Future of Knowledge Management (KM) along with the need for an advanced KM degree vs KM certification discussed
International library, archives, information resources, and knowledge management solutions market leader Soutron Global announces the availability of the latest “Vertical File” podcast hosted by John Connolly, MLIS, PMP that features a discussion with Brian McCann, a knowledge manager and librarian for an AMLAW 200 law firm in Kansas City, Missouri.
A volunteer and advocate for libraries of all kinds, Brian is active in his information management community and on social media. Brian has also launched a new TikTok channel called LibraryDad in which he dispels myths and gives inside information about libraries and the issues they face today.
In this illuminating podcast, Brian & John discuss outsider perceptions about corporate library work, discussing how the default view of school or public librarians is not applicable in the corporate library world. Per Brian , “In the corporate world, Librarianship is really the field of Information Science, and the role of the library and information science is to connect people with data that matters to them. Information has to be gathered, stored, and made available – that is all information science. How you store information and data is a matter of critical thinking. There is so much information out there that not only is handling it an issue, but finding the right information when you need it is an issue.”
In response to John’s question “How can we, as librarians, market ourselves and demonstrate our value moving forward?”, Brian suggests adding a tag line after your title that is descriptive of what you do, stating that “You cannot just type in ‘Librarian’ anymore when you are looking for a corporate job because it does not describe what we do. You must type in ‘Information Specialist’ or ‘Knowledge Manager’ because the job activities are interchangeable
When asked if Knowledge Managers needed an advanced degree in knowledge management, Brian recommends certifications instead, because “knowledge management is very principle-based, so it is hard to define sometimes. The job is to get people the information they need at their point of need.” As an example, Brian uses Soutron to set up searches that address observed search behaviors, so people do not have to reinvent the wheel to find what they need.
Also discussed during the podcast were practical aspects of the KM cycle, turning implicit knowledge into explicit knowledge so that everyone can use it. Per John, “We must get implicit knowledge outside a person’s head and workshop it, to create explicit project management artifacts. This is what most companies do poorly.”
Adds Brian, “Companies need to have behaviors and structures set up to capture that knowledge. A knowledge management culture takes 5-7 years to get going, but it will turn into a cultural asset long-term.”
About our Podcast, Vertical File
Vertical File, a series of podcasts presented by John Connolly MLIS, PMP, where we bring together expert voices to discuss knowledge and information management theories, practical applications, and insightful strategies. Vertical File welcomes a variety of guests from archives, information management, learning, and other roles to discuss how knowledge resources can be leveraged across functions to make organizations thrive.