Investigating the Knowledge Management Infrastructures of SBMU-Affiliated Libraries

Increasing productivity in academic libraries can be due to knowledge management. The successful implementation of knowledge management requires appropriate infrastructures. In this study, to determine the level of readiness of SBMU-affiliated libraries and to implement knowledge management, the infrastructure of the management approach, organizational culture, human resources, organizational structure, and information technology has been examined.

The descriptive-survey research method was used to determine the status of the infra-structures studied to obtain the opinions of 58 librarians working in the libraries of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. The opinions of 10 experts obtained to analyze the qualitative validity. Content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) was calculated to analyze the quantitative content validity and the valid-ity of each item, which was considered 62% and 79%, respectively. Cronbach’s alpha was also used to measure reliability, which was 0.92, indicating that reliability is appropriate. A 5-point Likert scale was used to weigh a 50- item questionnaire. For each infrastructure, the mean of fewer than three scores, undesirable; 3-4 score, moderate; and above four scores, desirable was considered.

The mean obtained for the infrastructures of the management approach was 2.72, orga-nizational structure 2.66, organizational culture 3.13, human resources 3.26, and technology 3.21, respectively.

The status of the two infrastructures of management approach and organizational structure was undesirable, and the three infrastructures of organizational culture, human resources, and technology were at a moderate level. Consequently, these infrastructures need investment and exceptional attention to provide a suitable platform for the implementation of knowledge manage-ment in the SBMU-affiliated libraries.