Knowledge management for service innovation in academic libraries: a qualitative study

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the strategies thatlibrarians employ to ensure quality of service, the ways and barriers forservice innovation, and the likelihood of adopting knowledge management forservice innovation in libraries (KMSIL). Design/methodology/approach – In total, 17 academic librarians filled out a qualitative surveywith open-ended questions. Findings – Most librarians saw service innovation as critical to thecontinuing success of the library, and felt that knowledge management (KM)would be extremely helpful for service innovation in their libraries. Theproposed strategies and findings led to a theoretical framework of KMSIL. Originality/value – Though exploratory in nature, this is the first study thatcombines service innovation with KM from the perceptive of academic librariansand has important implications for theory and practice. The proposedtheoretical framework could serve as the basis for a deeper study and furtherresearch in this area.