The Role of Knowledge Management in Strategic Planning of University Libraries

To identify and explain the role of knowledge management in strategic planning from the viewpoints of managers and librarians of university libraries. 38 managers and 151 librarians working in central libraries of Tehran public universities were surveyed using a questionnaire. More than half of the people have agreed on Quintas et al. (1997) definition of knowledge management. Both managers and librarians were in agreement about the application of knowledge management in strategic planning and believed that the best way to promote future in libraries is to employ knowledge management in planning. They regarded the application of knowledge management in strategic planning of their organization in respectively policy and decision making, information services planning, model production and thinking. The difference between the viewpoints of managers and librarians of university libraries about the knowledge management concept in strategic planning is understandable. Any new term or study area causes logical doubts. However, the differences were not statistically significant.