LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT

Is there Knowledge Management in Our Library?
The successful of KM in private business was challenge to understand what is KM and can KM applied on library? There are two KM definition from Perera and Broadbent as a simply understanding. According to Kamani Perera, KM is a systematic approach that ranges from technology-driven methods of accessing, controlling, and delivering information to massive efforts in transforming corporate culture. KM is not only about managing knowledge asset but managing the process including developing knowledge, preserving knowledge, using knowledge and sharing knowledge. KM involves the systematic process of finding, selecting, organizing, distilling and presenting information in a way that improves an employee’s comprehension in a specific area of interest. KM is conscious strategy of getting the right knowledge to the right people at the right time and helping people to share and put information into action in ways that strive to improve organization performance.
Another definition come from Marianne Broadbent, KM as a key differentiator between firms in the late 1990s. KM is about understanding the organization information flows and implementing organization learning practices. KM is not about managing or organizing books or journals, searching the Internet for user or arranging for the circulation of materials, but each of activities is part of the KM process.
From Broadbent’s view, librarian is not knowledge worker but administrative worker because librarian work totally routine with managing or organizing books/journals, searching the Internet for user and arranging circulation materials. Named knowledge worker if they have variety and exception rather than routine with a high level of skill and expertise. Then, how to become knowledge worker? There are 10 tips from Tricia Bond and Nola Vanhoy to become knowledge worker, that is:
Befriend the partner who have political and financial influences in the organization. KM projects that are championed from the top get off the ground more quickly.
Don’t be intimidated. Calling it ‘knowledge management’ doesn’t mean it’s much different from what librarian already face.
Brush up on professional reading on KM. A well-read librarian is a well-respected librarian.
Get to know the information-technology department. Its understanding of KM management may be different from the librarian’s, but the librarian will need IT to drive the technology behind any project.
Be prepared to show a cost-benefit analysis. Attorneys are very concerned with billable hours. Show them that KM implementation make the organization’s processes run more smoothly and efficiently so they can devote more billable time to worthy client projects.
Get greater participation by implementing a reward system. Have those in charge—managing partners, the human resources department—reward workers who participate. Money and merit bonuses are great motivators.
Show management that you are an innovator. Don’t get trapped in the books-and hair-buns way of thinking. Library embrace technology, look to the future, and understand hoe libraries evolve.
Don’t be discourage by projects that move slowly or ultimately fail. KM is a lesson-learned process. Learn from any mistakes to make another project even better.
Go the extra KM mile. Don’t just think KM in organization. Get the word out to others in the legal profession by writing and accepting engagement.
To bolster an alliance with IT department, volunteer become a tolerant tester for new software or devices. IT has its share unhappy user and can use a lift.
The aim of KM is making your organization more competitive with flexible and innovative people in the organization, that is: lower services cost; improved service; consistency in service; and other result. KM is not a solution of problems but a way of using expertise within the organization. One of example used by Broadbent to explain KM. A firm named EstateCo knew that one of its product was not selling well but they didn’t understand the reasons why the product was not selling well. The fact, the salesman of EstateCo knows the reasons. The salesman’s knowledge becomes EstateCo knowledge when there are processes which take the personal knowledge to the organization knowledge. The process called KM. With KM, EstateCo knows the right decision for the products.
The organization is easier to learn and make decision about something with KM, but KM is not only about that. Staff experiences or expertises are one of KM component. Now is our decision, to become librarian which is knowledge worker or administrative worker.

References
1.Broadbent, Marianne. The Phenomenon o f Knowledge Management: What does it Mean to the Information Proffession? http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/recordDetail?accno=EJ566617
2.Butterfield, Kevin. The Role of Knowledge Management at Academic law Libraries. 2002. http://www.aallnet.org/products/pub_sp0212/pub_sp0212_MB.pdf
3.Perera, Kamani. Content Organization and Knowledge Management in the Digital Environment. http://www.ulib.org/conference/2006/18.pdf
4.Knowledge Management for Customer services: Ingredients for Success. http://www.asponline.com/eGain_KnMg.pdf