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What’s in a Memory?: The Importance of Institutional Knowledge

I am not ready to retire — someday but not right now. However, two members of my team will be retiring in the next couple of years. Aside from the obvious issues — helping them to prepare, looking at the potential vacancies in the team, etc. — this change has started to raise larger questions for me. At this point in my career as a manager, I am more familiar with processes involving transferred employees or new hires. Retirement will be a first. 

It’s important to be prepared for employee turnover in order to ensure a stable workforce — particularly as the workforce continues to age. In light of this concern, it’s pretty common to find a fair amount of information about employee retention, such as how to attract talented younger workers. But perhaps more importantly, the continuation of operations or more specifically how to retain institutional knowledge should be a priority as well. 

Institutional knowledge can be a fairly broad concept that likewise captures specific elements, including but not limited to workplace culture, company values, policies and procedures — concepts that are especially difficult to qualify and/or quantify. A decline in staff retention reduces institutional knowledge and can lead to decreased efficiency and productivity as well as fewer growth opportunities. After all, it takes time to train new staff.

In the library field, libraries and staff are always being told that the profession is rapidly becoming obsolete. While that argument is fallible, what is salient about this point is that library employees must not only be accountable to their communities, but demonstrate in concrete ways how they continue to serve. As such, losing institutional knowledge is a problem for us because it can produce significant impacts: diminished service quality; reduced community connections; and higher chances of low morale and/or burnout. While these issues are critical in and of themselves, the impacts are felt immediately by the most vulnerable populations — who often rely on library services. 

Where to begin? Intergenerational issues in the workplace, particularly related to retirement, continue to arise as older workers delay retirement, potentially impacting younger workers’ career advancement and creating tensions. But addressing these concerns through constructive team building may reinforce not only a shared ideology but instill the very information you want the younger generation retain.

There is more work for me to do, but by starting now I have given myself time to plan — not only for my team but also to help my agency thrive through challenging times. As a repository of knowledge management, it would seem natural for libraries to value their organizational legacy, and by actively practicing, reevaluating and shaping their work, they are taking active steps to meet community needs and ensure continuation of service. 


Erin Farquhar is a Branch Manager for DC Public Libraries in Washington, D.C. Erin holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in English Literature and Folklore, as well as a MLIS. She has worked in quite a few of DC’s wards, and enjoys working with the varied communities and rich cultural heritage she serves.

Erin has stated, “Now, as a manager within this infrastructure I look to further develop the practices of strategic thinking and plan implementation. As libraries continue to develop their social role in order to build strong vibrant communities, I would like to mirror this direction in order to help shape the ideas and perspectives that are central to an innovative society. Any metamorphosis can be a slow process, but a caring workforce reflects the commitment of all its employees.

Photo by Brett Jordan via Unsplash

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