Keys to managing organizational knowledge

CHICAGO — Sharing organizational knowledge supports onboarding, coaching, mentoring, and the day-to-day smooth functioning of the workplace. So why are the procedures, policies, and best practices for your organization often so hard to find? Although the term “knowledge management” might conjure up images of a bureaucratic labyrinth, essentially it means getting the right information to the right people at the right time. A lot of that information is embedded in work practices or may be siloed where it can’t easily be shared; managing it successfully hinges on effective communication with every person on your team. “Libraries that Learn: Keys to Managing Organizational Knowledge,” published by ALA Editions, surveys approaches to knowledge management (KM) that address hierarchical power structures and internal competition to get measurable results. Editors Jennifer A. Bartlett and Spencer Acadia draw from six case studies at academic and special libraries to share guidance on such topics as:

• demystifying KM by reframing the concept to reflect organizational needs;
• the six elements of an actionable knowledge audit;
• how to harvest insights from staff at all levels of the organization;
• ten characteristics that define effective communities of practice;
• enabling KM through platforms like WordPress, Google Drive, and Dropbox or by adapting library tools like LibAnswers or ArchiveSpace;
• fostering knowledge sharing among liaison librarians;
• how interim administrators can develop a KM plan;
• sharing tacit knowledge with storytelling; and
• methods for securing knowledge before employee departure.

Bartlett is an assistant professor and the interim associate dean for teaching, learning, and research at the University of Kentucky Libraries. She has worked in academic and public libraries for more than 20 years. Since 2011, she has authored the "New and Noteworthy" column in Library Leadership and Management, the journal of ALA’s Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA). Acadia has more than 10 years of academic library experience in collection development and acquisitions, digital and data scholarship, and research methods, as well as several years of experience as professor of record in teaching courses in psychology and sociology. He is a standing committee member in the IFLA Knowledge Management Section and participates in the IFLA Digital Scholarship / Digital Humanities Special Interest Group.

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