Role of Digital Libraries in Role of Digital Libraries in Knowledge ManagementKnowledge Management

Poornima Narayana

Deputy Head, Information Center

National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL)

Bangalore 560 017

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Communication is human nature

Knowledge sharing is human nurture

Alisan Tucker

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Defining KM

What KM - Vendors (researchers and consultants) are

doing.

Concepts are best defined from how people use them.

What KM -Users (companies and practitioners) are

doing.

KM Researchers with computer and/or information

science background consider

Knowledge = Objects (IT - Track KM)

Contd...

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KM researchers with philosophy, psychology,

sociology or business/management background

consider Knowledge = Processes (People -

Track KM)

KM research & practice focus could be on individual

or organizational

Knowledge is not something that can be managed, but

can be regarded as Human Faculty

KM is the art of crating value from an organizations

intangible assets

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Knowledge Management

Track/Level IT-Track People-Track Knowledge = Knowledge = Object Processes

Organization “Re-engineers” “Organization Level Group Ware Theorists”

Philosophers, Sociologists

Individual “Al-specialists” “Psychologists”Level “E-specialist”

Knowledge Management

Track/Level IT-Track People-Track Knowledge = Knowledge = Object Processes

Organization “Re-engineers” “Organization Level Group Ware Theorists”

Philosophers, Sociologists

Individual “Al-specialists” “Psychologists”Level “E-specialist”

Reference - Karl-Erik Sveiby

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MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEMS

(DAY-TO-DAY)

FUTURE PLANNING------------------Staff Technology Market PlanningImplementation

SYSTEMS DOCUMENTATION-------------------------------------------

Reports to Management Instructions to Users

System FunctionsInstructions to control staff

MAINTENANCE-----------------------Quality of DatabasesIntegrity of DatabasesBack-upsAttending Trouble - shootingUpgrades

SECURITY---------------

Identifying risksCounter measures

USER SUPPORT ------------------------ Training User documentation Help-desk On-line help

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KM & Paradigm-Shift in Librarians Role

OLD NEW

Warehouse-likefunction

Research supportfunction, desk-topdelivery

Desk-bound (‘Sit andWait’) service

Pro-active (‘Case-work’) service

Document provided‘as is’ little valueaddition

Value-added-information, Packagedknowledge

Managing manylibraries

Managing intranet anda few libraries

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Web as a media for KM

WWW provides hypertext access to documents located anywhere on

the Internet.Web facilitates combination of text, pictures, sound, animation

and video.Many varying information systems are tied into a homogeneous

browsable, searchable web.Net is equal opportunity provider without caste, creed, colour,

belief, etc.Net requires motivation and motivated learning is much more fun. Information sharing with global dimensions. IP enabling for accessing information databases.Facilitates keeping abreast of rapidly changing data.

WWW provides hypertext access to documents located anywhere on

the Internet.Web facilitates combination of text, pictures, sound, animation

and video.Many varying information systems are tied into a homogeneous

browsable, searchable web.Net is equal opportunity provider without caste, creed, colour,

belief, etc.Net requires motivation and motivated learning is much more fun. Information sharing with global dimensions. IP enabling for accessing information databases.Facilitates keeping abreast of rapidly changing data.

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Computer support for Computer support for knowledge processes…knowledge processes…

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How DL Can Contribute to KM?How DL Can Contribute to KM?Develop improved KM systems and tools –

by using relevant principles, processes, tools and techniques of DL

Integral part of an enterprise’s KM system in improved management of– Implicit and explicit knowledge

– Internal and external information assets

DL and KM: Domain AnalysisDL and KM: Domain Analysis

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Essence of KMEssence of KM

“Identifying, managing and sharing all of enterprise’s information assets, including database, documents, policies and procedures as well as unarticulated expertise and experience resident in individual workers” – Gartner group

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Essence of KM …Essence of KM …

Make effective information and expertise available at the time of need to improve the learning process

Take implicit knowledge held by key people and make it explicit for informed decision making across the enterprise

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Digital LibraryDigital Library

Organized collections of digitized material – Deployed over intranets and Internet via web– Typically via intranet library portal sites

Evolved out of extensive R&D with the advent of the Internet and the web

Large number of DL collections exist today

Co-exist with print-based libraries

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Digital Library …Digital Library …

Incorporate the principles and processes of knowledge organization in:– Print-based libraries – Automated libraries– Information retrieval systems

Currently domain specific (collection and/or user group)

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DL: MotivationDL: Motivation Anytime, anywhere access to large document

collections Promote scholarship and learning Promote collaboration and sharing of knowledge Preservation and conservation Structured access to semi-structured information Search across massive document collections Access to wider range of material

DL: ArchitectureDL: Architecture

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Principles and Processes of DL Principles and Processes of DL for KMfor KM

Information needs analysis and user profiling– Requirements studies, query negotiation and capture,

profiling for SDI/filtering/push (routing) services Content evaluation and selection

– Print, electronic and Internet –based sources (knowledge rating?)

Content capture, digitisation, conversion– Imaging, format conversion

Content de-selection

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Principles and Processes …Principles and Processes …

Content analysis and representation:– Classification, indexing and abstracting

Hierarchical, alphabetical-classed, thesarui –based knowledge organisation

Automatic content extraction, categorisation and summarisation systems

“Intranet taxonomies” – as basis for organising internal knowledge and to capture external knowledge

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Principles and Processes …Principles and Processes …

Cataloguing principles– Determination of access points for search– Rendering of personal and corporate names– Automatic name identification systems– Metadata

Information about informationEntry to the information store & rights

management

– Knowledge access needs to be metadata driven (currently – search engine driven)

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Principles and Processes …Principles and Processes …

Content organisation– Data compression

Text, multi-media objects

– Inverted file organisation for efficient search and browsing

– Representation of unstructured information: variable & repeating fields, records (e.g. ISO 2709)

– Full text indexing

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Principles and Processes …Principles and Processes …

Search and retrieval– Retrieval techniques: Exact match (Boolean) and best

match (Vector Space and Probabilistic), – Advanced search algorithms - citation/ link based

(e.g. Google came out of DL research in Stanford)– Powerful browse/ search features– Natural language queries– Relevance ranking – Relevance feedback and QBE (“Find more like this”)– Multi-media object searches (feature extraction)

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Principles and Processes …Principles and Processes … Standardisation and networking

– Cataloguing, classification & thesaurus systems

– Search across distributed information stores (Z39.50 IR Protocol)

– Information exchange via formats like MARC and CCF

– Metadata standards like Dublin Core

– Inter-operability (federated digital libraries) Persistent Identification of network-based digital objects (e.g.

DOI and linking of citations, handle system, PURL) CrossRef – Linking of citations across e-journals

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Enterprise KM: Functions and Enterprise KM: Functions and Challenges for DLChallenges for DLDL – integral component of the enterprise

KM system– Deployed via the intranet library portal – Dynamic knowledge base to gather and

organise relevant internal and global information sources, based on a taxonomy of the enterprise information needs, and make these available for decision making and learning

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Enterprise KM: Functions and Enterprise KM: Functions and Challenges for DL …Challenges for DL …Knowledge base of the DL:

– Internal information sources:Laboratory notes, project reports, staff

publications, staff profiles, annual reports, progress reports, vision documents, query profiles, search results, etc. (embedded implicit knowledge)

– External information sources:Locally held and/or remote information sources

(print, electronic)

– Online collaboration and information sharing

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Enterprise KM: Functions and Enterprise KM: Functions and Challenges for DL …Challenges for DL …Challenges for the DL:

– Granularity of access and content deliveryNeed to move beyond metadata level access and

document as units of access & deliveryAccess/ delivery at TOC/ chapter/ paragraph/

table/ figure level Implications for knowledge capture and

representation (structured / unstructured)

– Interactivity (feedback component)– Personalisation (customisable)

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Concluding Remark:Concluding Remark:

“In times of profound change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal

with a world that no longer exists”

- Al RogersExecutive Director

SchoolNet Foundation

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