Libraries, Knowledge Management, and Communities of Practice

摘要

The library collection included many bound journals. There were stacks and stacks of items that had not been moved for many years. A brief examination of the materials in the compact storage area started to make my nose itch. Indeed, just slightly moving the materials created a dusty smell that permeated the small area and made it difficult to breathe. The materials were valuable and part of a rare collection of Federal Reporters, but is that a community of practice? Was this a valid use of floor space at 350 dollar per square foot? Or did the program need more user-accessible space for collaboration, training, and ad hoc research? Were the materials more important than the community of users? What does a community of practice deliver to users?