An Investigation of a Knowledge Management Solution for the Improvement of Reference Services

Abstract

This study investigated the use of the knowledge base of QuestionPoint as a knowledge management tool capable of improving reference services in academic libraries. The research addressed the problem that reference librarians continually provide ineffective service to patrons. Because of the expansive exposure to resources, it is often difficult for any individual librarian to accurately recall the best resource or answer for any specific question. While individual librarians may not recall specific information, when they collaborate with their colleagues and share their collective knowledge there is usually an improvement in the quality of service they provide. It would benefit librarians therefore, if they used a knowledge management tool that could capture and store their communal knowledge for future use. This study explored the librarians' perceptions of the benefits and problems of using the Knowledge Base of QuestionPoint and its impact of on reducing response time and duplication. The study revealed that the reference librarians did not generally use the Knowledge Base, and that there was duplication of effort and no reduction in response time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]Copyright of Journal of Information, Information Technology & Organizations is the property of Informing Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)