The IFLA Knowledge Management Section has developed a comprehensive Action Plan for 2015-17 based on the core values of IFLA.  Our goal is to promote the role of librarians and libraries in leading Knowledge Management (KM) activities and initiatives in their respective organizations to leverage intellectual assets and facilitate knowledge creation.

Our goals are many and include:        

  •       Raising awareness of KM among libraries, librarians and their institutions
  •       Promoting and enhancing the mission of libraries by harnessing the principles of knowledge           management
  •       Identifying and sharing best practices
  •       Disseminating the results of relevant research
  •       Providing connections that help librarian KM practitioners from all regions and specialty areas to develop skills and expertise, while expanding their professional network
  •       Maintaining close contact with other IFLA Sections, integrating KM into IFLA and the library and information community. 

We have developed a number of initiatives to support this.

Objective 1

The first is providing advocacy and advancement for all information professionals to increase their understanding of the value of KM to their organizations.  We do this through offering relevant sessions at the Annual Congress, such as the Open session at the 2016 Congress in Columbus, Ohio "Brave New World ‐ the Future of Collections in Digital Times: Services without Content OR Content in Context?” This was co-sponsored by the Knowledge Management Standing Committee and Academic and Research Libraries. We worked with other IFLA Sections such as Continuous Professional Development and Workplace Learning and Research Services for Parliaments on a Knowledge Café and held a satellite meetings.  The theme of the 2016 Satellite meeting was "Sharing Practices and Actions for Making Best Use of Organizational Knowledge in Libraries" at the University of Cincinnati.

Objective 2

The second objective is to share and distribute information about KM and its development and practical implementation to all IFLA members.  This also includes promoting the KM Section as “The voice of global KM.”  Activities to support this include sharing information on the IFLA KM website, using social media and technology to spread word about our work as well as publishing a substantial newsletter twice a year.  Another way we share information about KM is to make sure our programs support the IFLA Presidential theme of “Libraries: A Call to Action.”  We also have established a wiki as an advocacy tool to promote KM within organizations.

Objective 3

The third objective is to advocate and promote international social networking services for the members of the KM Section as well as the IFLA community at large.  We do this by encouraging diversity of genders, nationalities, languages and professional backgrounds within our membership.  We enhance communication between all of our members using all available social networking tools and channels.  Moreover, we use the Standing Committee as a forum to discuss emerging trends in the importance of change management as related to knowledge management.

Objective 4

Lastly, the fourth objective is to promote best practices using applicable KM tools and theories.  This was integrated into the KM programs at the 2016 Columbus, Ohio Congress with the goal of increasing awareness.  Identifying and promoting standards and guidelines also supports this objective. 

See Knowledge Management Section 2015-17 Action Plan for specific details and timelines.