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The main objectives of the study were to examine the motivational factors influencing professional development activities, to find out the relation between motivation and librarians’ professional development, and to identify challenges in the implementation of professional development activities. The study followed the “Preferred Reporting Items for the Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” (PRISMA) guidelines as the methodology of the instant study. Different searching methods and techniques were applied to find and locate the relevant literature to meet the set objectives of the study. The data were gathered from different databases, research repositories, federated tools, and core journals of the field. Twenty-four key studies were included after four steps known as identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion. The findings of the study revealed that five major categories of motivational factors known as IT advancements, active leadership, the role of library associations, personal interest, and institutional support influenced the professional development of library professionals. Satisfaction, facilities, rewards, work atmosphere, and autonomy were the key categories of motivation that encouraged information professionals to build professional expertise to implement innovative services for facilitating the end-users. Practical solutions attained through study-findings will guide the policymakers, decision-makers, and institutional heads to devise such strategies that might encourage library professionals to strengthen their knowledge and skills for developing smart library services.
Shahzad et al. (Wed,) studied this question.