Document Type
Article
Subject Area(s)
Library and Information Science
Abstract
This article outlines the Knowledge Lens—a way of seeing more clearly the opportunities for knowledge creation within organizations and society. It is proposed as a model for schools of Library and Information Science (LIS) to follow when considering curriculum changes. Instead of producing two sets of graduates—those in information and those in knowledge, each lacking the insight of the other—this model provides a foundation for embedding knowledge throughout the curriculum to equip information professionals with the requisite skills and understanding to lead innovative knowledge work in whatever organization they join. It includes three groupings and six elements. The groupings bring into focus the complexity of organizational life, the power of conversation in knowledge creation, and barriers to the integration of information and the application of knowledge. The elements within these groups control for aberrations in the image of an organization due to a fuzzy view of human potential and agency, an illusion of perfection, a distorted view of power, excessive homogeneity, and barriers that limits the power of an organiza-tion’s information and knowledge. This article does not contain a set of specific classes or learning outcomes; rather, it outlines a flexible model that can be used to contextually embed knowledge within the curriculum of schools of LIS and information. The librarians, data scientists, project managers, information architects, and others who graduate from these schools are uniquely positioned to lead this work; a curriculum based on the Knowledge Lens equips them to do so.
Publication Info
Freeburg, D. (2018). The knowledge lens: Equipping information professionals to spark innovation within organizations. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 59(4).