Tacit knowledge sharing among library colleagues: a pilot study

Abstract

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.

Knowledge Work in the Library

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Conveying Complexity in Contemporary Academic Library Service Models

“…The interrelated topics of staffing, change management, customer service, and service desk consolidation contribute to a growing body of literature relevant to analyzing service models (Bunnett et al, 2016;Burnette, 2017;Chauvet, Bourbous, & Liston, 2016;Everall & Logan, 2017;Gardner, Napier, & Carpenter, 2013;Skellen & Kyrychenko, 2016;Venner & Keshmiripour, 2016). Also important is a series of articles examining peer-reference as an emerging practice (Hogan & Conlin, 2019;Faix, 2014;Bodemer, 2014;Faix et al, 2010).…”

The information literacy and continuous professional development practices of teachers at a Jewish Day School

“…Moreover, this study augments the concept of IL as a practice by introducing the significance of sharing information, which contributed most to teachers becoming information literate within their context, highlighting the importance of communication and social networks to the practice of IL (Crawford and Irving, 2013;Inskip, 2014). Collaboration was shown to be not only a way for novices to learn norms from experienced faculty (Burnette, 2017), but also a process that allowed all employees to challenge one another and collectively generate accepted norms, values and identities.…”