2. Knowledge Management and the Information Specialist: dancing in step or missing a beat? Hettie Groenewald Erica van der Westhuizen Johann van Wyk Academic Information Service University of Pretoria 2 nd SLOSAL Conference, Midrand, 11 June 2002

3. Definition of Knowledge Management Utilisation and exploitation of knowledge assets Including all its info and its human experience and expertise Ensure sustainability and competitive advantage

4. Definition (cont) Utilises its culture, processes and infrastructure to –Create, identify, capture, share, use & re- use knowledge –Adding optimal value to client’s knowledge base

5. Types of Knowledge Explicit (documented, recorded) Tacit (expertise and experiences in person’s mind)

6. Communities of Practice A COP is a network of people emerging spontaneously Held together by informal relationships Sharing common knowledge, expertise and tools Learning from one another

7. Life Cycle of a CoP

8. COP lifecycle 1.Potential Definition Role of Information Specialist

9. COP lifecycle( cont) 2.Formation Definition Role of Information Specialist

10. COP lifecycle(cont) 3.Commitment Definition Role of Information Specialist

11. COP lifecycle(cont) 4.Active Definition Role of Information Specialist

12. COP lifecycle (cont) 5.Adaptive – disengaging Definition Role of Information Specialist

13. Knowledge chart

14. Flow of Knowledge Retrieval/collection (finding) Organising/indexing Creating Info/Knowledge products Communicating/distributing

15. Web portal Search engines Directories News E-mail Chat rooms

16. Objectives of the Infoportal Support task performance Create personal virtual KN space Integrated access to resources Search web info Keep up to date Support KN networks/communication

17. Infoportal Finding information Library catalogue Databases Internet Home page

18. Learning to dance in step The challenge Ongoing process Meetings Effective communication

19. Infoportal Organising information Microdatabase tool

20. Virtual workspace Communication messages (e-mails) documents Communities of Practice

21. Infoportal Support electronic publishing Articles Theses

22. Choreography of the Dance Case studies – Service Unit Vet Science

23. African Goats Website Full text articles Proceedings full text Listserv List of experts Community of Practice Indigenous Knowledge

24. African Goats website

25. KM and Infoportal Ostrich experts – lecturers and researchers

26. Ostrich Virtual Group Messages Document storage Knowledge flow and sharing - COP

27. Ostrich – role of Information Specialist Identifying the need Virtual group – COP Placing content Supporter Facilitator Indexer

28. Choreography of the dance Case studies - Engineering

29. Dancing a successful tango Client Information Specialist

30. Knowledge Management Tango Interaction between Information Specialist and clients Subject indexing Capturing and storing

31. ArchUP

32. Architecture Microdatabase Background Access and control Microdatabases More needs

33. Virtual Group Civil Engineering Lecturers Information Specialist Tacit knowledge Explicit knowledge Virtual Group

34. Civil Engineering virtual group Potential Formation Commitment

35. Water@UP

36. Water @ UP virtual group Identify subject areas Mapping area Virtual group formed Commitment

37. Conclusion Are we dancing in step with Knowledge management ? ? Our role ? ?