The key role of librarians in knowledge management
As firms strive for greater efficiency and delivering greater value to clients, knowledge management system can help firms by streamlining search.
Because of their skill set and experience, librarians are uniquely positioned to help firms get the most out of their knowledge management systems. According to the 2011 ALM Law Librarian Survey, 57 percent are playing a more active role in KM than three years ago.
Knowledge management tools like West km® open vast additional content that can be applied to research as well as creation of work product. Law librarians know where information resides, how it is structured, how to find it, and how to organize and present it in the most effective manner. Coupled with their intimate understanding of their firm’s information flows and workflows, they know precisely how knowledge management can fit in to enhance them.
In addition, librarians’ skills and experience in training attorneys how to use new technologies, and their role as a “bridge” between IT and attorneys can be tremendous assets.
In the end, it’s all about placing the right information into the user’s hands at the right time and in the right format. Librarians know how to do that better than anyone, and those skills can make the difference in helping their firms realize the full benefits of knowledge management.
Stop by booth #922 at the AALL National Conference and see what’s new in knowledge management.
