Familiarity with and Use of Web 2.0 Tools in Library Services by Librarians Working at Iran, Tehran, and Shahid Beheshti Universities of Medical Sciences

Background and Aim: Web 2.0 technology has various usages in libraries all over the world. According to studies, however, it seems that this technology is rarely used in Iranian academic libraries. Therefore, the present study aims to determine the level of familiarity with and use of Web 2.0 tools among librarians working at Iran, Tehran, and Shahid Beheshti Universities of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This is a survey study. The statistical sample included 91 librarians working at the libraries of Iran, Tehran, and Shahid Beheshti Medical Universities.The data were collected through a questionnaire that was graded in the Likert 5 range (very low to very high) and analyzed by descriptive and analytical (one-way ANOVA) statistics using SPSS software. Results: The level of awareness of Web 2.0 tools among librarians working at the studied libraries was relatively satisfactory with an average score of 3.13. However, the level of their use for personal activities (with an average score of 2.89) as well as for professional activities (with an average score of 2.78) was relatively low. Conclusion: Due to the unsatisfactory level of librarians' familiarity with and use of Web 2.0 tools, holding training courses as well as encouraging medical librarians to acquire more knowledge and to use these technologies in library services are recommended.