Organizational Knowledge Management practices for better Library and Information Services

Abstract Library and Information unit of any organization, as profession within profession, runs independently, is managed separately, and serves information universally. Its management is unique and universal, which forms its identity although attached to any organization. The entire process of management of library goes parallel to the management of the parent organization, but not conflicting with it. Library receives information from the organization and contributes knowledge to the organization for its better services and products. The library management unit has to act independently, think separately, show effectiveness, and manage the unit as a small organization within a large organization. Organizational Knowledge is the knowledge specific to the organization; it is generally gained by being attached to the organization. When group knowledge from several sub-units or groups is combined and used to create new knowledge, can be called as organizational knowledge. Organizational Knowledge Management is managing the organization’s knowledge through systematically acquiring, organizing, sustaining, applying, sharing and renewing both the tacit and explicit knowledge of employees to enhance organizational performance. Knowledge Management must manage organizational knowledge storage and retrieval capabilities, and create an environment conducive to learning and knowledge sharing. It is about making sure that an organization can learn, and that it will be able to retrieve and use its knowledge assets in current applications as they are needed. Library as a sub-part of the organization should determine the knowledge necessary for the operation of processes for products and services of the parent organization. The Information services and products of the library, which are the outcome of its internal Knowledge Management system, are used as information inputs for the Organizational Knowledge Management System of the whole organization. The basic goal of knowledge management within libraries is to leverage the available knowledge that may help librarians to carry out their tasks more efficiently and effectively. Knowledge management is a viable means in which libraries could improve their services in the present knowledge era and can help transform the library into a more efficient, knowledge sharing organization. Most knowledge management practices in use are; partnerships with other libraries, consortium formation, knowledge sharing, collaborative work, team creation, regular staff interaction, promotion of organization culture, motivation of staff for innovations, ICT applications, etc. This paper aims to give an outline of Organizational Knowledge Management and its role in libraries and relevance for Library and Information Science professionals. The paper is able to demonstrate that Organizational Knowledge Management is a key driver of library performance

Knowledge Management Skills for 21st Century Library Professionals in India: A Study

In any kind of educational institute and organization, libraries are playing a crucial role. For the development of library services, skillful library professionals are indispensable. Without knowledge management skills, no one can provide essential services to the users. “Library is a growing organism” by S.R. Ranganathan (1931), based on his law, as library professionals have to adopt futuristic skills for better user services. The study investigates knowledge management skills and the chief strengths of library and information science professionals in India. For this study, data collected from the Institute of National Importance and Central Universities around India. The principal aim of this study is to understand the current scenario and data literacy skills of library professionals. The study found that 98.7% of respondents qualified for library and information science postgraduate and above. They highlighted the very important skills respondents are digital literacy skills (65.9%), soft skills (70%), organization skills (67.7%), leadership skills (70%), and English language skills (52.4%)

Expressing the tacit knowledge of a digital library system as linked data

Library organizations have enthusiastically undertaken semantic web initiatives and in particular the data publishing as linked data. Nevertheless, different surveys report the experimental nature of initiatives and the consumer difficulty in re-using data. These barriers are a hindrance for using linked datasets, as an infrastructure that enhances the library and related information services. This paper presents an approach for encoding, as a Linked Vocabulary, the "tacit" knowledge of the information system that manages the data source. The objective is the improvement of the interpretation process of the linked data meaning of published datasets. We analyzed a digital library system, as a case study, for prototyping the "semantic data management" method, where data and its knowledge are natively managed, taking into account the linked data pillars. The ultimate objective of the semantic data management is to curate the correct consumers' interpretation of data, and to facilitate the proper re-use. The prototype defines the ontological entities representing the knowledge, of the digital library system, that is not stored in the data source, nor in the existing ontologies related to the system's semantics. Thus we present the local ontology and its matching with existing ontologies, Preservation Metadata Implementation Strategies (PREMIS) and Metadata Objects Description Schema (MODS), and we discuss linked data triples prototyped from the legacy relational database, by using the local ontology. We show how the semantic data management, can deal with the inconsistency of system data, and we conclude that a specific change in the system developer mindset, it is necessary for extracting and "codifying" the tacit knowledge, which is necessary to improve the data interpretation process

Knowledge Management in Academic Libraries in Nigerian Universities: Way Forward

Colleges and universities have significant opportunities to apply knowledge management practices to support every part of their mission. Knowledge management in universities can be applied in five key areas such as research, curriculum development, alumni services administrative services and strategic planning. Academic libraries are part of the university and its organizational culture. Whatever affects universities has an impact on academic libraries. As a result, role of academic libraries is voluminous to provide the competitive advantage for the parent organization. The success of academic libraries depends on their ability to utilize information and knowledge of their staff to better serve the needs of the academic community. In librarianship there is the creation, storage and collaborative sharing of employees\u27 information within the academic library environment. In sharing and collaboration, a library’s effectiveness and efficiency, productivity and profitability is enhanced. Knowledge Management is therefore the process of capturing, organizing, and storing information and experiences of workers and groups within an organization and making it available to others. It is used in this paper to refer to a process that focuses on five related library activities – capturing, classifying, exploiting, sharing, and applying both the explicit and the implicit know-how for the benefit of the library, librarians, the library users, and the academic community

Benchmarking the Knowledge Management Practices in Selected European Higher Education Libraries

Knowledge Management (KM) in libraries refers to the systematic management and control of knowledge as an important resource when producing high quality library and information services. If one wishes to make the optimal use and dissemination of organizational and other work-life related knowledge, then one needs to acquire appropriate knowledge management tools and to adopt a systematic procedure for KM throughout the organization. This can exert an energizing effect on the lifelong learning of the libraries' staff which is essential in today's rapidly changing scientific information environment. This qualitative research conducted in three academic libraries - IZUS / Universitätsbibliothek Stuttgart, Germany, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Library (UAB) Barcelona, Spain and University of Eastern Finland Library (UEF), Finland - makes a comparison of the KM processes being implemented in each of the institutions to ensure the continuous learning of the libraries' staff

OVERVIEW RECENT KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT IN DIGITAL LIBRARY PERSPECTIVE

This study aims to identify, collect and critically review the research literature on the concepts of Knowledge Management (KM) in digital library perspective. Knowledge Management has become a powerful tool for promoting innovation and realizing reengineering the various walks of life. It occupies very outstanding position in the creation of knowledge innovation systems of a country. Knowledge management is a process of knowledge creation and modernization through an efficient organization and sufficient exploitation of information and knowledge resources. This paper discus about the role of Knowledge Management processes and applications on digital libraries and knowledge centre. This paper is also describes the main objectives, reviews, process, benefits and barriers of Knowledge Management in the digital era. The paper explains the knowledge management system is a decision support system and its role is to assist humans to make better decisions by making humans better informed. The advent of the internet and related technological developments has not only increased stocks and flows of information, but also has transformed the nature of library and information services. In the midst of these changes, knowledge management (KM) has emerged as a further significant influence on library practice. However, despite its widespread impact on many aspects of the profession, the wider ramifications of the relationship between the two are not clear from the literature. The present thesis attempts to contribute to further understanding of these ramifications. It attempts to describe the KM field in terms of its relevance for the Library and Information Science (LIS) professions

Template for a Healthcare Knowledge Services Center

IntroductionThe purpose of the HKSC model template is twofold:(1.) to transform the hospital library function into a health care knowledge services center; and(2.) to emphasize the importance of knowledge among health care professionals within the organization.The current information explosion provides the Healthcare Knowledge Services Center (HKSC) with opportunities to become a critical player in organizational information and knowledge management. An HKSC can assist an organization maintain its competitive advantage in the marketplace. The HKSC must become an integral player to the organization if they are to succeed in helping their health care organization realize: 1.) exceptional quality control; 2.) high risk management standards; and 3.) optimum patient safety levels. The emergence of evidence-based practice (EBP) has become paramount to all health care organizations. EBP will provide an HKSC with increased opportunities for wider visibility within the organization.PurposeTo define a sustainable model template for the Healthcare Knowledge Services Center that encompasses transitioning a traditional medical library into a vibrant knowledge services center, integral to the health care organization.Timeline5 years out (2010-2015); pilots (2011-12)Rationale for Making Transition 1.) Knowledge management (KM) provides a positive push forward;2.) KM provides the “bridge” between information and best practice (see Knowledge Pyramid , below);3.) KM supports institutional goals:a.) exceptional quality control;b.) high risk management standards; andc.) optimum patient safety levels; 4.) KM offers health care organizations a competitive edge in market; and5.) KM provides hospital librarians with an ideal window of opportunity to become dynamic players in the confluence of several critical current events:a.) the information explosion;b.) the national push for health care reform;c.) the universal adoption of evidence-based practice; andd.) the emerging trend of self-directed practice , where patients take responsibility for their own personal health (e.g., EHRs)

Examining and creating in-house IGR sources for effective management and financing in academic libraries in Nigeria

Purpose: The study explored staff perception on effective funding using in-house IGR sources, finance-related challenges in the management of libraries, examined operational conventional and additional sources, derived opinions on the benefits of an independent academic library financial management system and the strategies to improve on its funding in selected academic libraries in Nigeria. Method: The descriptive survey design was adopted using a population of 487 librarians from which 161 (33%) was randomly drawn from ten academic libraries (polytechnic, college and university). The instrument for data collection - questionnaire was developed. The data collected were analysed using inferential and descriptive statistics with IBM SPSS Version 20 software. Results: There was no significant difference in the perception of academic library staff on effective funding and management of libraries through in-house IGR. It was found that conventional sources of IGR in academic libraries were through provision of reprographic services, binding, laminating, indexing/abstracting and library donation while additional sources could include skill acquisition in entrepreneurial education, certificate verification, information consultancy, use of e-library for computer based tests, internet surfing, training in research and data collection and processing of online applications. However, amongst these services, only reprographic services were found to be fully functional, others are either semi functional or non-functional. Conclusion: Generating funds from these sources can assist in library e-resource subscription; improve collection development, and general service provision. IGR are potential business venture for the effective management of the library and at the long run help in the achievement of its objective of information services and product provision to its community of patrons. Recommendation: Awareness creation on the inclusion of these newly applicable and profitable e-library services, training of staff on the use of technology-driven services and sharing information/knowledge among working personnel should be embraced by the management of academic libraries

An Integrative Review of Web 3.0 in Academic Libraries

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to present an integrated literature review exploring the nature of responsive, semantic and interactive Web 3.0 technologies applicable for academic libraries. Design/methodology/approach – We conducted an integrated review of the literature combining a strategy of automated and keywords search. The main source for identifying the studies are Emerald Library Studies and Information & Knowledge Management eJournals, Web of Knowledge, and Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (EBSCO) databases. To this end, a sample of (n= 140) studies were analyzed to characterize the Web 3.0 trends and its applications based on theme, years and document types. Findings – A review of literature reveals that Web 3. needs evaluation as to what extent they are integrated, deployed and mainstreamed into library services and in information management practices. It is important to develop a conceptual framework that explores the linkages of Web 3.0 technologies and their applications in academic libraries. Originality/value –This review shows how Web 3.0 technologies enhance library services in its holistic conceptualization and how academic libraries are moving into a more robust, inclusive and adaptable phase in their service values and innovation