I was once the director of an archival collection related to historical buildings around the world. From Babylon to Bauhaus, the collection held just about every amazing world monument you could think of and documented state-of-the-art historic preservation techniques. Here was my challenge: the archives was institutional with no public access, and I was a “lone arranger” in charge of all aspects of archival management at the organization. How could I share these treasures?

What actually motivates users of a knowledge management system? It’s the feeling we get at the moment of discovery. Yes, we need the information we are seeking, but it’s the buzz we get when we find it that keeps us engaged. And if we get the hit we’re looking for, we’ll come back—guaranteed.

Pilots can’t fly unless they have instruments that tell them what the plane is doing at all times, and where it’s heading. Library professionals need instruments too, in order to assess whether the products and services they are providing are valued, and to understand what additional products and services might be needed. Read about 4 tools that will help you maintain your situational awareness.

Midsized law firms face unique challenges when it comes to knowledge management. As large multinational firms must, they need to provide a solid KM foundation, protect and leverage the firm’s knowledge assets, and utilize the best technology for the firm’s KM requirements—but unlike their larger brethren, midsized firms are often resource constrained. What does KM success look like for midsized firms, and how can you get there too?

Every organization has its own particular vocabulary. It’s usually drawn from sector-specific parlance, with special additions that signify “belonging” and serve as shorthand for everyone in the know.

Below are some thoughts about the importance of speaking the language of your senior management and of your organization as a whole.

Knowledge management programs can use a wide variety of people, process, and technology components. It’s important for KM program leaders to gain direct experience with as many of these components as possible, to evaluate their possible application, and to lead the way in implementing new ones to fill current and future needs.

Are we ready for this? Sometimes a new technology simmers for years and then just seems to explode into the present. There are a few things cresting now in the consumer and business markets that we need to pay attention to.

In our previous post on the changing habits of information consumers and the changing role of information professionals as part of the knowledge supply chain, we shared examples of increasing complexity, underpinned by technology and changes in personal preference. In this post, let’s take a look at the third paradigm (KM 3.0) and see what it means for the sustainability and relevance of knowledge managers and special librarians.

In Part One of this series, we reframed knowledge management strategies in the context of strategies for improving the health of the knowledge ecology. We’re using the metaphor of building a nest (sometimes referred to as an intranet) where our eggs can hatch and ideas grow, and decisions improve in quality. In Part Two we explored five strategies, tactics and frameworks for accomplishing this. Now, in the final post of this three-part series, we offer an additional five strategies.

After one of Stan Garfield’s successful KM webinars, an audience member asked a question about Enterprise Social Networks and their value. It makes one think about the ways in which information consumption is changing and has changed over time—and how our personal habits are a key driver of this change.

In Part One of this series, we reframed knowledge management strategies in the context of strategies for improving the health of the knowledge ecology. We’re using the metaphor of building a nest (sometimes referred to as an intranet) where our eggs can hatch and ideas grow, and decisions improve in quality. Now let’s explore some strategies, tactics and frameworks for accomplishing this.

You don’t have to go it alone to sell KM to others in your organization. Take advantage of outside help by scheduling visits with others who are doing KM well, joining and participating in KM communities, using industry analyst reports, or using an outside consultant.

I once watched a robin build her nest from what was available around my yard. Her choices were interesting. She had lots of material to choose from, but kept picking up the shiny, silver tinsel from the discarded skeleton of our Christmas tree. Her nest was beautiful when done. It was also colder, and non-absorbent, and she was never able to successfully get her eggs to hatch. One of the morals of this story: Sometimes that which we find attracts us is not necessarily what’s best for the purpose.

In their interesting blog post, 10 Tips for Creating a Knowledge Ecosystem in your Organization, a group of Wiley publication editors share their insights on effective KM practices. As a result of seeking a “better understanding of how knowledge is constructed and how it is connected to prior learning”, they compiled a list of ten knowledge ecosystem elements.

One of Lucidea’s goals is to ensure a high return on investment for our clients. Per Wikipedia, “A high ROI means the investment's gains compare favorably to its cost.” Please read on for an example of how to think about and measure gains after implementing a Lucidea ILS or KM solution.

Even in a world of digital communication channels, it’s critical to hold annual enterprise-wide (or worldwide, if you work for a multinational organization) face-to-face meetings in order to get and keep all KM leaders informed, energized, and collaborating.

The Library Director at a mid-sized law firm implemented our Director’s Dashboard as an online business intelligence tool that would make it easier to manage library operations without having to perform the same search, run repetitive reports, etc.

RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden) is fully owned by the Swedish Government. The Institutes enable a competitive business environment and contribute to a sustainable society. RISE is supported by six libraries, the largest of which is within the RISE Innventia Group; it is a unique information resource for those with an interest in pulp, paper, graphic media, packaging or biorefining, offering a wide range of information services to customers worldwide, and—because of Presto—fast, efficient access to their content via the internet.