Knowledge Management

While librarians and information professional are experts at providing resources to users, managing their own internal working knowledge and information can be a challenge. As information environments continue to become more complex, librarians and other information professionals must build on the existing expertise and skills within their organizations to keep them relevant to the information needs of their patrons and communities. Knowledge management (KM) is an intentional set of strategies intended to capture, preserve, and use human knowledge from employees to further the goals of an organization. Knowledge Management: A Practical Guide for Librarians will help librarians recognize, organize, communicate, and leverage both the tacit and explicit knowledge already in their organizations for the benefit of themselves and their users. Topics covered include: Why knowledge management is important in libraries and information organizations The knowledge management lifecycle: capturing, organizing, storing, sharing, and updating knowledge Capturing tacit and explicit knowledge and getting staff buy-in Tools and methods for recording and developing organizational information flow Facilitating the transfer of organizational knowledge and expertise Promoting knowledge innovation and learning Knowledge Management is intended to help individual librarians and library managers in all library settings (academic, public, school, special, etc.) to think critically about their existing knowledge management environments with an eye toward improving existing procedures or implementing a KM program. This guide will provide readers with basic background information and useful, targeted exercises and examples to help them develop knowledge management programs in their own organizations.
About the Author: Jennifer A. Bartlett is an assistant professor and the interim associate dean for teaching, learning, and research at the University of Kentucky Libraries. She has worked in academic and public libraries for over 20 years and focuses on public services, access services, and academic library management and administration. Since 2011, she has authored the "New and Noteworthy" column in Library Leadership and Management, the journal of ALA's Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) and is a book review columnist for the publication Online Searcher. She is active in the Kentucky Library Association, the Special Libraries Association, and has also served as a member of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) Knowledge Management Standing Committee. She is the co-editor (with Spencer Acadia) of Libraries that learn: Keys to Managing Organizational Knowledge (Chicago: ALA Editions, 2019).