The role of volunteers in central libraries for information resource development: a comparative study

Abstract

The study aims to identify the outlets or methods for development information sources in central libraries by volunteers, as well as to know the extent to which volunteers contribute to the development of information sources in libraries, Whereas, the comparative approach was relied on, and data and information were collected by reviewing the documented official records to compare (books as a model for the study) that libraries obtained for free through donations by volunteers and comparing them among libraries with the number of books that were acquired by purchase during the past five years between 2017-2021. The study reached the results, as the study proved:

• The role of volunteers in the development of information sources in central libraries (paper books as a model for the study) is more frequent than purchasing from the year 2017-2021, as it was found that the percentage (73%) of the total number of information sources in the libraries of the study sample.
• The Central Library of Al-Mustansiriya University is the largest number of arrivals of information sources by volunteers with a percentage of (61%), and the least is the Central Library of the University of Technology with a percentage of (3%). In addition, the Central Library of Al-Mustansiriya University is the most visited source of resources by purchase with a percentage of (74%), and the lowest is the Central Library of Al-Nahrain University with a percentage (0%).