Knowledge management framework to the university libraries

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a knowledge management framework for university libraries (named GC@BU). The framework consists of three modules: knowledge management coordination; knowledge resources; and learning commons, and uses as theoretical assumptions the design of an university library (developed for the context of the framework), the standards for libraries in higher education of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and the characterization of the university library as a complex adaptive system (CAS). Design/methodology/approach – This framework was structured by a literature review and based on models, methodologies and existing frameworks, being afterwards evaluated through focus groups composed of managers of university libraries, resulting in an enhanced version. Findings – After evaluation, the GC@BU framework showed to be easy to apply in the context for which it was created (university libraries). It is noteworthy that in addition to the knowledge management application, the GC@BU reinforces the importance of concerning for the quality and the services, since it uses as a parameter the standards of the ACRL. In addition, the perspective used to characterizing university libraries (as CASs) was well accepted by the tool evaluators. Research limitations/implications – The proposed framework is focussed on university libraries, but its use in other contexts should not be dismissed as long as the manager makes the necessary adjustments for this purpose. Practical implications – Since knowledge management is an intangible element, its application and benefits are not easy to conceive. This tool provides the implementation of knowledge management in university libraries, and knowledge is considered from different approaches (from the user, the collaborator, the library collection). Besides, the tool is arranged so (in modules and verification criteria) as to allow the manager to administer the library as a whole, from the point of view of knowledge management. Originality/value – This study is considered innovative and applicable on the global stage of university libraries, because despite being evaluated by Brazilian managers it uses international standards and has a strong ability to adapt to different contexts.

Factors that enable knowledge creation in higher education: a structural model

“…KC is the process of "the generation, development, implementation, and exploitation of new ideas" (Mitchell and Boyle, 2010) and affects organizational factors such as organizational performance (Sin et al, 2015), innovation Bergendahl and Magnusson, 2015;Nguyen et al, 2016) and organizational success (Song and Kolb, 2009). The literature review shows that most researchers have focused on knowledge management generally and knowledge sharing specifically in higher education (Parirokh et al, 2008;Sohail and Daud, 2009;Ugochi Isika et al, 2013;De Bem et al, 2016;Bhusry and Ranjan, 2012;Tippins, 2003;Raj Adhikari, 2010), and limited attention has been paid to the influencing factors of KC specifically (Mitchell and Boyle, 2010;Yi and Jayasingam, 2012). Hence, this section briefly reviews some of the most important studies relating to the factors that affect KC at both personal and organizational level in educational settings, especially universities.…”

Factors affecting knowledge creation in academic libraries

“…However, for KM to be effective and for knowledge creation to be achieved, information professionals should assume a broader role than that of information mediator and view themselves as ‘knowledge workers’. This would require them to cover the most expansive ‘possible range of existing knowledge … [namely] traditional library knowledge (library collection); internal knowledge (collaborators); customer knowledge (users); and external knowledge (partnerships)’ (De Bem et al, 2016: 8), to ‘envision future knowledge needs and present energetic knowledge activities’ (Huang, 2014: 436) and pay close attention to the context in which the knowledge cycle evolves. In that respect, KM constitutes ‘the creation and subsequent management of an environment that encourages knowledge to be created, shared, learnt, enhanced, organised and utilised for the benefit of the organisation and its customers’ (Abell and Oxbrow, 2001: 267).…”

Leadership and innovation within a complex adaptive system: Public libraries

“…When CAS is applied to actual cases, it is not done to the extent of the current study—where CAS is a driving theory. De Bem et al (2016) characterized a university library as a CAS, but this was done more to frame the larger story of knowledge management implementation within the library—noting CAS as a background element —rather than to guide the study. There is also broader information science research that utilizes CAS in its operationalization, but this tends to be outside of the library—namely in connection with information architecture (Burford, 2011; Campbell and Fast, 2006).…”