Identifying and prioritizing aspects of knowledge audit in academic libraries

The purpose of this research was to identify and prioritize the aspects of knowledge audit in academic libraries. 

The method of this research is descriptive-survey. The statistical population of the research includes the final managers and managers of central library departments of universities affiliated to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. The sampling method of the libraries, considering their dispersion in the whole country, is first by random cluster sampling method and then by targeted method of the central library of the largest university in the center of the province. Finally, the number of 279 final managers and department managers of central libraries of universities affiliated to the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology were selected as the statistical sample of the research. The knowledge audit questionnaire has been compiled with 99 items and includes 14 dimensions of vision and organizational goals (7 items), analysis of knowledge data and information (6 items), measurement of explicit and tacit knowledge (6 items), drawing a knowledge map. (6 items), identifying strategic elements of the organization (8 items), analyzing the gap between existing and desired knowledge (5 items), preparing the organization (6 items), identifying the knowledge audit process (7 items), forming a knowledge audit working group (8 items) ), analysis of knowledge flow (12 items), identification of valuable assets of the organization (6 items), evaluation of information and knowledge (6 items), measurement of current knowledge health (9 items) and knowledge application analysis (7 items). 

Based on the results of the research, the components of knowledge flow analysis (4.57), measuring the health of current knowledge (4.12), forming a knowledge audit working group (3.68) and identifying the strategic elements of the organization (3.12) have a higher average rating than others. The indicators are in terms of the possibility of occurrence and influence in the knowledge audit of academic libraries and have a more favorable situation in academic libraries, and in the same way, other indicators are placed in the next ranks. 

Based on the results of the research, it was found that managers can benefit from knowledge audit in improving the quality of university library services. By applying knowledge audit, managers review, examine, measure and evaluate the intellectual assets of the organization and evaluate the knowledge reserves and flow of the entire organization.