Establishing an information network among Islamic Sciences Centers in Iran: a feasibility study Zahra Abazari Department of Library and Information Science, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran, and Alireza Isfandyari-Moghaddam Department of Library and Information Studies, Islamic Azad University, Hamedan Branch, Hamedan, Iran Abstract Purpose – This study aims to evaluates the existing and potential facilities in Iranian Islamic Sciences Centers (ISCs), including information resources, budget, human resources and facilities. It identifies the views of Center managers in order to find grounds for cooperation and collaboration and to develop communication and information exchanges between the Centers. Design/methodology/approach – The population of this research includes all 123 ISCs in Iran. Questionnaires were distributed in a three-month interval (August to October, 2008). The data were analyzed using SPSS software (Version 16). Findings – The findings show that ISCs support the establishment of a network and would join it; however, lack of professionals in the informatics and network development, lack of in-service training facilities, lack of financial and facilities, lack of access to the resources of other centers and the absence of fast exchange of information are among the problems that need much attention. Practical implications – To establish the network, three issues should be considered, i.e. human resources, budget, and facilities of the centers. Originality/value – The paper can serve as a driver to improve the efficiency in ISCs through establishing an information network to serve them. Keywords Document supply, Communication technologies, Information networks, Research organizations, Iran Paper type Research paper Introduction Most libraries and information centers are plagued by shrinking library budgets. This problem is more pronounced in developing and under-developed countries, owing to the ever-increasing volume and cost of published material. There is an information explosion and user demands are increasing. The only viable solution to meet these demands is by making optimum use of the available literature. This can be done through the pooling and sharing of resources; inter-library cooperation is of the utmost importance for this to succeed (Salgar and Murthy, 2003). Offering a just-in-time service needs the establishment of a network providing comprehensive information services. As Kettunen (2007) states, the network strategy aims to achieve strategic objectives that cannot be achieved by any single library. As a result of the emergence of four main elements – namely digital technology, electronic environment, automation, and the internet – libraries as well as information centers have been faced with significant changes and thus the necessity of moving to networks and networking is clear. A network basically links people, places, practices and processes (Omekwu, 2008). There may be a network of libraries, librarians, cataloguers or consortia. A local area network integrates all the computers in an institution and provides the platform for data communication, access and optimization of network facilities such as printers, scanners, and database management systems. A wide area network links distantly situated institutions into an operational or functional relationship. Additionally, Oyinlola (1999) outlines six critical objectives of library networks: 1 development of an interlibrary loan and document supply network with the supply of all documents requested as in a one-stop shop; 2 development of shared databases; 3 cooperative sharing of expertise in answering users’ reference questions; 4 actual sharing of staff; 5 cooperative cataloguing and building of bibliographic standards and tools; and 6 cooperative book and journal acquisitions. Or, according to Kandampully (2003; quoted in Barnard and Rensleigh, 2008, p. 435), networks help to: . minimize the cost of essential infrastructure; . maximize accessibility for every partner in the network; and The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-1615.htm Interlending & Document Supply 38/3 (2010) 189–194 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited [ISSN 0264-1615] [DOI 10.1108/02641611011072396] Special thanks to Mr Mike McGrath for his scientific and editing help. The authors would also like to extend their appreciation to the respected anonymous reviewers of the article. Received: 19 October 2009 Accepted: 23 April 2010 189