Contextual Factors Affecting the Cooperation of Vietnamese Academic Libraries in Information Resource Sharing

Abstract The research examines the contextual landscape of academic libraries in Vietnam with the intention of discovering and exploring the barriers and enablers of cooperation in information resource sharing. The aim of this research is to address the principal question of: what are the contextual factors affecting the cooperation of academic libraries in information resource sharing in Vietnam? The interpretive study employed a mixed-methods approach and its findings are based on the analysis of data gathered from key informant interviews (20 library directors) and surveys (145 librarians, 182 students, and 46 lecturers) from 20 universities, as well as from documentary evidence. The participants involved in this study include library directors, librarians, and information users. Data shows that there are contextual factors affecting the cooperation in information resource sharing in terms of policies, directors’ attitudes, cooperative culture, IT infrastructure, information resources, lack of standards, and inappropriate funding roles of professional associations. Based on the findings, a model for cooperation in information resource sharing was developed with the contextual factors. The outcome of this research provides a model which incorporates the contextual factors influencing information resource sharing among academic libraries in Vietnam. To that extent, it contributes to our knowledge of information resource sharing in general, especially in regard to developing countries and more specifically to Vietnam. An acknowledgment of these factors will encourage more academic libraries to collaborate in sharing information resources in order to meet the demands of information users.