On the surface, Knowledge Management (KM) and library science/information management may not seem like natural partners. And while my background is in library/information science, the linkages between the two areas are clear.
Library/information science is about connecting people with the information they need. Knowledge management extends this concept: KM is about connecting people to information, data, or knowledge—whether knowledge lives in someone’s head or is captured in an explicit, searchable, organized format. In both cases, the core goal is the same: linking people with ideas, expertise, information, and knowledge.
Three Connections Between KM and Library Science
1. It’s About Asking the Right Questions
One of the main elements of librarianship is learning how to ask questions and interpreting answers to determine exactly what someone is looking for and why. For example:
- What is your goal, or what do you want to do with the information once it’s found?
- How do you plan to use it?
- Is this a one-time question or something with long-term applications?
- Will you need to re-use this information in multiple ways?
- How will you store this information for the long term, and is long-term storage even necessary in this case?
All of these questions must be considered, and their answers interpreted to best connect someone with the information or knowledge they’re seeking.
2. Information Management Applies Across All Fields
Subject-matter experts (SMEs) usually know a single field in depth. Information management practitioners share this depth, but their skills are universally applicable. Information professionals know how to find, collect, organize, disseminate, curate, and preserve data, information, and knowledge—regardless of the subject area.
3. Curation is Critically Important
Curation—the art of collecting, organizing, showcasing, and preserving artifacts—has been a staple of the profession since the Library of Alexandria.
In today’s landscape of overwhelming digital information, it’s more important than ever to have processes in place to spotlight key knowledge, new findings, and news that matters to your organization.
- Helping individuals make sense of the information surrounding them is crucial, yet it is an often-overlooked responsibility in most workplaces.
- If your organization’s approach is “we are all digital curators,” it usually means no one is consistently filling this need in a systematic way.
- Curation work closely aligns with the long-standing work of librarians and archivists.
