How library practitioners view knowledge management in libraries: A qualitative study

Purpose - The main purpose of this paper is to explore library practitioners' views of knowledge management (KM) and its incorporation into library practice. Design/methodology/approach - The study is based on the review of literature available in secondary sources, and the result of interviews of ten library practitioners worldwide. The respondents are purposively selected from the participants' lists of two international conferences held in 2008. The interviews were conducted through e-mail using a short, structured, and open-ended questionnaire. Findings - The ways of knowing and degrees of understanding of KM concepts among the library practitioners are varied. But the most library practitioners have focused on a shallow perception of KM for its incorporation into library practice - dealing with only explicit information and/or knowledge. This study also finds some of the reasons for responding to KM, e.g. increasing value of knowledge in the knowledge economy, role of information technologies, opportunities for improved library practices.Research limitations/implications - The study is limited in its scope conducting interviews of only 10 library practitioners worldwide, and hence, generalization may not be derived from the findings. Practical implications - The paper suggests that library practitioners need to broaden their understanding, change their traditional mindset, and to apply a holistic approach of KM system design and library practice, focusing on both explicit and tacit knowledge. Originality/value - The paper investigates the original views of library practitioners regarding KM in libraries