Knowledge Management for Librarians and Information Professionals

Considering the digital revolution, organizations around the world are grappling with a wide range of issues tied to how to best support the knowledge lifecycle – i.e., creating, capturing, describing, organizing, sharing, and promoting the re-use of knowledge. In this conference, we will focus on ways in which libraries and information centers can support the knowledge lifecycle through knowledge management.

We will start with an overview of background information and theory before moving into practical strategies and tactics libraries can use to get started with knowledge management. The third session will focus on taxonomy development – an area which is often the jumping-off point for libraries to delve into knowledge management. The conference will include a mix of presentations, hands-on activities, and small and large group discussions.

Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Discuss ways in which special libraries can integrate knowledge management services into their portfolio of services and programs
• Illustrate how knowledge management techniques rooted in organizational culture can complement technology-based approaches
• Draft a plan to develop an organizational taxonomy
• Discuss new opportunities and roles for librarians and information professionals within the context of knowledge management and the digital environment

Workshop Agenda

In the first session, we will start by focusing on key concepts, definitions, and frameworks used within knowledge management. Specific topics will include:

• What is knowledge management? Definitions and frameworks
• Introduction to knowledge management systems
• Importance of organizational culture in knowledge management
• Common challenges and complexity of knowledge management

The second session will be used to discuss the roles of libraries/information centers in supporting knowledge management:

• Similarities and differences between knowledge management work and traditional librarianship
• Connections between digital asset management, content management, and knowledge management
• Strategies for identifying “hidden” knowledge within an organization
• Libraries and digital curation

The third session will focus on taxonomies, an area where most libraries kick-off their knowledge management work.

We will discuss key considerations and learn practical skills needed to get started with taxonomy work at your organization:

• How, where, and why taxonomies are used
• Roles and responsibilities for taxonomy development and ongoing maintenance
• Traditional cataloging work compared to metadata and taxonomies
• Developing and testing taxonomy terms
• User tags and folksonomies
• Long-term issues: ongoing maintenance, governance and administration of taxonomies
• Highlights of emerging trends and topics: The Semantic Web

Who Should Attend:

Librarians, Library Officers, Lecturers, ICT staff, knowledge management specialists etc. in Universities, Polytechnics Colleges of Education and Special Libraries

Delivery Method:

The program will be delivered using the following methodologies: Lectures, discussions, syndicate work, Videos, case studies and exercises