Purpose
This study aims to explore the nature of tacit knowledge (TK) sharing among library colleagues, with a focus on the characteristics of TK and contextual factors such as organizational culture or the mentor/mentee relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a critical incident approach, participants self-selected based on pre-established criteria to report knowledge sharing incidents between colleagues at either an in-person or virtual reference desk. Subsequent semi-structured interviews were transcribed from recordings and coded for thematic elements.
Findings
Three thematic areas emerged. First are the influence of organizational culture and the importance of trust on knowledge sharing behavior. Second, the value of teamwork and the significance of mentor/mentee roles surface as significant drivers of TK exchange. Last but not least is a better understanding of the nature of TK, as it relates to types of knowledge and characterizations of experience and expertise.
Research limitations/implications
The relatively small sample size nevertheless revealed some important findings that contribute to the understanding of the role of TK sharing in libraries.
Originality/value
The value of knowledge sharing in libraries is not well understood. This study demonstrates the value on several levels, including the influence of culture and trust, and the power of mentoring to harness TK held by experts. The proposed Tacit Knowledge Alignment Framework contributes to the understanding of the nature of TK in libraries. These findings begin to fill a research gap by furthering our understanding of TK and informing future retention efforts that are lacking in many libraries.
The increasing interdisciplinarity of scientific research creates both challenges and opportunities for librarians. The liaison model may be inadequate for supporting campus research that represents multiple disciplines and geographically dispersed departments. The identification of units, researchers, and projects is a first step in planning and providing support for research and publication. The proposed research audit model seeks to inventory research projects and personnel for interdisciplinary biomedical research using a relational database. The innovative use of a discipline-specific ontology as descriptive metadata holds promise for revealing connections that might not otherwise be discovered.
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