SLA Presentation 2007

1. Librarians as Knowledge Managers: The View from the Executive Suite Dave Pollard SLA Annual Conference June 6, 2007 [email_address] Meeting of Minds

2. A Tale of Two Executives D: “We figured that by providing all this Knowledge Management software to our people, we could get rid of the library, and everyone could do their own research online.” R: “Information Professionals are specialists like everyone else today. It’s insane to have our managers and staff trying, badly, to do research, when IPs have spent their careers learning to do it very well.”

4. Dave’s Cultural Anthropology Story (2) The View from the Front Lines “ I can’t find anything on my computer.” “ I can search, but I can’t re search.” “ Why didn’t anyone show me this before ?” “ My task is to assess what all this data means.” “ I don’t need a perfect answer. But I need one right now .” “ Half of my calls are to ask me if I know about X , or, if not, who does.” “ The things we’re worst at are collaboration and innovation. Can you help us with that ?”

5. Dave’s Cultural Anthropology Story (3) The View from the Customers “ Why isn’t KM enabling our suppliers to reduce the cost of their services?” “ We don’t choose a supplier based on what they know about our business (and we assume they know their business). We choose based on the quality of the relationship we have with our supplier representative.” “ We expect our suppliers to be leveraging best practices and their communities of practice, to improve their services to us and leverage what they all know. Aren’t they?” Different from what the Executives view. Different from the Front Line’s view. Which group do you want to please?

8. Diagnosing Your Organization’s Knowledge Culture Stories, ideas, advice ‘ Best practices’ What knowledge is most valued In networks In hierarchies Where power resides What management wants from workers What motivates people How knowledge flows What drives decision-making Effectiveness Efficiency Personal satisfaction Promotion, raise P2P through collaboration Top-down from ‘leadership’ Long-term agility, opportunity Short-term profits, risk Type R Organizations Type D Organizations

9. How Executives See the Role of Information and Information Professionals Type D Organizations Type R Organizations (These charts to be re-done to improve legibility)

10. acquire store disseminate add value synthesize connect canvass apply Know-what Collection Content Just in case Know-who Connection Context Just in time Librarians are good at this But can they do this ? Type R Organizations: The Challenge

11. Type D Organizations: The Waiting Game