Knowledge Management in Libraries

LIS Study Circle's meeting took place at Dept. of Library & Information science, University of the Punjab, Lahore (Pakistan) on August 19, 2009. The topic was 'Knowledge Management in Libraries'. The discussion's focus, mainly, was on:

1. Definitions and Concepts of Information, Knowledge, and Knowledge Management (KM)
2. Evolution of Concept & Terminology
3. Technology for KM Applications
4. Role of Librarians and Libraries in KM

The participants explored the topic in open discussion and it was really a brainstorming session started from 6:30 p.m. and ended up on 8:15 p.m.. followed by a tasteful dinner at PU Executive Club.

Findings:

• It was felt that the concept and technological applications of KM are still in evolution phase.
• Business community and researchers from Business Studies' domain are playing the pivotal role in development of the discipline.
• KM domain offers much attraction for libraries and information professionals as it opens up new avenues of service for librarians/information professionals.
• The participants agreed that librarians/information professionals may/can play an important role in KM as they are traditionally and historically engaged in handling explicit knowledge.
• However, it was felt that an enhanced skill set of social, management and technological skills is necessary to play an effective role in KM practices.
• KM demands a proactive role of librarians/information professionals in an organization.
• The most important element in KM was considered the 'organizational culture'.

Recommendation:

1. There is a need to introduce the KM concept and enhance needed competencies of librarians/ information professionals of the country on a wider scale through active programming like lectures, seminars, workshops, etc.
2. It was also recommended by the participants that a formal seminar/workshop should be arranged by professional associations, library schools, or any other professional group/organization, etc. on 'Knowledge Management and Role of Libraries'.

Meeting Schedule

Dear Professionals,

The schedule of LIS Study Circle's monthly meeting for the August 2009 is as follows:

Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Venue: Office of Prof. Dr. Khalid Mahmood @ Dept. of Library & Information science, Punjab University, Lahore.

Discussion Agenda: Knowledge Management in Libraries

The meeting will be followed by a dinner at PU Executive Club on self finance basis. You are requested to kindly confirm your participation ASAP.

The study material has been forwarded to members' email boxes.

Fond Regards.

Muhammad Rafiq, MLS, PhD Scholar

Coordinator - LIS Study Circle

UAN (off) : +92 (0) 42 111 000 010 Ext. 246

Cell: +92-321-7836131

Brainstorming Session on Web 2.0 & Web 3.0

LIS Study Circle's 2nd Meeting took place at Dept. of Library & Information science, University of the Punjab, Lahore (Pakistan) on July 10, 2009. The topic was Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 that was explored thoroughly. The discussion's focus, mainly, was on:

1. Definition and Concepts of Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0
2. Evolution of Concept & Terminology
3. Characteristics/Principles of Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0
4. Differences among Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0
5. Applications of Web 2.0, and Web 3.0 in contemporary world.

The participants explored the topic in open discussion and it was really a brainstorming session started from 6:30 p.m. and ended up on 8:15 p.m.. It was followed by a tasteful dinner at PU Executive Club.

Furthermore, it was felt that the concept and technological applications are still in evolution phase. We can not specify a date period associated with the concept. Real essence is community's participation, collaboration and sharing. Technological applications are instrumental for the development of library services in this era of 'informal organizations''.

Recommendation:

There is a need to introduce this concept in LIS professionals of the country on a wider scale through active programming like lectures, seminars, workshops, etc. It was recommended by the participants that a formal seminar should be arranged by professional associations, library schools, or any other professional group/organization, etc. on Web 2.0/Web 3.0 and its applications in libraries.

Meeting Schedule

Dear Fellows,

The schedule of LIS Study Circle's 2nd meeting is as follows: 

Date: Friday, July 10, 2009

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Venue: Office of Prof. Dr. Khalid Mahmood @ Dept. of Library & Information science, Punjab University, Lahore.

Discussion Agenda: Web 2.0/3.0

The meeting will be followed by a dinner at PU Executive Club on self finance basis. You are requested to kindly confirm your participation ASAP.

The study material has been forwarded to members' email boxes.

Fond Regards.

 

Muhammad Rafiq, MLS, PhD Scholar

Coordinator - LIS Study Circle

UAN (off) : +92 (0) 42 111 000 010 Ext. 246

Cell: +92-321-7836131

Database aims to put African research on the map

Munyaradzi Makoni, 15 June 2009 | EN

There is good peer-reviewed science on the continent but this science, for various reasons, is not visible

SciDev.Net

[CAPE TOWN] An attempt to make African science more visible by tracking the scientific publications of the continent's scientists is underway.

Africa Science Trackers (AST), based in Stellenbosch, South Africa, aims to record every peer-reviewed paper by African scientists published in both national and international journals as well as information available through non-conventional channels — so-called 'grey literature' — since 2000.

AST has already collated information on more than 200 electronic and print journals from the continent, most of which come from Nigeria and South Africa.

AST is hoping that its data will also be included in international listings.

"We want to tackle the under-representation of African researchers in international indices such as Web of Science, Scopus and Pascal," says Taurai Imbayarwo, a Zimbabwean science metrics researcher and the founding director of AST.

Volunteer southern African scientists have been creating the database for the last ten months but AST hopes to survive as a functioning business by charging researchers from outside Africa — including researchers in the diaspora — to use it. It will be available free to African scientists and institutions by the end of 2010.

"There is good peer-reviewed science on the continent. But this science, for various reasons, is not visible. The number of African scientific journals is not known. Vast amounts of research never circulate beyond the author's institution," says Imbayarwo. 

"If research done in Africa by Africans is lowly cited internationally, it is hardly going to be utilised to improve the socioeconomic development of Africa and its peoples," he adds.

At least three consecutive issues of a journal are needed for evaluation prior to being registered by AST. If a journal is rejected, publishers can resubmit a year later.

So far all the journals have met international standards including peer-review, a diverse editorial board, and regular and timely publication, Imbayarwo says.

Ssempa Nurudean Norman, programme manager for the Agency for Science and Technology Advancement in Uganda, a partner in the initiative, says recording African scientists and their publications, whether working abroad or on the African continent, encourages greater scientific collaboration and sharing of expertise.

Source: SciDev Net

Egypt to get digital science library

The new digital library could boost the profile of Egyptian research

Patrice Cayré, IRD

[CAIRO] Egyptian research could get a higher profile with the creation of a digital library, part of a range of measures aiming to enhance the availability of scientific information.

The United States-based science diplomacy institute the Fulbright Academy of Science and Technology launched the US$60,000 project in early June.

As well as a digital library of locally-produced research, the Egyptian research community will have discounted access to journals produced by leading US scientific societies and international publishing houses, following the model of the Iraqi Virtual Science Library launched in 2006 (see Iraqi scientists get free access to research journals).

A third part of the project includes training in providing and accessing information for librarians, researchers and information professionals.

National Fulbright Alumni Groups — comprising people who have received a Fulbright scholarship — and institutions on both sides of the US–Egypt programme will be involved in the project. 

Egypt has the second-largest Fulbright programme in Africa, with more than 1,600 alumni.

Magdi Tawfik Abdelhamid, a researcher at Cairo's National Research Centre, Egypt, says that to eliminate duplication of efforts, the discounted access of journals should be linked to the web portal of Egyptian Universities Libraries (EUL).

EUL currently provides about 75 per cent of scientists in Egypt access to the full text of around 1,200 journals.

"In an ever-increasing digital age, especially with the harsh economic conditions resulting from the current global financial crisis, virtual libraries are the best choice for increasing the visibility and usability of academic research while lowering costs," Abdelhamid says.

Source: SciDev Net

Peter Murray Rust, responds to some leading questions

Cambridge scientist and Internet Librarian International keynote speaker, Dr Peter Murray Rust, sets out his views on social networking, the internet's biggest challenge, the future for libraries, books, the semantic web, and other stories...Peter Murray Rust, responds to some leading questions from ILI...

Q. How are social networking tools changing the ways scientists work?
A. Early adopters are wired in everywhere - we use Twitter in our group, I also use FriendFeed. Some use Facebook. Conventionalists poo-poo them, but it is changing.

Q. What does the semantic web hold for the future?
A. Limitless. Typical new arrivals this year are GoogleWave (collaborative, interactive, pervasive, communal, universal and Open) and Wolfram Alpha - a dark horse that goes beyond OWL-based reasoning.

Q. How do you see the future of libraries? Are they becoming obsolete?
A. For scientific research, probably. There is a need for purchasing which should be done nationally by specialists but most of the rest will be web-based.

Q. What's the biggest challenge facing the internet?
A. The destruction of Net-Neutrality (hot topic in European Parliament last month and still in danger). If we lose then Time-Warner and Disney will choose which sites are offered to us.

Q. Will print books ever be replaced by ebooks in an academic context?
A. Yes. It may take 20 years but exciting new technologies continue to evolve.

Q. What's your favourite website?
A. Wikipedia for content. mySociety because it represents the way we can change the world. OpenStreetmap.org because it shows true bottom-up liberation.