Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Want to see knowledge management in action? Go to, of all places, the library.

No, we won’t go to the library to find a book all about knowledge management. We will go to the library to see knowledge management in real life.

Look about. We are surrounded by reusable modules of knowledge Grab one. Grab another. Put them back in place.

Want to find one of those modules of reusable knowledge? They are searchable. These new libraries have computers to help us find the modules. Older libraries, I think some of these exist, have these cabinets full of little cards that tell us where the modules of reusable knowledge are.

Silly?

I don’t think so. The library is the best, easiest to find and visit example of knowledge management I can find. Trying to convince someone that your organization’s knowledge costs money and should be saved, searchable, and reusable? Take them to the library. Try to imagine the library without being able to find any book. Not pretty. It is a shame that most of our organizations are not pretty in this way.