Wayne de Fremery, Seonghun Kim, Seulki Do, Sangeun Han and Sam G. Oh
This paper describes a model for integrating publicly available private information concerning textual heritage on the websites of South Korean antiquarian booksellers into the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper describes a model for integrating publicly available private information concerning textual heritage on the websites of South Korean antiquarian booksellers into the information management systems of the National Library of South Korea (NLK).
Design/methodology/approach
A method for formalizing the coproduction of heritage knowledge is presented, using the NLK and textual heritage as a case study.
Findings
An investigation of the systems and services of the NLK, interviews with South Korean antiquarian booksellers and the researchers' ability to design a system (including an application profile) that will facilitate the integration of data curated by antiquarian booksellers into the systems of the NLK suggest that it is possible to formalize the coproduction of heritage knowledge.
Research limitations/implications
Although this case study is limited to describing the information management procedures of a small number of online South Korean antiquarian booksellers and a single national library, its findings have broad implications. Through discussion of a specific case, the paper identifies a large class of resources that, if acquired, circulated and conserved by public libraries, is likely to enhance the public good provided by public libraries. It also provides an example of how public libraries can better meet their obligations as service and memory institutions by building systems that enable the coproduction of heritage resources by documenting and conserving records related to heritage transactions.
Practical implications
The paper demonstrates that it is possible to create a formal system for coproducing heritage information.
Social implications
The ability of public libraries to coproduce heritage information is likely to increase the public good provided by public libraries and to make heritage resources more accessible.
Originality/value
This paper presents a novel model enabling the curation of publicly available private information about antiquarian texts by a national library to aid cultural understanding and the preservation of documents describing historical texts.
Details
Keywords
Seulki Do, Sam G. Oh and Sungin Lee
The purpose of this paper is to validate the usefulness of resource description and access (RDA) from user perspectives by implementing an RDA-based bibliographic retrieval…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to validate the usefulness of resource description and access (RDA) from user perspectives by implementing an RDA-based bibliographic retrieval system, and comparing it against two retrieval systems.
Design/methodology/approach
Surveys and interviews were conducted to gather responses from 20 subjects who used the systems. Usability was measured according to the following metrics: search usefulness from search process and results; search efficiency, measured in time and the number of steps involved; general satisfaction for search results and process, and for information need; satisfaction for search functionalities, with five sub-measures (usability of functions of search tool, appropriateness of search results, usability of additional information, usability of associative relations, and appropriateness of search categories); and system convenience in terms of understandability and ease.
Findings
The survey results indicate that all but the satisfaction for appropriateness of search categories showed significant differences between the systems. The interviews show that the RDA system received from the subjects a more positive evaluation compared to the counterpart systems, in search usefulness, search efficiency, general search satisfaction, satisfaction for search functionalities.
Practical implications
Though a few organizations such as the Library of Congress in the USA have implemented RDA, no such endeavors have been undertaken in the context of Korean bibliography, and especially for the systematic validation of usability of such a system from user perspectives.
Originality/value
This is the first published study that validates the usefulness perceived by users of RDA in the context of Korean bibliography.
Details
Keywords
Young-Gul Kim, Yong Sauk Hau, Seulki Song and Ghi-Hoon Ghim
This study aims at analyzing the features of knowledge flow and the role-specific nodes in knowledge networks among individuals and business units of six organizations in…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims at analyzing the features of knowledge flow and the role-specific nodes in knowledge networks among individuals and business units of six organizations in different industries, and suggesting prescriptions to prevent the organizational knowledge sclerosis.
Design/methodology/approach
This research conducts multiple case studies on the organizational knowledge paths of six companies in the multiple industries through social network analysis (SNA) tool developed by the authors of this paper.
Findings
This study provides four major findings which shed a new light on how to comprehend the features of knowledge flow and the role-specific nodes in knowledge networks in organizations: the within-business unit knowledge flows are more dominant over the inter-business units knowledge flow; the downward knowledge flows are dominant over the horizontal and upward knowledge flows in the management levels; distributions of knowledge owners and providers are like L-shape and the gap between knowledge owing and providing expands as the management levels go up; and the top 20 percent people in an organization dominate over a large portion of the knowledge brokerage activities.
Research limitations/implications
Cultural difference issue might arise because data collection was limited to Korean organizations. Therefore, the findings from this study needs to be cautiously interpreted considering the cultural difference/deeper understanding of the organizational knowledge paths through social network lens can make it possible for more context-specific KM strategies (e.g. suitable for a specific functional unit, management level, or industry type) to be identified and implemented.
Practical implications
Managers can have a solid grasp about knowledge flows and knowledge node roles in their organization through social network analysis in order to facilitate the knowledge transfer and eliminate the knowledge link lapse in organizations.
Originality/value
This study could be a stepping stone for further empirical research since it expanded the level of organizational knowledge network analysis from individual and team to inter-unit and inter-management level through the block modeling analysis of knowledge network.