Supporting academic health centers with knowledge management: learning from the Web

Area of Science:

• Library and Information Science
• Knowledge Management
• Academic Health Centers

Background:

• The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) published a seminal work in 2003 detailing library contributions to knowledge management (KM) in academic health centers.
• Knowledge management is a complex, interdisciplinary field with diverse applications, distinct from information management (IM).

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the concept of knowledge management (KM) within the context of academic health sciences libraries.
• To provide guidance and resources for planning and implementing institutional KM initiatives.
• To address the challenges and common failures associated with KM projects.

Main Methods:

• Review and synthesis of existing literature and best practices in knowledge management.
• Identification of key roles for libraries in supporting KM within academic health centers.
• Compilation of web-based resources for KM project planning and understanding.

Main Results:

• Libraries can serve as central hubs for an organization's KM initiatives.
• Successful KM requires strategic planning, drawing from multiple disciplines.
• Common pitfalls in KM project implementation can be mitigated with proper planning and resources.

Conclusions:

• Academic health sciences libraries are vital partners in advancing knowledge management.
• Effective KM strategies require a deep understanding of the field's interdisciplinary nature.
• The provided resources aim to support the successful development and execution of KM projects.