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Special Libraries as Knowledge Management Centres

Eva Semertzaki, Bank of Greece

Chandos Information Professional Series

If your library is not yet a knowledge centre it is an essential purchase.
Managing Information

 - draws on the characteristics that make a special library necessary for an organisation
 - shows the importance of knowledge management in an organisational environment
 - provides ways to persuade the management of an organisation that the special library is the proper centre for knowledge management
 - describes the special skills and competencies required for a special librarian to put a knowledge management into practice project
 - presents the benefits for an organisation when it implements a knowledge management project

This book focuses on the role of special libraries as knowledge management centres in their organisations. It describes the work of a special library and the special library draws on the characteristics that make the nucleus of collecting and organising knowledge which is used for the benefit of the institution. By acquiring and sharing knowledge, staff will enhance the intellectual capital of the institution. Traditionally libraries are the information centres that organise and classify information. Further on they are the proper places to create human networks and to organise the knowledge hidden in the minds of the staff. This book also examines methods to prove the value of a special library for the parent organisation when it becomes the centre to gather knowledge.

ISBN 1 84334 613 3
ISBN-13: 978 1 84334 613 5
June 2011
336 pages  234 x 156mm  paperback  
£57.75 / US$100.00 / €70.00

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About the author

Eva Semertzaki is the Deputy Head of Library Section at the Bank of Greece, holding a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Simmons College, Boston, MA. She is the editor of Synergasia, and Editorial Advisory Board Member of The Electronic Library. She has published articles in Greek and in English on library journals and has lectured at library conferences and seminars. She has translated, in Greek, library standards and guidelines from IFLA and ALA, as well as best practice guidelines resulted from European Union library programs. Member of: IFLA, ALA, Greek Library Association and Association of Fulbright Scholars.

Titles which may also be of interest:
Managing Intellectual Capital in Libraries
Knowledge Audits and Knowledge Mapping
Managing Your Library and its Quality
Knowledge Management for Sales and Marketing

Contents

Special libraries
 - Introduction
 - What is a special library?
 - What is a ‘special librarian’?
 - Mission of special libraries
 - History of special libraries
 - Special libraries versus other kinds of libraries
 - Special Libraries Association
 - Characteristics of special libraries
 - Services of special libraries
 - From traditional library services to knowledge management
 - Clientele, clients, users
 - Collections
 - Competencies and skills of special librarians
 - Marketing
 - Funding
 - Relations with the parent organisation
 - Relations between library manager and library staff
 - Library performance
 - Knowledge management
 - Cooperation with peer libraries
 - Conclusion
 - Bibliography

Knowledge management
 - Introduction
 - The concept of knowledge management
 - Knowledge versus information and data
 - Characteristics of knowledge management
 - Components of knowledge management
 - Personal knowledge management
 - Benefi ts of a knowledge management system
 - Steps to implement a knowledge management project
 - Conclusion
 - Bibliography

Components of a knowledge management system at a special library
 - Introduction
 - The roots
 - The signifi cance of knowledge management systems for parent organisations
 - Why special libraries are the right places for knowledge management centres
 - Types of knowledge management projects
 - Components of a knowledge management system
 - Sharing internal knowledge
 - Conclusion
 - Bibliography

Implementation of a knowledge management centre at a special library
 - Introduction
 - Challenges for special librarians
 - Competencies needed by special librarians for the knowledge management project
 - Getting support from the management of the parent organisation
 - Change management
 - Changing attitudes at organisational level
 - Knowledge management strategy
 - The knowledge management team
 - Getting started: steps to follow for the implementation of a knowledge management
 - centre at a special library
 - Pilot project phase
 - Technology embedded
 - Security of the system
 - Success factors of the knowledge management centre
 - Internal cooperation
 - Communities of practice
 - User education and training
 - Conclusion
 - Bibliography

Lessons learned, evaluation, marketing, and the way forward: case studies
 - Lessons learned
 - Benefi ts for the organisation
 - Benefi ts for the special library
 - Evaluation of the project
 - Promotion and marketing of the knowledge
 - management centre
 - Things to consider
 - Things to avoid
 - Maintenance
 - The way forward
 - Case studies
 - Bibliography