Transformation of Institutional Repositories and the Knowledge Economy: The Imperatives of Knowledge Management in Libraries

There is mutual intercourse between traditional roles of libraries and knowledge management practices which are concerned with how organisations track, measure, evaluate, share and make use of both tangible and intangible assets to meet their institutional or organizational demands. The establishment of institutional or knowledge repositories is a response to the demands and realities of acquiring , deploying and using new technologies and strategies to create , document , store , disseminate and reuse information to advance organizational objectives and mission. This paper discusses concepts of transformation, knowledge, knowledge management and the knowledge economy. It also touches on how knowledge is managed, paying specific attention to the role of libraries and librarians in knowledge management. Critical factor of IT/IT-based skills and funding are discussed as vital in achieving its success.


Knowledge
Knowledge is a mix of framed experiences, values, contextual information and expert insights (Davenport & Prusack, 1998). Knowledge comprises strategies, practices, methods and approaches (how). It is closely linked to doing (action) and implies 'know-how' and understanding. The knowledge possessed by an individual is a product of experience as well as continuous thirst for more information. Nnadozie (2015) describes knowledge as information that is relevant and contextual having evolved from experience gained over a period of time. Knowledge is highly valued because it is closer to action while information on its own does not make decisions. It is emphasised that it is the transfer of information in to people's knowledge base that leads to decision-making and thereby into action. Thus knowledge is information with direction which leads to appropriate actions. Simply put, knowledge is information put into action. Scholars in the field have identified two dimensions of knowledge-Explicit knowledge and Tacit knowledge.
Explicit knowledge is formalised or codified knowledge. It is easy to identify, store and retrieve. It is sometimes referred to as "know what". It is effective and facilitate the storage, retrieval and modification of documents and texts. It involves ensuring that people have access to what they need; that important knowledge is stored and that the knowledge is reviewed, updated or discarded. It is considered simpler in nature and does not contain the rich experience-based "know-how" that can generate lasting competitive advantage. KM initiatives driven by technologies have often had the flaw of focussing almost exclusively on this type of knowledge. Explicit knowledge is found in books, journals, memos, notes, reference sources, electronic databases and the likes. It should be noted that unless deliberate efforts are made to convert tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge, it will not be possible to reflect upon, study and discuss and share it within the organisation (institution) Since it will remain hidden and inaccessible inside the heads of the persons that have it (Uriate, 2008).
On the other hand tacit knowledge also described as "know-how" refers to intuitive, hard-to-define knowledge that is largely experience-based. It is context-dependent and personal in nature. Tacit knowledge is regarded as the most valuable source of knowledge and the most likely to lead to breakthrough in organisations. In daily practice, it is near impossible to convey our intuitive understanding acquired from years of experience and intuition. Thus it will be quite impossible for an auto-engineer or pilot to codify their knowledge into a document that could convey their "know-how" to a beginner. This is one reason why experience in a particular field is so highly regarded in the job market. Since tacit knowledge is so individualised, the degree and facility by which it can be shared depends to a great extent on the ability and willingness of the person possessing it to make it available to others. Tacit knowledge is crucial to getting things done and creating value for the organisation. Tacit knowledge can be shared and communicated through various social, official or professional activities that facilitate exchange such as conversations, workshops, conferences and on the job training. Therefore, it is important for organisations and institutions to discover, propagate and utilize the tacit knowledge of its employees in order to optimize the use of its own intellectual capital. Tacit knowledge www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/jetss Journal of Education, Teaching and Social Studies Vol. 2, No. 3, 2020 69 Published by SCHOLINK INC.
can only be seen through application and that is why it is difficult to capture, exploit and diffuse among organisation members.

Knowledge Economy
Knowledge economy as a phrase was popularized by Peter Drunker (1969). He described the difference between manual workers and knowledge workers. The manual worker according to him works with his or hers hands to produce goods and services while a knowledge worker works with his or her head, not hands, and produces ideas, knowledge and information. He opined that information and knowledge can be shared and actually grow through application.
The term knowledge economy is conceived by researchers to indicate and underline the pivotal role of knowledge in modern economic activities and relationships. Investopedia (2015) states that knowledge economy is a system of consumption and production that is based on intellectual capital. It arose out of the increasing complexity of Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) which have made production activities dependent on higher level of skills and knowledge capabilities. Brinkley (2006) stressed that participants or operators in the knowledge economy must not only possess multi-tasking skills but should also be technology-driven.
In a knowledge economy, a significant part of an organization or a company's values consist of intangible assets, such as the value of its workers' knowledge (i.e., intellectual capital). A knowledge economy does not emerge or exist in a vacuum. Azubuike (2007)  Economic success is increasingly being based on unhindered sharing and effective utilization of intangible assets such as knowledge, skills and innovative potentials, which are the key resources for competitive advantage (Brinkley, 2006

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The knowledge economy organizations re-organize workers to allow them handle, store and share information through knowledge management practices  knowledge economy has a high and growing intensity of ICT use by educated knowledge workers and  A growing share of gross domestic products (GDP) is devoted to knowledge intangibles.

Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management Activities
The concept and idea of knowledge economy accelerated the growth and development of knowledge management (KM). The term has attracted various definitions from scholars in different fields.
However, any comprehensives attempt at its definition must take into account the two types of knowledge (explicit and tacit).
Ajiferuke (2003)'s definition therefore suffices. According to him, knowledge management involves the management of explicit knowledge, that is, knowledge that has been codified in documents, databases, webpages etcetera, and the provision of an enabling environment for the development, nurturing, utilization, and sharing of employer's tacit knowledge, that is "know-how", skills and expertise.
KM is a systematic process of taking advantage of intellectual capital and knowledge assets in order to promote organizational success. Knowledge management practices in general describes how organizations track, measure, share and make use of intangible assets such as an employer's ability to think and react quickly in crises. The key management practices are creating knowledge sharing culture, providing incentive policy to retain employees and alliances for acquiring knowledge and written knowledge managements policy. Neilson (2006) draws attention to the connection between different knowledge management activities like knowledge creation, acquisition, capturing, assembling, sharing, integration, leverage and exploitation. Through these activities organizations discover new knowledge within the organization as well as from outside the organization that not only enhance knowledge capabilities but also enrich the entire organizational knowledge assets. Neilson (2006) further identified 3 dynamic capabilities of (i) knowledge development (ii) knowledge (re)combination and (iii) knowledge use. It is the interplay of these dynamic activities starting from creating or acquiring new knowledge, sharing /exchange and ending with its exploitation/reuse that propel and guarantee innovation and transformation in organization and institutions.
From here, let us attempt to situate libraries and their institutional repositories in the KM process to see how they are positioned to capture, store, preserve, exchange, and share and use knowledge to create value in the knowledge economy continuum.

Libraries/Institutional Repositories and the Knowledge Economy
The fundamental questions or issues here are how do we define and situate library repositories to meet the demands of the knowledge economy. Put differently, what roles do libraries/institutional repositories play to enhance and sustain knowledge economies of their organizations or institutions?
Our concern is with institutional repositories that have emerged and which have the dual mandate of not only serving their specific institutions but also other organisations that own and use them to achieve their mission and goals. Fundamentally, both industries and societies are end beneficiaries of the skills and expertise acquired from knowledge repositories. This therefore justify the role knowledge repositories play in the knowledge economy enterprise.
Libraries of today, out of necessity have become hybrid as they now combine both print collections and electronic or digital ones. Libraries are also increasingly not being seen as isolated institutions outside their environment but active constituent of a world network of information sources. It is a product of inter-thematic and inter-sectoral approach of collaboration among libraries and people transcending geographic and other materials or mid frontiers (Tsimpolou, 2017).
Knowledge management has become the buzzword in key part of modern libraries. Libraries are seen as integral in the knowledge ecosystem strategies. A library' status is no longer being defined by the collection it houses but extended to include online and seamless access to information resources packaged in institutional repositories. Thus institutional repositories have become the nexus of managing information in libraries.

Institutional Repositories in Libraries
An institutional repository (IR) can be defined as the digital preservation of the intellectual output of scholars in an institution that is accessible to inquirers and researchers worldwide. It is online, interactive and has capacity for growth. Westrienen and Lynch (2005) assert that IR is most essentially an organizational commitment to the stewardship of the digital materials, including long-term preservation and facilitating access to digital asset. Drake (2004) states that IR are created to manage, preserve and maintain the digital resources, intellectual output and histories of institutions.

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To collect content in a single location.

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To provide open access to institutional research output by self-achieving and.

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To store and preserve other institutional digital assets, including unpublished or otherwise easily lost (grey) literature (e.g., theses, technical reports, etc.).

Role of Librarians in Knowledge Repositories Management
Librarians will continue to serve their traditional roles of acquiring, processing, organizing, disseminating and storing both print and non-print materials. What roles will they play in a new or changing and incessantly networked information environment? To build an effective technology driven library it is imperative that the librarian must collaborate more with personnel from other departments of the institution. He must be a part of the wider institutional infrastructure committed to furthering new educational and learning approaches.  Managing access to electronic information resources etc.
In addition to organizational and interpersonal skills, new librarians requires.
 Strong IT skills and familiarity with the use of databases and the internet.
 Team working and management skills.
 Assessment of resource and library users need.

 Presentation and verbal communication skills.
 Subject-specific knowledge or expertise in a particular function, e.g. ICT resources or resource ordering.

Human Capital
This is a very critical factor in organizational knowledge. Human capital consists of competencies, skills, and knowledge and information possessed by the workers of any organization or institution. The role of human capital is not only limited to the idea generation but rather its role is also important during the distinctive idea execution to deliver the innovative product and service to customers (Akran, Siddiqui, Nawaz, Ghauri, & Cheew, 2011). People according to Edwards (2011) constitute 70% of the entire component of KM. It is important that they are guided and coordinated effectively to enhance institutional performance. Knowledge sharing forms the basis of any knowledge management programs and activities. Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) stressed that knowledge increases when it is shared. Thus organizations and (Institutions) seeking performance gains must consider dedicating a significant amount of efforts towards fostering employees learning and sharing behavior. Igwebuike, Oyekweodire and Agbo (2015) identified three major approaches to enhance employee knowledge sharing within organization as:- A Technology based approach in which technologies are considered the facilitators of knowledge sharing practices within organizations.

Funding
This is the bedrock of every organization. Funds are required for the procurement of IT infrastructure, equipment and services. Payment for wages, training and retraining programme for staff. Funds are also needed to sustain operational cost, for upgrading and maintenance of equipment and facilities. New models found in open source initiatives and networking/ consortia arrangements and other alternative sources of self-help have become compelling options.

Key Issues in Knowledge Management in Repositories
The challenges confronting the development and maintenance of institutional repositories are legion.  Digital illiteracy and underutilization of existing technologies etc.

Conclusion
We have attempted to define the concepts of transformation, information, knowledge, knowledge economy and knowledge management systems. The place of knowledge repositories especially in Libraries as critical agents in the knowledge management activities was underscored. Critical factors in running repositories as well as basic issues in their management were equally touched. To facilitate the implementation of knowledge repositories, a well-defined operational policy and management system must be put in place taking into consideration the realities of high cost of technologies and skilled personnel since human factors are vital in diffusing knowledge in institutions/organizations. Limited by funds, technologies, personnel and space, libraries must analyze and prioritize their need and seek to develop cooperative acquisition plans and as well take full advantage of open source initiatives.