Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Mohammadreza Azadifar ¹
• afshin hamdipour ²
• Rasoul Zavaraqi ³
• Hashem Atapour ⁴

¹ PhD Candidate, Department of Knowledge and Information Science, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.

² Associate Professor, Department of knowledge and information science, University of Tabriz. Tabriz, Iran

³ Professor, Department of knowledge and information science, University of Tabriz.Tabriz, Iran

⁴ Associate Professor, Department of knowledge and information science, University of Tabriz.Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to identify and rank key components of digital transformation among librarians from Iranian medical sciences universities (IMSU).
Methodology: Adopting a descriptive-survey design, this study involved a total of 220 librarians from IMSU, selected through a complete census. Data were gathered using a 46-item Likert-scale questionnaire, distributed after its validity and reliability had been confirmed. The data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) along with Friedman and Wilcoxon tests, conducted in SPSS version 26.
Findings: EFA revealed eight components accounting for 76.630% of total variance: (1) Intelligent services and process digitization, (2) staff competencies, (3) digital resource access and management, (4) information security and user interaction, (5) technical capabilities for data analytics and digitization, (6) legal awareness for digital content, (7) digital leadership and innovation, and (8) technological infrastructure. The Friedman test showed that “professional competencies of staff” had the highest mean rank (3.69), indicating it as most important, while “technological infrastructure” held the lowest mean rank (2.92), indicating lower priority from the librarians’ perspective. Post hoc Wilcoxon tests, with Bonferroni correction, confirmed significant pairwise differences among these components.
Conclusion: Successful digital transformation in IMSU necessitates an approach that concurrently emphasizes digital leadership and innovation as strategic dimensions and bolsters technological infrastructure, enhances professional staff competencies, and digitizes processes as operational dimensions.
Value: By identifying the essential factors influencing digital transformation in IMSU, this study provides a framework to guide the design, implementation, and evaluation of transformation initiatives in academic libraries.

Keywords

• Digital Transformation
• Components of Digital Transformation
• Technology Transfer
• Medical Sciences Libraries

Main Subjects

• Technological Dimensions of Data, Information and Knowledge Studies