Knowledge Management and Challenges to LIS Professionals in Electronic Age

Information Revolution and Global Knowledge Society (IR&GKS) are two important buzzwords of 21st century. Web and web-based technologies in the last couple of years have attacked on the boundaries of Library and Information Work. Consequently the traditional image of LIS professionals is rapidly changing and widening into a knowledge centre and a knowledge manager. The modern library system, keeping in mind that “the right information needs to be in the hands of the right people at the right place” and knowledge is the new expandable source of the economic wealth and a critical asset to an organization, has transformed their external and internal functioning and management. Knowledge Management (KM) is not about technology management but rather than about deciding what information and knowledge is critical to the success of the organization. The emerging issues of Knowledge Management need to be taken seriously in changing perspectives as challenges by the LIS professionals. It has widely and undoubtedly been accepted and proved from various studies that future shall be knowledge based. Therefore, knowledge management, content management, content engineering through LIS professionals shall play a significant role in the 21st century. The paper discusses in detail the various facets of knowledge management such as Evolution and Concept of Knowledge Management, Knowledge Management Technologies and Tools, LIS professionals as Knowledge Manager, and challenges for the LIS professional in the electronic age.