PERCEPTIONS OF ACADEMIC LIBRARIANS ABOUT KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT (KM): THE EXPERIENCE OF BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO, NIGERIA

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to examine the perception of academic librarians' about Knowledge Management (KM), including their awareness and its contributions to academic library services in Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria. The research adopted quantitative methodology with cross-sectional survey design. Four research questions were framed to guide the study. The population of the study was all the 30 academic librarians of Bayero University, Kano (BUK). A structured questionnaire that was self-developed and titled “Questionnaire for Bayero University, Kano (BUK) Academic Librarians” was used for the study. The data was analyzed through descriptive statistics with tables to further interpret the outcomes. Findings of the study indicate that majority of the respondents, 80% were aware of KM with a reasonable number of them indicating high level of awareness. The study similarly, revealed that majority of the respondents 62.5% became aware of KM through independent study. The results also showed that respondents had positive perceptions towards KM with majority of them 62.5% expressing that KM can encourage LIS professionals to gain new skills and experiences in addition to their traditional skills and so it is a welcome development in the LIS profession. Finally, the study concludes by stressing that integrating KM into academic library services has become inevitable for obvious reasons.