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

Abstract

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.