AWARENESS AND APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AMONG LIBRARIANS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN IMO STATE

Abstract

In this study, the researcher examined levels of awareness and application of knowledge management by academic librarians in tertiary institutions in Imo State. Two research questions and two hypotheses were structured that guided the study. The study adopted correlation design which involved the simple linear method. The population of the study comprised 155 librarians in the nine tertiary institutions’ libraries in Imo State. The entire number of the population was used as sample. The two instruments used for the collection of data for this study are titled: Level of Knowledge Management Awareness Scale (LKMAS) and Application of Knowledge Management Scale (AKMS). The instruments were validated. Cronbach alpha method was used for calculating the internal consistency of the instruments giving reliability coefficients of 0.89 and 0.72 respectively. The researcher used Pearson “r” statistics to answer the research questions while t-test of significance of simple linear correlation statistics was used to test the hypotheses at p<0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study indicated among others that there is a moderate positive and significant relationship between knowledge generation awareness and application of knowledge management by academic librarians in tertiary institutions in Imo State; there is a moderate positive and significant relationship between knowledge storage awareness and application of knowledge management by academic librarians in tertiary institutions in Imo State; Based on the above findings, the study recommended, among, others that institution management should expose librarians in academic libraries to seminars, conferences and workshops where concepts involved in knowledge generation would be taught and imbibed in them as a way of performing effectively in this knowledge driven world.