UNISA Department of Information Science Alumni Breakfast 2008 1 Knowledge Management (KM) in Higher Education: The Role of Librarians/Information Professionals

UNISA Department of Information Science Alumni Breakfast 2008

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Knowledge Management (KM) in Higher Education: The Role of

Librarians/Information Professionals

Felix N Ubogu

University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg


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International trend? • Many universities have combined their libraries and

information technology departments to create ‘Information Services Departments’.

• In the US, mergers are happening at small liberal colleges.• In China, Australia & the UK, mergers have happened in big

universities.• Library and IT services report to the Chief Information

Officer (CIO) / Vice-Principal / Deputy Vice-Chancellor for KM.

• Sometimes the position of University Librarian (Director of Libraries) is eliminated.

• New organisation structures have been developed. But• The blended model is said to have failed in research

universities in the US. (A. Foster, 2008).


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Blurring of Traditional Boundaries?

• Knowledge Commons


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24-hr CLM Lab Upper Level Commerce Library (Managed by University Central Network Services)


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Blurring of Traditional Boundaries?

• “In our Unit [Protein Structure-Function Research Unit], most searches are done using internet, we use a search engine (e.g., Google) to keep abreast with new knowledge and books are rarely used.” (Yasien Sayed, 2008).

• Declining book circulation figures: 40 percent of the library’s books have not been circulated in at least 10 years [? Xavier University, Ohio] (A. Foster, 2008).

• In 2005 OCLC reported that 84% of students started research projects by retrieving information via a popular Web search engine (OCLC, 2005).

• The library as a physical place has given way to the library on the web and collections are less book centred and more electronic (J. Lee & L. Ngatai, 2004).


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Knowledge Management (KM)

• KM is a recent phenomenon in HE with the first publication appearing in 1997 (Hafstad, 1997).

• KM is increasingly emphasised under the Information Services umbrella.

• KM promises to lead to better decision making capabilities, improve academic and administrative services, and reduce costs (Kidwell, Vander Linde, & Johnson, 2001).

• Central purpose of KM: ‘transforming information and intellectual assets into enduring value’ (Kidwell et al., 2001).


7Source: University of Edinburgh, Information Services, http://www.vp.is.ed.ac.uk/content/1/c4/07/16/ISOrganisationChartSectionsv8.pdf


8Source: University of Ballarat, Australia – Student & Learning Support Portfolio, Information Service, http://www.ballarat.edu.au/is/orgchart.shtml

http://www.ballarat.edu.au/is/orgchart.shtml


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Some conflicting perceptions of KM

• KM is a fad just like the TQM of years gone by. Knowledge cannot be managed. (Wastawy, 2008 – verbal communication).

• KM has seen limited impact in the private sector due to over emphasis on technological hardware and software (Hammer, et al., 2004).

• KM is not just another fad like total quality management (Ajiferuke, 2003).

• Recent global economic downturn has prompted many companies to scrap knowledge management posts or to reduce the scope of their knowledge management programs (Pringle, 2003).

• KM is at least lasting longer than typical fads and, perhaps, is in the process of establishing itself as a new aspect of management (Ponzi & Koenig, (2002).

• successful KM practitioners come from a wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds without any apparent common denominator (Tulloch, 2002).


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Terminology/View on KM (1)

Views from a survey by Ajiferuke (2003):• KM is a new term for what information

professionals were already doing [50/50 split].• Information management is just another aspect

of KM, i.e. information management involves management of explicit knowledge (e.g. documents) while KM involves the management of both explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge.

• Unanimous agreement that information professionals have important roles to play in KM programs.


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Terminology/View on KM (2)

• KM is the systematic management and use of the knowledge in an organisation to increase responsiveness and innovation. It is different from information management in its concern with sharing and mapping the information and experience of many individuals towards the betterment of an organisation, rather than information remaining with different individuals working separately towards the same goal (R. Eden 2004).


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The data-information-knowledge-action cycle

Action

Knowledge

Information

Data

Source: Metcalfe, A. S. (2006). Knowledge Management and Higher Education – A Critical Analysis. p.27


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Categories of Knowledge-focused activities

• Generating new knowledge.• Accessing valuable knowledge from outside sources.• Using accessible knowledge in decision making.• Embedding knowledge in processes, products and/ or

services.• Representing knowledge in documents, databases, and

software.• Facilitating knowledge growth through culture and

incentives.• Transferring existing knowledge into other parts of the

organisation.• Measuring the value of knowledge assets and/or impact

of knowledge management (Cortada, J., Woods, J. 2000).


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Knowledge in the HE institution

Internal tacit knowledge - embedded in the minds of individuals, gained through working experience, including research, teaching, and operational activities. Senior and experienced employees as well as university teachers and researchers have a sound knowledge of work procedures, rules and regulations, etc.

• Internal explicit knowledge - reports, guidelines, course syllabi, theses, databases, minutes of meetings and any type of tangible knowledge containers generated within the university. University employees who provide support functions generate significant explicit knowledge in different areas such as student services, international relations, enrolment management, computer services, research support, physical plant, among others

• External explicit knowledge - tangible material in the form of books, journals, reports, CD/ROMs and any other media, produced outside the university. This type of information and knowledge is generally available in the university library system

• External tacit knowledge - personnel external to the university with expertise knowledge, i.e. service personnel, subject experts, and any other person who provides expertise to the university (P. Wijetunge, 2002)


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Knowledge in the University

External Tacit Knowledge

Internal Tacit Knowledge

External Explicit Knowledge

Internal

Explicit

Knowledge

Source: Wijetunge, P. (2002). International J. of Educational Development, v.22, p.90.


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Key Areas in Managing Knowledge

Key Area Institutional process/services

Knowledge Content (data, information, knowledge)

Research; Teaching & Learning;

Curriculum development process;

Student and alumni services;

Administrative services; Strategic

planning

Processes Encourage the sharing of knowledge through the use of an intrinsic reward.

Organization of knowledge Knowledge Management Team

Information and communication technology (ICT)

To process and manipulate knowledge more effectively – Intranet and Internet.

Source: Habbel et al. (1998) Knowledge - critical capital of modern organisation.


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Role of Librarians/Information Professionals (1)

Knowledge Content & organisation of information & knowledge:• Historically the librarians/information professional have been knowledge

managers.• They have information content domain expertise, as well as knowledge and

expertise in knowledge transfer.• Mostly manage external explicit knowledge and some internal explicit

knowledge.• Enhance transferable skills including information retrieval and information

fluency skills.

External Tacit Knowledge

Internal Tacit

Knowledge

External Explicit Knowledge

Internal

Explicit

Knowledge


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Information and Communication Technology (ICT):• Proxy access to electronic resources for on-campus and

remote users, internal and remote database support, library’s digital content management system, library system e.g. Millennium, resource discovery tools (link resolver, meta-data & federated search services).

• Institutional repositories as knowledge base which includes internal explicit knowledge items (theses, reports, guidelines, minutes of meetings).

• Library IT extended/supported by the university IT.


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KM processes: The required paradigm shift is for librarians/information

professional to become facilitators/content managers of institutional communities of practice, as well as identified processes/services:

• create knowledge repositories, portals, “hubs” of information in identified areas of institutional processes to enhance quality and efficiency (tacit and explicit knowledge).

• engage in knowledge networks and discussions (tacit knowledge).

• use knowledge management as a way to expand the library’s role to areas such as administration or support services where libraries have had little impact in the past (T. Townley (2001).


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Skills required by Librarians/Information Professionals for KM

• Team working and communication skills: required for collaboration within an organisation.

• Communication and team networking skills: required for the sharing and transfer of knowledge.

• Ability to analyze business processes.• Ability to understand the knowledge processes within the

business processes that are required for knowledge generation/creation.

• Ability to use information technologies.• Document management skills - for managing explicit

knowledge (Ajiferuke, 2003).


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Role of LIS Schools

To foster communities of practice consisting of subject teachers together with librarians, is a way of achieving embedment and thereby increasing the cognitive authority of the teaching librarian (Ola Pilerot, 2006).

• LIS Schools should develop curricula to impart the knowledge and skills necessary for “Embedded Librarianship”.


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Role of the Professional Associations

• IFLA established Knowledge Management as IFLA Section in December 2003. The KM Section is a unit in IFLA's Division IV (Bibliographic Control).

• A KM Interest Group exists in Southern Africa - The Knowledge Management Society of Southern Africa.

• LIASA is yet to establish a KM interest group. • On the national scene, LIASA needs to play an advocacy

role to raise the potential roles that information professionals can play in KM programmes.

• Locally, the SLIS Special Libraries Interest Group pioneered the concept to its membership in Johannesburg corporate libraries many years ago.


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KM in Strategic Plans of HE in South Africa

• Unlike some of the Research Councils in South Africa which have KM strategies in their strategic plans, few, if any, HE institutions have articulated coherent framework for KM.

• For example, the Medical Research Council has articulated a informatics and knowledge management strategy in its Strategic plan, 2005 - 2010 (http://www.mrc.ac.za/about/objectives.htm).


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Conclusion

• With KM on the institutional agenda, there will be a champion for information and knowledge management functions.

• Executive Management will address a coherent framework and agreed directions for knowledge and information functions that align to the mission and objectives of the institution.

• Greater collaboration among institutional stakeholders in the area of knowledge management will result in better use of resources and improved services that are easier to access and use.

• KM offers librarians/information professionals the opportunity to extend the role of libraries in the academic community and to result in strengthened relationships with related units, inside and outside the university.


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Thank you


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References• Ajiferuke, I. (2003). Role of information professionals in knowledge management

programs: empirical evidence from Canada. Information Science, Volume 6, 2003 p.248-257. Available at: http://inform.nu/Articles/Vol6/v6p247-257.pdf

• Cortada, J. W., & Woods, J. A.. eds. The Knowledge Management Yearbook 1999-2000: p.296.

• Eden R. (2004). Information Strategic Plan 2004-2007. Available at: http://education.qld.gov.au/strategic/planning/pdfs/infostratplan.pdf

• Foster, Andrea L. (2008). Strains and joys color mergers between libraries and tech units. Chronicle of Higher Education, Vol. 54 Issue 19, pA1-A13,

• Habbel, R., Harter G., Stech, M. (1998). Knowledge - critical capital of modern organisation. URL: http://www.bah.com/viewpoints/insights/emt-knowmanage.html. (no longer available, but cited in Wijetunge, P. (2002). Adoption of knowledge management by Sri Lankan University librarians in the light of the National Policy on University Education. International J. of Educational Development, v.22, p.85-94.

• Hafstad, S.V. (1997). The knowledge management process in a business school environment. Business Information Review, 14(2), 135-140.

• Hammer, M., Leonard D., & Davenport, T. (2004). Why don’t we know more about knowledge? MIT Sloan Management Review, 45 (4), 14-18.

• Kidwell, J., Vander Linde, K., and Johnson, S. (2000). Applying corporate knowledge practices in higher education. EDUCAUSE QUARTERLY, No. 4, 28-33.

• Lee, J. & Ngatai, L. (2004). The invisible librarian. Available at: http://info.library.unsw.edu.au/psl/pdf/invislibrarian.doc

http://inform.nu/Articles/Vol6/v6p247-257.pdf


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References• OCLC. (2005). Perceptions of libraries and information resources. Available at:

http://www.oclc.org/reports/pdfs/Percept_pt1.pdf• Petrides, L. A., & Nguyen, L. (2006). Knowledge management trends: challenges and

opportunities for educational institutions. In: Metcalfe, A. S. Ed. Knowledge management and higher education – a critical analysis. London, Idea Group, 2006. p.27.

• Pilerot, O. (2006). How do students develop information literacy – through formal education or social participation? Available at: http://www.lilacconference.com/dw/resources/2006/pilerot.ppt

• Ponzi, L. & Koenig, M. (2002). Knowledge management: another management fad? Information Research, 8 (1) Available at: http://InformationR.net/ir/8-1/paper45.html

• Pringle, D. (2003). Bear bites knowledge officers. Globe & Mail, p. B8.• Sayed, Y. (2008). How the Library can best serve the Academic Research Community

at Wits. Presentation at a Library Staff seminar.• Townley, C. T. (2001). Knowledge management and academic libraries. College &

Research Libraries, 62 (1), p.44-55. • Tulloch, A. (2002). Knowledge management professionals’ competencies survey:

Results. KnowMap, 2 (4). Available at: http://www.knowmap.com/0204/tulloch_km_professionals.htm

• Wijetunge, P. (2002). Adoption of knowledge management by Sri Lankan University librarians in the light of the National Policy on University Education. International J. of Educational Development, v.22, p.85-94

Documents

UNISA Department of Information Science Alumni Breakfast 2008 1 Knowledge Management (KM) in Higher Education: The Role of Librarians/Information Professionals