Libraries, Knowledge Management, and Communities of Practice

Cohen, Alex, Information Outlook

The library collection included many bound journals. There were stacks and stacks of items that had not been moved for many years. A brief examination of the materials in the compact storage area started to make my nose itch. Indeed, just slightly moving the materials created a dusty smell that permeated the small area and made it difficult to breathe. The materials were valuable and part of a rare collection of Federal Reporters, but is that a community of practice? Was this a valid use of floor space at $350 per square foot? Or did the program need more user-accessible space for collaboration, training, and ad hoc research? Were the materials more important than the community of users? …

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Publication information: Article title: Libraries, Knowledge Management, and Communities of Practice. Contributors: Cohen, Alex - Author. Magazine title: Information Outlook. Volume: 10. Issue: 1 Publication date: January 2006. Page number: 34+. © 2009 Special Libraries Association. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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