“I ain’t read not one bit of it”
The Influence of Canonical Maps on the Knowledge Work of Public Library Staff
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21900/j.alise.2022.1013Keywords:
library management, canonical knowledge, noncanonical knowledgeAbstract
The primary source of value in any organization is the knowledge of its workers. Yet, American workplaces are often not structured to support the unstructured and intellectual efforts of these workers. This makes it more difficult for a worker to apply what they know. This study looks at the knowledge work of library staff and how it is influenced by the presence of canonical maps that outline how work will and should go. Through think-alouds and interviews with six library staff, this study found that staff felt restricted by some canonical maps, faced challenges in following other canonical maps, and relied heavily on emergent noncanonical maps. These findings are significant to the practice of library management and the education of library professionals, suggesting ways to further support the efforts of library staff and prepare students for library work.
References
ALISE. (2022). Go back and get it: From one narrative to many. Association for Library and
Information Science Education. https://www.alise.org/2022-annual-conference
Asogwa, B.E. (2012). Knowledge management in academic libraries: Librarians in the 21st
century. Journal of Knowledge Management Practice, 13(2).
Billett, S. (2010). Learning through practice. In S. Billet (ed.), Learning through practice.
Springer.
Bosch-Sijtsema P., Ruohomäki, V., & Vartiainen, M. (2009) Knowledge work productivity in
distributed teams. Journal of Knowledge Management, 13(6), 533–546.
Brown, S. J., & Duguid, P. (1991). Organizational learning and communities of practice: Toward
a unified view of working learning and innovation. Organization Science, 2(1), 40–57.
Butt, M., Nawaz, F., Hussain, S. et al. (2019). Individual knowledge management engagement,
knowledge-worker productivity, and innovation performance in knowledge-based
organizations: The implications for knowledge processes and knowledge-based systems.
Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, 25, 336-356.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10588-018-9270-z
Carlsson, G., Drew, N., Dahlberg, K., & Lützen, K. (2002). Uncovering tacit caring knowledge.
Nursing Philosophy, 3, 144-151.
Charters, E. (2003). The use of think-aloud methods in qualitative research: An introduction to
Think-aloud methods. Brock Education, 12(2), 69-82.
Cicchetti, D. & Rogosch, F.A. (2009). Equifinality and multifinality in developmental
psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 8, 597-600.
Cox, A.M. (2005) What are communities of practice? A comparative review of four seminal
works. Journal of Information Science, 31(6), 527-540. doi: 10.1177/0165551505057016
Cox, A. (2007). Reproducing knowledge: Xerox and the story of knowledge management.
Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 5, 3-12.
De Bem, R.M., Coehlo, C.C., & Dandolini, G.A. (2016). Knowledge management framework to
the university libraries. Library Management, 37(4/5), 221-236.
Gherardi, S. (2009). Knowing and learning in practice-based studies: An introduction. The Learn
Org, 16(5), 352-359.
Hsieh, H. & Shannon, S.E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative
Health Research, 15, 1277-1288.
Machlup, F. (1962). The production and distribution of knowledge in the United States. Princeton
University Press.
Martin, R.L. (2013, Oct.). Rethinking the decision factory. Harvard Business Review.
https://hbr.org/2013/10/rethinking-the-decision-factory.
Materska, K. (2004). Librarians in the knowledge age. New Library World, 105(3/4), 142-148.
Nicolini, D., Gherardi, S., & Yanow, D. (2003). Introduction: Toward a practice-based view of
knowing and learning in organizations. In D. Nicolini, S. Gherardi, and D. Yanow (Eds.),
Knowing in organizations: A practice-based approach (pp. 3-31). M.E. Sharpe.
Payne, J. (2018). Manufacturing masculinity: Exploring gender and workplace surveillance. Work
and Occupations, 45(3), 346-383.
Polanyi, M. (1969). Knowing and being: Essays by Michael Polanyi, ed. Marjorie Grene.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press
Reyt, J. & Wiesenfeld, B.M. (2015). Seeing the forest for the trees: Exploratory learning, mobile
technology, and knowledge workers' role integration behaviors. Academy of Management
Journal, 58(3), 739-762.
Sheng, X. & Sun, L. (2007). Developing knowledge innovation culture of libraries. Library
Management, 28(1/2), 36-52. https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120710723536
Shujahat, M., Alia, B., Nawaz, F., Durst, S., & Kianto, A. (2018). Translating the impact of
knowledge management into knowledge-based innovation: The neglected and mediating
role of knowledge-worker satisfaction. Human Factors and Ergonomics in
Manufacturing & Service Industries, 28(4), 200-212.
Sisco, S. (2020). Race-conscious career development: Exploring self-preservation and coping
strategies of Black professionals in corporate America. Advances in Developing Human
Resources, 22(4), 419-436. doi:10.1177/1523422320948885
Talja, S., Tuominen, K., & Savolainen, R. (2005). “Isms” in information science: Constructivism,
collectivism and constructionism. Journal of Documentation, 61(1), 79-101
Taylor, F.W. (2003). Shop management. In K. Thompson (ed.), The early sociology of
management and organizations (pp. 1-115). Harper & Brothers Publishers. (Original
work published in 1947).
Taylor, F.W. (2003). Taylor’s testimony before the special house committee. In K. Thompson
(ed.), The early sociology of management and organizations (pp. 1-115). Harper &
Brothers Publishers. (Original work published in 1912).
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Darin Freeburg, Katie Klein
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.