Knowledge management and librarianship: part 5

Some commentatores believe that one of the main barriers for LIS professionals to engage in high level of knowledge management is their personal attributes rooted from their educational culture. Abell & Oxbrow (2001) state:

" People in senior positions were not born with an innate understanding of their industry or organization. They acquired it throughout their career, jast as information professionals do-or do they? Is that the difference-that those reaching top management positions never saw any barriers to doing so? Their training as an accountant, engineer or HR professional didn't somehow set them apart from the business of their organization. They expected that there would be opportunities for them and they were ready to take them.
How many information professionals set out with the same attitude, or are ready to look for opportunities to extend their experience and influence? How many expect that they could and should succeed at senior management level?"

Also, librarian stereotype dosen't encourage employers to employ LIS professionals at high levels of management. As breen & Farragher (2002) state:

"Few people, if asked to describe a librarian, would include the adjectives "risk-taking" or "ambitious". Neither are librarians perceived as being "creative".
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1. Abell, A. and N. Oxbrow (2001). Competing with knowledge: The information professionals in the knowledge management age. London, Library Association Publishing.
2. Breen, C., A. Farragher, et al. (2002). "New information management opportunities in a changing world." Library Review 51(3/4): 127 (12p).