How library practitioners view knowledge management in libraries: A qualitative study

摘要

Purpose - The main purpose of this paper is to explore library practitioners' views of knowledgernmanagement (KM) and its incorporation into library practice.rnDesign/methodology/approach - The study is based on the review of literature available inrnsecondary sources, and the result of interviews of ten library practitioners worldwide. The respondentsrnare purposively selected from the participants' lists of two international conferences held in 2008. Therninterviews were conducted through e-mail using a short, structured, and open-ended questionnaire.rnFindings - The ways of knowing and degrees of understanding of KM concepts among the libraryrnpractitioners are varied. But the most library practitioners have focused on a shallow perception of KMrnfor its incorporation into library practice - dealing with only explicit information and/or knowledge.rnThis study also finds some of the reasons for responding to KM, e.g. increasing value of knowledge inrnthe knowledge economy, role of information technologies, opportunities for improved library practices.rnResearch limitations/implications - The study is limited in its scope, conducting interviews ofrnonly ten library practitioners worldwide, and hence, generalization may not be derived from thernfindings.rnPractical implications - The paper suggests that library practitioners need to broaden theirrnunderstanding, change their traditional mindset, and to apply a holistic approach of KM system designrnand library practice, focusing on both explicit and tacit knowledge.rnOriginality/value - The paper investigates the original views of library practitioners regarding KMrnin libraries.