Libraries as knowledge management centers

Abstract

Purpose – This paper proposes enhancing libraries to act as knowledge management centers for small businesses, providing both knowledge management (KM) and competitive intelligence (CI) services. Design/methodology/approach – The requirements for a Library Knowledge Management Center (LKMC) are presented and briefly examined. KM, CI, ontologies, and the Semantic Web are all considered, and the steps needed to realize a LKMC are presented. Findings – An approach to developing a LKMC is provided, as is a rationale for the proposal. Future research issues for realization of this proposal are addressed. Research limitations/implications – This paper presents a conceptual overview of a project that is still in its early stages, and as such its practicality is difficult to evaluate. Practical implications – This proposal, if followed up with future research, will prove beneficial to both small business and to libraries. Small businesses are not always able to gather sufficient internal and external knowledge to assist in strategic planning and positioning, and thus are unable to compete with larger rivals whose resources allow them to develop sophisticated KM and CI systems. LKMCs hold promise to level the playing field. Libraries benefit because this reaffirms their relevance in a digital age in which so much information is freely available to patrons. Originality/value – This paper proposes a new service for libraries, one that will assist small businesses in competing more effectively with larger competitors.

Knowledge management

“…The introduction of a knowledge management policy and system promotes the organisation for the following reasons (OECD, 2003: 19;Parker et al, 2005: ■ It is an essential ingredient for the success of the company.…”

Use of the Normalized Word Vector Approach in Document Classification for an LKMC

“…nesses on one front, and by libraries on another (Parker, Nitse, & Flowers, 2005). At the core of the proposal is the premise that libraries can extend their services to act as knowledge management (KM) centers for small businesses, providing both KM and CI support.…”

“…The seminal paper (Parker et al, 2005) enumerated the requirements that must be met for libraries to expand their services to act as KM centers for small businesses. This paper describes a single phase of the study, investigating the use of document classification techniques to classify and catalog digital documents for an LKMC.…”

Knowledge Management in Higher Education : Applicability of LKMC Model in Saudi Universities

“…The paper is based on the literature review and personal experience of the author in the education sector. Parker, Nitse, and Flowers (2005) …”

“…It discusses different components of LKMC model proposed by Parker, Nitse, and Flowers (2005). For literature search, standard sources of scholarly information were used e.g., Library Literature, World Wide Web search engines and scholarly online databases accessible through University of Dammam portal i.e., ScienceDirect, Emerald, and many more.…”