Professional Tacit Knowledge Transfer among Librarians at Kampala International University (KIU) Uganda

The way knowledge is transferred determined the rate in which an institution achieve its objectives. Few studies have been done on tacit knowledge transfer in higher institutions in Uganda. Scholars are concern that there is no clear knowledge transfer procedures in universities. It was in this context the researchers were interested to study Kampala International University library. The study aims at identifying professional tacit transfer practices at Kampala International University Library and their benefits to the library. The study employed an online self-administered questionnaire on 34 librarians and registered (25) 76% response. Content analysis and observation techniques were also used. The results are: mentorship, workshops, seminars, meetings, job rotation, consortia engagements are the professional tacit knowledge transfer practices exploited by librarians at KIU. Among the practices 76% of the respondents ranked workshops, seminars and meetings as the best professional tacit knowledge transfer practices. Meanwhile motivation was a very important aspect that influenced librarians to participate in professional tacit knowledge transfer practices. Majority of librarians (68%) said tacit knowledge transfer practices benefited the library by improving performance and maintaining the library competitiveness. Lack of adequate tacit knowledge transfer infrastructure was among the challenges mentioned. The paper provides a broad overview of professional tacit knowledge transfer in the university library especially Kampala International University (KIU). The study conclude that universities have clear knowledge transfer practices though not documented and widely studied. This study is a veritable resource to any university library that is still struggling with knowledge management and transfer