Librarian News Digest
Vol. 2, No. 25
As long as I’ve been reading and writing about knowledge management (KM) and information management (IM), there has been a debate about the interchangeable use of the two concepts. I come down on the side of them not being the same following systems theorist, Russell Ackoff’s model: data exists first, data processed becomes information, and information applied becomes knowledge management.
Where I think it gets funny, is when we add the word ‘management’. Where do we start and stop with managing knowledge? Do we “manage” the processes that allows for the creation of knowledge? Do we manage the knowledge transfer process from expert to novice? When an expert mentors a novice, do they share knowledge or information?
If Ackoff is right, no matter how knowledgeable an expert is, the novice receives information which isn’t transformed into knowledge until it is applied or experienced. I think I see how easy it is to confuse the two which leads to Nick Milton’s post on Knoco Stories, Cats and Dogs Revisited. During or after reading the article, be sure to click on the Knowledge Management link to view a great video that defines KM for those new to it.
Thanks, Nina