Purpose – Knowledge Management (KM) in libraries refers to the systematic management and control of knowledge as an important resource when producing high-quality library and information services. If one wishes to make the optimal use and dissemination of organizational and other work life related knowledge, then one needs to acquire appropriate KM tools and to adopt a systematic procedure for KM throughout the organization. This can exert an energizing effect on the lifelong learning of the libraries’ staff which is essential in today’s rapidly changing scientific information environment. The purpose of this paper is to analyze KM practices is selected higher education libraries. Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative research conducted in three academic libraries – IZUS/Universitätsbibliothek Stuttgart, Germany; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) Library Barcelona, Spain; and University of Eastern Finland (UEF) Library, Finland – makes a comparison of the KM processes being implemented in each of the institutions to ensure the continuous learning of the libraries’ staff. Findings – This comparative study revealed several key reasons and best practices for implementing KM procedures in the selected university libraries. They are collected under three main issues: KM advantages; KM technological opportunities; and KM organizational culture. Research limitations/implications – Based on three cases and thus are mainly examples of the KM implementation. Practical implications – Paper gives tools for libraries and their management on the KM system implementation. Social implications – Based on the paper’s findings the KM implementation in all the selected libraries led to better management and better staff inclusion into the library service development. Originality/value – KM implementation studies are still rare among the libraries.

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From the 1980's-in some parts of Europe from the 1990's-onward the new public management (NPM) has been emerging in public organizations including libraries. Since then there has been a need to develop strategies, to plan budgets, and to implement cost and activity accounting as well as benchmarking to compare the library's processes, costs and activities with those of other libraries. One basic idea of the NPM was to make a transition from focusing on how institutions function to a product-orientation, to improve the quality of the library services, to develop outputorientation, and to act market and consumer-oriented. There also was a need to change from the bureaucratic and hierarchically acting organizations to a more modern flexible and lean form of management. The aim of this paper is in the first part to describe the basic ideas of NPM, their realization in libraries, and how libraries have to handle constantly reduced budgets and the risk of being closed down (especially in the "age of austerity"); the second part will show how the University of Eastern Finland Library has managed to improve its services with the new public management approach. Many libraries are faced with serious financial cutbacks on the one hand and with emergent needs to (re)invest in neglected public infrastructure on the other hand. At the same time, they have to develop modern digital library services. Thus there is a need for efficiency, which is put in action via major budget cutbacks. Also many libraries have been closed down since the implementation of NPM ideas.

Purpose Deliberate large-scale changes in libraries need an accompanying change management. One of the essential success factors of change management is the communication process, as insensitive communication, using e.g. ambiguous wording or inappropriate tonality can cause great damage throughout the change process. Expert interviews with library managers did show that this change communication does not have to be something elaborate and outstanding using all new technological possibilities, but can be kept simple as the most important factors are to give enough information and to get into a conversation, a personal dialogue with team members. The purpose of this paper is to show the details of a change communication style which enables leaders to cope with deliberate large-scale changes. Design/methodology/approach The empathic change communication style (ECCo-Style) will be analyzed and described on the basis of an extensive literature research as well as a qualitative research on practical experiences of leaders of different hierarchical levels of academic and public libraries during the change processes. Findings The leader’s own action – and with this his or her communication style – has a signaling effect on team members of which each leader needs to be aware of and which can be used to release an enormous pulse, especially during the change processes. Originality/value This ECCo-Style is newly designed.

Academic as well as public libraries nowadays have to face constant change. This paper gives an overview about leadership competences needed to succeed with deliberate large-scale changes in libraries. Most of the needed competences can already be imparted during undergraduate studies toward a bachelor’s degree in library and information science, as can be seen in the example of the University of Applied Sciences Hamburg. The critical success factors of every change project are information, communication and participation. Two qualitative studies concerning leadership in academic libraries and leadership in academic and public libraries in times of change, as well as a quantitative study in an academic library concerning the influence of a transformational and a transactional leadership style of the top management on the middle management as well as on team members including the influence of the organizational culture, emphasize the importance of these success factors, especially the communication competence of leaders in times of change.