Claudia Lux

14 Knowledge Management in
14 Public Libraries 14 Knowledge Management in Public Libraries

Abstract:Knowledge management for libraries began essentially in special librar-

ies within research institutions and companies and over time, with necessary
discourse, moved to include strategies specifically for academic and research
libraries. Now the question is how to fit knowledge-management tools and
practices to benefit public libraries. This discussion concerns the application of
diverse KM tools when serving an entirely different group of library users and a
different kind of staff, compared to other library organizations using KM tech-
niques. The library environments are ever changing and change management
must be applied if libraries are to continue to succeed. It is no longer enough to
collect knowledge to use but to have the best available knowledge for developing
better and more effective services for the public. This paper was presented at the
Knowledge Management programme of the 2012 IFLA World Library and Informa-
tion Congress in Helsinki, Finland.

Introduction
For many years the term “knowledge management in libraries” was attached to
special libraries only, to describe their additional role in their specialized research
institution or company, where sharing of knowledge and knowledge management
of the institution is essential to stay abreast in research and production (Special
Libraries Association 1998). Discussion about knowledge management developed
a great deal specifically for the academic and research libraries in general, and
brought a wave of knowledge-management strategies and practices (Wen 2005).
But how should this apply to public libraries, with a completely different group of
users and a very different staff compared to special or academic libraries? Is there
any potential for knowledge management in public libraries? What will knowl-
edge management add to the output of a public library? Are there strategies and
practices of knowledge management that can help the development of public
libraries, without imposing an administrative elephant on the institution?
First, there is no doubt that a public library is not at all just a book-lending
institution but a place for access to knowledge. This is not a new development,
but it is more evident since the digital age. Nowadays public libraries provide
access not just to their own collection and their branches, but access to all kinds

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182 Claudia Lux

of university catalogues, the WorldCat, full-text databases, digitized archives and

digital aggregations like Europeana.1 Therefore, the potential to meet their users’
needs have grown exponentially, and the need for more knowledge embedded in
each public librarian is developing every day. This knowledge has to be shared
inside the public library team, and knowledge management can be a cornerstone
to develop the organization.
Second, it is obvious that in metropolitan public libraries and in public library
systems with many branches, communication is not so easy, nor is the sharing of
knowledge. Due to many localities of branches and due to longer opening hours
and shifts at different locations, staff meetings or email communication alone
will not take the communication to the professional level of institutional knowl-
edge needed. Knowledge management is the key to manage these new challenges
and to build a streamlined service for the public.
Third, only when public libraries identify and actively distribute the pro-
fessional experience in their institutions and organize and manage it in a struc-
tured way, can we talk about knowledge management. Knowledge management
in public libraries comprises the internal and the external aspects and focuses
on the development of a better quality in library services. Internally, library staff
need to discuss how to organize and distribute the knowledge they develop in
their institutions. Externally, public librarians are supporting knowledge man-
agement in their services.

Knowledge Management: A Key Internal Factor

for Public Libraries
Knowledge management in public libraries is first of all the management of the
internal knowledge as it is in other institutions. In Germany, a traditional library
country, librarians have been in their jobs as civil servants, often for a lifetime.
These librarians have acquired a long-term stable knowledge of internal proce-
dures and professional experience and they contribute to the continuity of the
library and sustainability of internal knowledge. This knowledge is very often not
written down, nor it is now in a current state, although exceptions exist for regular
development of trainees. Stability is still an important aspect for academic and
research libraries, but times are changing. In a modern public library a group of
people with the same old knowledge of procedures and their internal organiza-
tional traditions might hinder new perspectives of library services and any kind

1 http://www.europeana.eu/portal. Accessed on 2 May 2015.

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 14 Knowledge Management in Public Libraries 183

of change management. However, some of the knowledge needs to be kept and

to be developed, as much as librarians will acquire and share new knowledge.
Contrary to Germany, in Qatar, where since 2011 a new Qatar National Library
with three integrated functions of a national, an academic and a metropolitan
public library is in construction, the knowledge base of the library is developing
with librarians who have worked in different library settings outside the country.
Most of them have joined in recent years or months. Policies, procedures and
guidelines are not yet totally defined and need to be developed. For sure, these
documents will not be cut in stone, as everything changes and is in a flow. The
actual situation in Qatar is changing constantly. This is close to the situation in
Germany after the wall came down, when the central public libraries of East and
West Berlin united. It was a special political situation and the library staff had to
redefine many new guidelines and had to take the best from each side of two dif-
ferent library cultures, or had to implement totally new policies and procedures.
Looking at the emerging Gulf Region and the State of Qatar with many foreign
workers and the need for more professionally trained librarians from among
Qatari nationals, librarians see more than ever the importance of knowledge
management. There will be negative consequences without proper knowledge
management when after a few years expatriates leave the country. Professional
knowledge leaves with people, if it is not managed well.
There is a simple test to understand some of the principles of knowledge man-
agement. Close your eyes and think of all the people you have met in your life.
Are you organizing them into groups – for example family, classmates, friends,
colleagues you meet at a library conference? In addition you will remember nice
ones and not so nice ones. And you will remember some you have not seen for a
long time. Now, open your eyes and this time try to use knowledge management
tools to organize your memories to make them known to the person next to you
in a structured way. How long will it take to write down what you remembered in
the short moment before? Or do you want to wait until computer systems will be
developed that are attached to your brain and write it up for you?
The above showcases the idea of what a public library needs to do to follow
up their history of processes, decisions, procedures, and knowledge creation
to install it in the organization with one goal: to serve their users better. There
is a clear difference between knowledge of individuals and knowledge embed-
ded in organizations, like processes and procedures that are needed to sustain
the library and support its functions. Knowledge management is important, as
knowledge leaves with people, if the organization does not take responsibility for
it. A normal procedure in finance, in procurement or in information technology
systems is to document the changes in procedures or in the software, so that every-
one can follow up. This documentation now becomes more and more important

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184 Claudia Lux

for the normal organization of the public library. Knowledge management does
not only reflect processes and procedures that need to be documented, but also
collects the intangible knowledge embedded in the staff of the public libraries.
“It could also be argued that employees with high organizational knowledge have
a better grasp of their jobs and require less management supervision. Quicker,
higher quality decisions could be made from lower levels of the organization. For
employees who interact with customers, these intangible benefits could translate
into better customer service with faster reaction times to customer questions. This
better customer interaction provides an organization with an intangible compet-
itive advantage” (Schloetzer 2003).

Key Areas for Knowledge Management in

Public Libraries
There are a few main areas in public libraries where knowledge management is
of significant importance: collection development, acquisition, processing, ref-
erence work, activities and programmes – all of them have a mixture of tangible
and intangible knowledge that is important for the smooth organization of the
library.
In collection development the policy is mostly written up and it is an
important piece of tangible knowledge. Public libraries in many countries work
together with some special providers, who are choosing the collection accord-
ing to a written collection policy document. Or, in some cases, the library has
a special arrangement with a bookshop for bestsellers, and a written contract
keeps this knowledge clearly defined. In addition, organized internet resources
that broaden the collection, and wish-lists from the customer, support document
collection development. It is important to keep all this knowledge actual and reli-
able for the library work.
There is also intangible knowledge which is not managed in the same way
even though it is collection-related knowledge. This intangible knowledge can be
the knowledge about certain publishers, for example which publishers have the
best-quality books, or how databases from different sources overlap. Often public
libraries do not care to document this knowledge, but sometimes they pass it on
to trainees, to the next generation, as they see that this is something important
they need to know. And last but not least, new trends in collection development
are often intangible knowledge for a certain time and often not understood as
trends until there is a breakthrough and it is adopted by all libraries. All of this

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 14 Knowledge Management in Public Libraries 185

kind of intangible knowledge is embedded in library staff, but not in the same
way in the library as an institution, and it is very difficult to manage.
In acquisition the tangible knowledge is now in our IT system, with list of
providers, costs and all kinds of codes that should make our life easier. Here in
the system everything is documented and this knowledge stays in the library, it is
developed and passed on to all newcomers. The intangible knowledge in acqui-
sition might become the more important part, as librarians know very well, if a
provider delivers in a timely manner, makes exceptions, takes books back and
has a good style in delivering the material requested. To document all this in our
system will overload the system with information that is not always needed or is
changing too fast. But naturally this intangible knowledge needs to be shared in
a structured way that it becomes knowledge of the organization.
Processing in public libraries has changed a lot, but there are still many
public libraries doing it themselves. Many procedures are fixed on paper in the
contract, when processing is outsourced to companies who have to deliver shelf
ready material. Cataloguing rules are clear and processing rules are defined to
secure where exactly the RFID tag will be fixed, and which box will be used for
a CD or a DVD, and which electronic format needs to be used for e-books etc. In
addition there are more written rules for the binding policy. Again, when cata-
loguing is still done in the public library, this knowledge is written down in pol-
icies and procedures. But knowledge management also means to distribute and
enable adoption of this knowledge. Therefore, public libraries do a lot of in-house
training as an important part of knowledge management, especially for process-
ing and cataloguing, if this is not outsourced. This learning on the job stays in
the organization for quite a long time – sometimes longer than needed. “We have
always done it like this…” was one of the common phrases of resisting staff, when
public libraries started not only to change to modern technology but to change
their processing procedures completely and to include diverse media and e-col-
lections.
In reference work there is far less knowledge documented and it seems to be
more difficult to share knowledge. Search methodologies and overviews of ref-
erence tools are a part of this knowledge taught at library schools. But there is
more intangible knowledge that is difficult to share. Reference-librarian skills are
characterized by their experience in using the catalogue and the web resources to
develop an associative knowledge to find what was requested. Reference librar-
ians in a public library have an excellent psychological knowledge concerning
what kind of users are coming and what their needs are. Nevertheless, it is still
very difficult to place this knowledge on a written paper, classify it, share it with
others and make this knowledge available for the future.

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186 Claudia Lux

Many libraries try to collect the special knowledge of their reference librar-
ians with machine supported tests or with handwritten documentation over
a certain period of the year. They want to analyse the amount and complexity
of reference questions in a library. But it is still difficult to analyse the quality
of the answer. The clear knowledge about the resources, which today are con-
stantly changing, and a systematic approach on how to analyse and answer the
question from the public, is all embedded in the reference librarian. Some “Ask
a Librarian” systems tried to collect these reference questions and answers to be
able to answer the same question again and save time for the reference librar-
ian. However, it became obvious that almost never is the exact same question
asked. In public libraries same questions and answers might only happen when
students have the same assignments and the library knows the school curriculum
and can prepare for repeat questions. There are many ways that reference librar-
ians share their knowledge with other librarians, such as, giving lectures and
training or work together at the reference desk, but at the end, there is no effective
knowledge management system for this intangible knowledge other than to share
it individually. However, most often because of a lack of time and staff this is
impossible. Therefore, very often intangible reference knowledge leaves the orga-
nization with the person. Maybe there will be new developments in the future
that can change the process.
Knowledge management for activities and programmes has changed during
the last ten years. Activities are now evaluated and there is far more documented
and shared with others than before. This is especially the case when new activ-
ities and programmes are developed. Due to lack of staff and time, new devel-
opments and changes are often not documented and the knowledge about the
participants, even though they have all filled in the evaluation forms, are not
shared. Some public libraries still refuse any documentation in activities and
programmes, as they argue it is more important to do activities with the public
instead of documenting activities. However, once in a while it is very important
to hold on and evaluate what the library is doing and to write up the knowledge
that librarians have collected about the people attending activities. Only then will
public libraries be able to see their impact on society. Many activities and pro-
grammes are built on personal relationships and often change completely when
the person, who conducted these, leaves. Knowledge management can mitigate
this situation so that the library is able to keep their stakeholders and continue to
attract new ones. To mitigate staff shortage a system of written and non-written
knowledge management methods needs to be developed and a partnership with
a student or a research project from a university could help with knowledge man-
agement tools.

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 14 Knowledge Management in Public Libraries 187

Public libraries’ partner networks are among the key areas of knowledge
management in the organization. The situation when you closed your eyes and
remembered people you have met in your life shows the difficulty in sharing
this categorized knowledge about human relationships. For a public library it is
important to describe partners, build categories and analyse the character of the
partner relationship to serve them in the best way and to get the support needed.
There is no need to completely change a partner network after the head of com-
munication leaves the organization or a new director comes on board. To expand
the stakeholders and contacts to new dimensions does not mean to cut out former
relationships. A systematic and regular approach supported by knowledge man-
agement tools can expand public library partnerships.

Knowledge-management Strategies and Tools for

Public Libraries
Strategies to implement knowledge management in big organizations often starts
with a total approach by introducing an elaborate system, which may or may not
function in big public library organizations. There are some knowledge manage-
ment systems that can be evaluated by library professionals to determine if they
are useful to implement in a public library. As for many libraries developing and
installing these systems might create too much administrative work, especially
when they are not integrated into the library IT system. In smaller libraries, and
for most part public libraries are smaller, it is important to have some simpler
tools and adjust those to the staff available.
First there is the need to conduct regular staff meetings across departments,
the main library and the branches. This is basic, but not always executed in a
knowledge management manner to exchange cross departmental information.
Most libraries have meetings and are aware that proper documentation helps a
lot to improve efficiency. Staff not attending these meetings will be able to learn
from the minutes or the presentations distributed. A new method is the video
documentation of the full staff meetings. From this those that are not present get
more knowledge about the atmosphere, which sometimes explains the intention
of procedures and decisions.
Second, share-point tools, shared files, are the most common tools and easy
to use on a desktop. Everything can be well organized and all information is
stored immediately in the specific section and easy to find again for reuse.
Third, group email lists or certain social media can be used for knowledge
management features. Using a staff email list for knowledge management it is best

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188 Claudia Lux

to number all related emails (e.g., reference tool number 1, cataloguing informa-
tion number 25 etc.). This helps to find and collect the knowledge easily and later
this information may be stored in special files, although new staff will be able to
read it and learn from it. In this way knowledge management for public libraries
grows steadily and does not start with an oversized system. It is very important
that sharing the knowledge is not forgotten and changes are adapted regularly.
Therefore somebody should be made responsible to update and monitor this
content. In this way mailing lists can be used to distribute knowledge about dif-
ferent aspects of library organization and services and support internal training.
After a certain time, the numbered emails can be saved in a special file and used
as training or referring tools. In addition, e-learning platforms can be used to
collect and distribute internal knowledge. Anyhow, without a responsible person
to update all knowledge related aspects and promote distribution in the organi-
zation it is useless and will soon become a dead file.
Knowledge management will also function in a traditional way through
written reports – if they are read and if they contain important knowledge aspects
and if they are distributed. In a time of information overload many reports are not
read anymore, not by management nor the professional level. However, reports
can prove that knowledge is collected, organized, managed well and distributed
to all relevant participants, even though it might not be as effective in a changing
environment.
In addition a version of storytelling seems to be an additional option to
exchange knowledge in organizations. Examples create pictures in the mind and
might stay longer with trainees, instead of asking them to read a report. And it
works well in special cultures where storytelling is alive and related to an excel-
lent memory of young staff as in Qatar.
How to apply diverse knowledge management tools needs a profound dis-
cussion to make the right decision for a public library. In Qatar for example it
takes time to build a new national library from scratch that includes a metropol-
itan public library and to develop staff internal knowledge to overwrite some of
the knowledge staff brings from outside and establish its own original institu-
tional knowledge. Knowledge management helps to streamline and makes the
institution effective. Nevertheless change management must be applied to secure
success in an ever changing environment. This combination will help to erase
knowledge no longer useful and replace it with new knowledge. It also supports
acknowledgement of ideas and intangible knowledge of staff and keep it as new
institutional knowledge. For public libraries it is more important than ever to
re-evaluate written rules and regulations and create a new collective knowledge
for a better organization and development.

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 14 Knowledge Management in Public Libraries 189

In the changing world of public libraries, knowledge management is not a

method to collect knowledge but to use the best available knowledge for develop-
ing better and more effective services for the public.

References
Schloetzer, Jason. 2003. “Managing the Intangible Knowledge.” http://www.
eknowledgecenter.com/articles/1009/1009.htm. Accessed on 2 May 2015.
Special Libraries Association. State-of-the-Art Institute. 1998. Knowledge management: a new
competitive asset. Washington, DC: Special Libraries Association.
Wen, Shixing. 2005. Implementing Knowledge Management in Academic Libraries: A Pragmatic
Approach. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Library. http://www.white-clouds.com/iclc/cliej/
cl19wen.htm. Accessed on 2 May 2015.

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