Knowledge management in public libraries

Knowledge management as a business concept has been traditionally applied to money‐making organisations with the aim of enhancing and improving operations to gain competitive advantage and increase profits. Knowledge management can also be applied to non‐profit organisations such as government bodies and statutory boards. It can be used to improve communication among staff and between top management. It helps to instil a culture of sharing and promote and implement a performance‐based reward system for its employees. Knowledge management involves a complex process of aligning the company’s mission statement with the best practices that enable the company to be competitive and profitable in its sector. This paper investigates the current practices of knowledge management in the National Library Board (NLB). It also seeks to show how knowledge management can effectively be applied to the NLB to tie in with its mission statement of expanding the learning capacity of the nation, enhancing the nation’s competitiveness and promoting a gracious society. The NLB also has a mission to deliver a world‐class library system, which is convenient, accessible and useful to the people of Singapore.