Knowledge sharing in libraries: a case study of knowledge sharing strategies in Indonesian university libraries

Abstract

Knowledge sharing is believed by many organizations as a panacea for knowledge creation, and an important activity to boost innovation, improve productivity, and increase understanding among knowledge workers. Knowledge sharing has become a crucial activity in knowledge management, and it is adopted by many organizations especially in the develop countries. In Indonesia, they are not many organization that implement knowledge management, however knowledge sharing is quite popular and starting to be used by organization including library. There are not many libraries in Indonesia that implement knowledge management initiative formally, however, some libraries conducting knowledge sharing regularly and that has become a formal program in the library. Many libraries have knowledge sharing initiative for many purposes, and they have different strategies when conducting knowledge sharing. This paper is investigating the knowledge sharing strategies, the technology that they use, and the knowledge sharing purposes and benefits, as well as the knowledge sharing obstacles in university libraries in Indonesia. There are 5 university libraries that implement knowledge sharing. The purposes of this paper are, (1) to describes the knowledge sharing strategies in those libraries; (2) to describes the technology and facility that support knowledge sharing in those libraries; (3) to explain the purposes and benefits of knowledge sharing for the librarians and the libraries; (4) to explain the obstacles during the knowledge sharing implementation, (5) to describe how the knowledge documentation process and how the knowledge reuse. The paper output is a recommendation of knowledge sharing best practices that can be used by other libraries in order to enhance their productivity. The research methodology is using quantitative approach, and the research population is all university libraries in Surabaya, while the sample criteria is university libraries that already conduct knowledge sharing regularly at least for 12 months. The main data gathering is by interviewing the head and staff of the libraries and knowledge sharing coordinators by using semi structured questionnaires. The research results are, those libraries have different names of the knowledge-sharing program, and they allocate regular time for knowledge sharing. Furthermore, some libraries use social media for knowledge sharing and building a knowledge worker group. All library staffs are encouraged to get involved in knowledge sharing. The aims of knowledge sharing are to share best practices and lesson learned, the librarians also share their knowledge about theory daily task, how to solve problem, and ideas for the library development. The knowledge sharing obstacles are, not many librarians can express their ideas (shy/silent), and some of participants treat this sharing activity as a mandatory activity. However, those libraries did not implement open access for their knowledge that is created from knowledge sharing.