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How the Librarianship Roles have Changed with the Advent of KM. Dr. Kimiz Dalkir March 17, 2004. Overview. What is KM & why is it important today? How librarianship contributes to the 3 rd generation of KM Some New Roles & Responsibilities What’s next…. Overview.
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How the Librarianship Roles have Changed with the Advent of KM Dr. Kimiz Dalkir March 17, 2004
Overview • What is KM & why is it important today? • How librarianship contributes to the 3rd generation of KM • Some New Roles & Responsibilities • What’s next…
Overview • What is KM & why is it important today? • How librarianship contributes to the 3rd generation of KM • Some New Roles & Responsibilities • What’s next…
Introduction • When asked, most company executives say their greatest asset is knowledge held by their employees • They also state they have no idea how to manage this knowledge
Explicit Tacit
KM is the systematic, explicit and deliberate building, renewal and application of knowledge to maximize an enterprise’s knowledge-related effectiveness and returns from knowledge assets (K. Wiig) KM is the process of capturing a company’s collective expertise wherever it resides: in databases, on paper, in people’s heads – and distributing it to wherever it can help produce the biggest payoff. (Hibbard) KM is getting the right knowledge to the right people at the right time so they can make the best decision (Petrash) What is Knowledge Management?
More KM Definitions • It is the attempt to recognize what is essentially a human asset buried in the minds of individuals, and leverage it into an organizational asset that can be accessed and used by a broader set of individuals on whose decisions the firm depends. —Larry Prusak • KM applies systematic approaches to find, understand and use knowledge to create value (O’Dell) • KM is the explicit control and management of knowledge within an organization aimed at achieving the company’s objectives (van der Spek) • KM is the formalization of and access to experience, knowledge, and expertise that create new capabilities, enable superior performance, encourage innovation and enhance customer value (Beckman)
Why is KM important today? More & Faster More Global KM More Mobile More Connected
The 3 Generations of KM* • 1st Generation: • “if we only knew what we know” IT • 2nd Generation: • “if we only knew who knows about.” PEOPLE • 3rd Generation: • “if we could only organize our knowledge…” CONTENT *David Snowden, IBM Institute for KM
Overview • What is KM & why is it important today? • How librarianship contributes to the 3rd generation of KM • Some New Roles & Responsibilities • What’s next…
KM Link to Information Professionals • Knowledge Organization • Traditionally, Library and Information Science has focused on the organization of explicit knowledge • Books, documents • This scope needs to be enlarged to include tacit knowledge – all intellectual assets at 3 levels: • Individual • Group (“community of practice”) • Organization (corporate/organizational memory)
The 3 Pillars of KM • Knowledge is the foundation of all organizations • KM’s purpose is to increase the intelligence of the organization by building and leveraging knowledge • Knowledge must be embedded in all products and services of the organization Library and Information Professionals have a key role to play in all three!! - part of the KM system – not just info provider but facilitator & coordinator
Improved learning Individual Teams Organization Better decision-making and problem-solving Higher quality knowledge work, greater expertise More innovation and greater creativity Better able to stay ahead of the competition Improved knowledge embedded in products and services More effective networking and collaboration More ethical behaviour Value of Knowledge Management Special or corporate library as a strategic business asset to organizations
Overview • What is KM & why is it important today? • How librarianship contributes to the 3rd generation of KM • Some New Roles & Responsibilities • What’s next…
Infomediary at 3 Levels • Organizational Memory Management • Community of Practice • Individuals • Human filters • Community Librarians • Knowledge managers - - KSO (Knowledge Support Office) • Knowledge Taxonomists, Archivists • Knowledge Journalists, Editors • To help control the information floodgates
KSO: Knowledge Support Office • Roles of the information professional: • Provide knowledge products and services that continually and consistently match the requirements of the organization • Driven by organizational strategic goals • Assist knowledge users in accessing and using the knowledge products and services • Facilitate the sharing and transfer of knowledge • Help users contribute knowledge for organizational learning and memory • Typically through communities of practice
Community of Practice Roles Knowledge taxonomist Value of content created Maturing Stewardship Coalescing Transformation Knowledge journalist Potential Knowledge archivist Community maturity and productivity
Community Librarian • Often active community members who • Scan for relevant content and resources • Review and select material, write summaries, reviews, annotations • Organize materials into community’s taxonomy • Provide on-call research services • Document meetings and other interactions • Connect members with other experts in the field • Elicit & transform tacit knowledge into explicit
Community Librarian Skills • Library science applications • Technical knowledge of the domain • Web skills • Familiar with online and physical resources relevant to the domain • Interpersonal skills • to consult with practitioners • help connect people with shared or complementary interests • Introduce new members into the community
Key Transformations in Librarianship due to KM • Special librarians don’t necessarily manage the knowledge themselves • They manage the knowledge environment • Gathering, protecting, organizing and disseminating content • Focus on: • Where transformations occur • Where learning occurs • Value-added to turn information into knowledge • e.g. synthesis, validation, updating • Helping ensure that knowledge is put to work • People-oriented: Connecting people to people as well as people to content
Overview • What is KM & why is it important today? • How librarianship contributes to the 3rd generation of KM • Some New Roles & Responsibilities • What’s next…
What’s next? • KM Education: KM part of LIS curricula • KM R&D: PhDs addressing KM topics • KM Practice: KM skills included in LIS competencies and links with lifelong learning • E.g. KM CoP project at McGill • KM Workplace: KM job opportunities for MLIS graduates
What’s next? Analogy: statisticians are to data mining… as librarians are to: knowledge management
Discussion • Some suggested readings: • Henczel, S. (2004). Supporting the KM Environment: The Roles, Responsibilities and Rights of Information Professionals. Information Outlook, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 14-19. January 2004. • Matarazzo, J. and Connolly, S. (1999). Knowledge and Special Libraries. Boston, MA: Butterworth-Heineman • St. Clair, G. (2002) Beyond Degrees: Professional Learning for Knowledge Services. Munich: K.G. Saur. • TFPL. (2000) KM Skills Map. London: TFPL.