Page 52 - Volume_14

Jurnal PPM: Journal of Malaysian Librarians
Vol. 14, 2020

In essence knowledge, in Malay ‘ilmu’, is what most human beings should aspire for.
The ultimate aim of human existence, our value to our Creator and in the end, knowledge
that is going to manage our life. In a corporate world, it is the most important asset for
any organisation and hence, those that are able to help the organisation to manage it will
be a valuable asset itself to the organisation.

LIBRARY, INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
There is a thin line separating the world of LIS, and KM. The tendency is both worlds
will try to define the subjects independent of each other so much so it created a little bit
of confusion and claims that each belongs or is a part of the other. In a way, there is logic
in the thinking and discussion on this.

Let us begin to look at the definitions of the subjects.

In the Dictionary for Library and Information Science, library science is defined as the
professional knowledge and skill with which recorded information is selected,
acquired, organised, stored, maintained, retrieved, and disseminated to meet the needs
1
of a specific clientele . Notice the definition states the competency of managing material
and describing the process of how the discipline is managing the material.

As for information science, Borko as early as 1968 defined it as the discipline that
investigates the properties and behaviour of information, the forces governing the flow
of information, and the means of processing information for optimum accessibility
and usability. It is concerned with that body of knowledge relating to the origination,
collection, organisation, storage, retrieval, interpretation, transmission,
transformation, and utilisation of information. Once again the definition states the
2
what and the process involved in managing information. Borko stresses the idea that it
involves a discipline in really understanding the nature, governance and flow of
information.

3
In a more recent definition, Griffith defines information science is concerned with the
generation, collection, organisation, interpretation, storage, retrieval, dissemination,
transformation and use of information, with particular emphasis on the applications
of modern technologies in these areas. As a discipline, it seeks to create and structure

1 Reitz, Joan M. Dictionary for library and information science. Libraries Unlimited, 2004.
2 H. Borko, “Information Science: what is it?”, American Documentation, 19(1), 1968, p. 3-5 (p. 3)
http://es.scribd.com/doc/533107/Borko-H-v-19-n-1-p-35-1968

48