the test (t = 1.488, P> 0.05) reflect the quality of library services at moderate to high because the mean of the index (30.5101) is more out of a given (30) and this difference is not also significant.