A virtual library, which can be configured technically as a web platform accessible from PCs and other mobile devices, is:
- a Knowledge Management and learning ecosystem
- a hub for interconnecting networks and nodes of corporate knowledge
- a highly flexible and customisable environment to capitalise on the wealth of corporate knowledge, integrating it with knowledge available on the web.
In fact, there is often a wealth of knowledge in organisations that remains fragmented and isolated in different areas of knowledge management. Adopting a virtual corporate library can capitalise on it and make it available for the development of the entire organisation. Let’s take a look at the main features.
AREAS OF USE
It can be used in many areas:
- individual, cross-functional and organisational training and learning
- support for organisational and cultural change (Change Management – Diversity and Intercultural management)
- Talent management and People development
- provision of non-work related content for family members of employees and other outside stakeholders
- Employer Branding
- internal communication and the development of professional/managerial communities.
ACTIVITIES
What can users do in this environment?
- use digital resources
- social marking: tagging, likes, polls
- create (individual and collaborative) digital content
- participate in online contests and conversations
- support individually or group project work.
HOW TO BUILD IT UP
An environment that can be updated and built up continuously in different ways:
- content related to corporate/functional knowledge
- content selected by external consultants
- content recommended by company employees
- content from the web that has been filtered and checked by the editorial staff.
TYPES OF RESOURCES
It can store many types of content:
- audiobooks/Podcasts
- multimedia courses
- handouts
- extracts
- video clips
- how to
- interviews
- lessons
- manuals
- ebooks
- tests
- essays
- lists of websites/bibliographies/filmographies
- film clips
- ads
- studies/research
- testimonials
- trailers
- books/magazines
- MOOCs
The library becomes a meta-environment of learning, an intelligent platform that integrates different resources and sources of knowledge both internal and external to the company. This topic was discussed in posterLab no. 28: “corporate libraries with internal and external resources. MOOCs.” Sara Fabiano