Role of Information Professionals in Knowledge Management Programs

NB. I found an excellent article, that highlights the role of library and information professionals in KM.]***

Role of Information Professionals in Knowledge
Management Programs: Empirical Evidence from Canada

[full article, in Adobe PDF]
Isola Ajiferuke
University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
iajiferu@uwo.ca

Abstract
The objective of this study is to provide empirical evidence of the role of information professionals in knowledge management programs. 386 information professionals working in Canadian organizations were selected from the Special Libraries Association’s Who’s Who in Special Libraries 2001/2002 and questionnaire with a stamped self-addressed envelope for its return was sent to each one of them. 63 questionnaires were completed and returned, and 8 in-depth interviews conducted. About 59% of the information professionals surveyed are working in organizations that have knowledge management programs with about 86% of these professionals being involved in the programs. Factors such as gender, age, and educational background (i.e. highest educational qualifications and discipline) did not seem to have any relationship with involvement in knowledge management programs. Many of those involved in
the programs are playing key roles, such as the design of the information architecture, development of taxonomy, or content management of the organization’s intranet. Others play lesser roles, such as providing information for the intranet, gathering competitive intelligence, or providing research services as requested by the knowledge management team.
Keywords: Knowledge management, information professionals, Canada, business organizations

***Serendipity brought me to this article. I was Googling for a recently published book,
The Executive's Role in Knowledge Management by Carla O'Dell

KM, IM, DM - Survival of the Fittest

NB. This is a continuously updated post--last updated Sept 2008 .

The Alignment of Information Management, Knowledge Management and Records Management Sally Gonzalez, Director of Navigant Consulting
John Szerkes, Director of Knowledge Management-Business Systems of Cleary Gottlieb
Peter Krakaur, Chief Knowledge Office of Orrick, Herrrington & Sutcliffe LLP
@ KM Space

Péter Jacsó1, University of Hawaii -- The Endangered Database Species: Are the traditional *commercial* indexing/abstracting & full-text databases dead?
In a word -- no! Commercial A&I/F-T d/bs are not extinct ... yet.
Depends on habitat. LiveSerials: Survival of the fittest

I think Knowledge Management (KM), Information Management (IM), along with archives and record management must evolve some ways to converge as part of future planning. Following are some value added resources in this perspective:

Can libraries replace or work as a KM center, Jaswinder Pal Singh Mehrok (2005) @ KnowledgeBoard:

Can library can work as KM center.I find some article that library in US use lotous notepad software.

REPLY: Denham Grey, @ KnowledgeBoard "Changing to a KM mindset is not about the software adopted. It requires a deep understanding of the differences between knowledge & information and a radical revision of traditional library dogma." Much more

Denham Grey (2005). KM in the library: "This is a thought experiment, applying KM principles to a library environment. My interest in this area stems from the work of Bonnie Nardi and Day, although I share their empathy with librarians as unsung backroom heroes, I find the library mindset to be a very limited view of knowledge work. Started by Denham Grey on 05/28/2000."
"Libraries need to shift their thinking to have a different orientation and value associated with knowledge management. This shift will be used to obtain a competitive edge. It should be a key focus to expand the access of knowledge for their users." Full article, bibliography and much more

Denham Grey (2005). KmWiki a collaborative persistent 'conversation' on all matters related to knowledge management.

More @ Google on this Survival paradigm

see also: Understanding knowledge management and information management: the need for an empirical perspective, by France Bouthillier and Kathleen Shearer, Information Research, Vol. 8 No. 1, October 2002

PUNCHLINE: Involving users and adapting newer knowledge sharing strategies:
David King (2006). Inviting Participation in Web 2.0. Quoted in The Changing Role Of Library Science

Previous posts:

Exact role of Knowledge Manager

Multifaith and Knowledge Management in Perspective

Tacit and Oral knowledge @ FaithCommons Forum

Fund an article* on social innovation in a Website that is (by my perception) on issues that are common by faiths, in a Multifaith perspective.

As a comment on the article I initiated a thread on the relation between tools and strategies of Knowledge Management (with special focus on tacit, tangible and cultural knowledge) within the context of corporate communications.

See the discussion at:

* Three scenario’s for social innovation Feed: P2P Foundation

What is this article in relation to the FaithCommons? by Mohamed Taher

Knowledge Management, by bill

Tacit and Oral knowledge, by Mohamed Taher

Mistaking Information as Knowledge, by bill

What Is Born of the Spirit is Spirit, by reido

NB. A bonus post I found, and wish to share with you:

Thinking Without Language, by Dave Pollard @ How to Save the World

My previous posts:

Vertical and tacit: Multifaith and Knowledge Management in Perspective

What do you think? Any comments, suggestions?