Knowledge Management in Academic Libraries and Information Centres: A Case of University Libraries

Abstract

In today's knowledge-based economies, appropriate Knowledge Management (KM) has proved a strategic management tool to survive and thrive in the ever-changing global market. Therefore, increasingly, all types of organisations including tertiary institutions are adopting KM. This paper focuses on university libraries and presents the partial findings of a study carried out to investigate and explore KM practices in Southern African Development Community (SADC) university libraries. A structured questionnaire was used to carry out the study. The study revealed the main reasons for practicing KM to improve library services: to improve library services and productivity, produce more with less, avoid duplication of efforts and leverage existing knowledge. The major challenges were identified as constant budget decline, lack of incentives, inadequate staff training and expertise, a lack KM strategy, insufficient information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and a lack of knowledge sharing culture. Finally, the paper puts forward some recommendations and a framework for KM implementation in university/academic libraries.