Blog Spot

"When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change." Continuing the KnowledgeBoard series on knowledge transfer, Paul Corney, managing partner, Sparknow, has a fresh perspective on museums, libraries and archives when looking at the next steps in KT.

Think about your favourite museum library or archive, then tell the person sitting next to you why it made an impact on you...This was posed to a cross section of Londoners as part of a research project to look at mobilising the knowledge base in museums, libraries and archives: what is there and how it can benefit business? It provoked a meaningful and warm response from almost everyone. People value heritage, it’s just they often don't realise why or how those values can be transferred to a business environment.

I plumped for the Living Desert in Palm Desert California and The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The Living Desert has space, lots of it. It is a quiet, reflective, almost timeless space that I often go back to in my mind when planning assignments. I try and build reflection space and gestation time into the work I do at Sparknow. Vienna houses many of Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s most famous works. I never tire of his paintings. He is a visual storyteller, portraying the progress of the seasons of the year and the rustic activities associated with them during the 16th Century in The Netherlands.

So much of our work encompasses visual images, anecdotes and associated narrative. Subliminally, perhaps those two diverse institutions have had an impact on the way we go about our business.

Bringing art to life

The findings of the research project, undertaken by Sparknow and the Museums, Libraries and Archives, London (MLA), were delivered to change and knowledge management practitioners, and arose from previous work by the MLA looking at the economic impact of museums, libraries and archives. It began as an enquiry into the so-called 'knowledge economy' but developed into something bigger, messier and much more interesting.

Undertaken as a narrative enquiry, it generated some fascinating insights into the relationships between the sector and business. By collecting and analysing people’s stories and experiences, we were able to develop a relevant and in-depth understanding of the ways that museums, libraries and archives could, and do work with businesses. As the project unfolded, it became apparent that many people had experienced similar “Eureka” moments they could trace back to a visit to one of the capital’s many museums libraries and archives. And the savvy ones had attempted to incorporate the legacy into their day-to-day business.

It was entirely appropriate that the chosen venue for the launch of the findings should be a John Lewis Partnership firm, Peter Jones. Their archives are being used extensively, including the induction of new staff and, more recently, to inform the design of a new John Lewis store in Leicester.

The designers were looking for a simple, abstract pattern, but even they were surprised when they finally chose one dating from 1803, which reflected Leicester’s textile heritage. It had been on loan at the Victoria and Albert Museum for the past 40 years and had just returned to the John Lewis Partnership Textile Archive, where it is housed with some 25,000 other exhibits. The pattern was digitally redrawn and transferred onto glass panels, which will be illuminated from within.

The next steps

A set of three tier, next steps have now been proposed. Tier 1 is the pilot projects, which fall into two broad programmes of work: one for museums and archives and the other for libraries. At the heart of each is an individual who will guide the work, build partnerships and develop relationships that can last beyond the timescale and scope of the work.

The library programme’s focus is on equipping modern local business libraries to become pioneers of improved business support services and to develop accredited information literacy training programmes for delivery to business people. An exchange programme between businesses and MLA sector professionals, based on the success of the programmes run by higher education knowledge services, will seek to expand the thinking about possible knowledge transfer. An innovation fund is to be established for museums and archives which have an idea for developing a business offer.

Tier 2 projects will address partnerships and communicating across a wide variety of platforms the value of the MLA resource to business. Tier 3, entitled ‘spill-overs, arguments and wide changes’, are deemed part of a longer term campaign of provocation, conversation and engagement, and potentially the next round of pilot projects.

The pilot projects will be starting in 2009. It is our intention to keep Knowledgeboard members informed of progress and, moreover, to seek your active support and ideas.

You can find more on the MLA knowledge transfer findings, methodology and pilot projects here. 

PREVIOUS ARTICLES ON KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER:

Think small to think big in creative IT

Setting the standards in knowledge transfer

Previous blogs

• In a time when the internet age has fuelled an information glut, Rendt Gorter discusses why he believes KM can lead to chaos.
• In an exclusive blog for KnowledgeBoard, Shashi Kadapa, CEO of activemuse.com, looks at our 'fast food' approach to KM... 
• Knowledge manager Mary Abraham discusses the hunt for 'star' workers in Building a Great Knowledge Management Team in her regular 'Above and Beyond KM' column.
• Let’s All Play the Brain Drain Game! from Dr Dan’s Daily Dose, taking a wry look at the "process" to "capture knowledge".