What is the Aslib Knowledge and Information Network (KIMNET)?

KIMNET is a Special Interest Group of Aslib. It is largely autonomous, being self-managed and self-funded. More broadly, it is considered to be a Community of Interest focussed on issues relating to Information Resources Management and Knowledge Management.

The network was originally formed in 1992 when Susan Montgomery, then head of Information Services at the London Chamber of Commerce, invited interested parties to discuss the emerging topic of Information Resources Management (IRM) and in particular the work of Forest Horton. Those present at the meeting felt confident that there was sufficient interest in the subject and a number of volunteers, Chaired by Susan, established a Steering Committee to formulate the group. A key aspect for the Steering Committee was to encourage members to make and sustain contact with other interested people hence the original group was titled the Information Resources Management Network.

In the mid 1990s the subject of Knowledge Management began to emerge and created great interest among the members of the network, though not all were favourably disposed towards the topic. The network began to invite speakers on the subject of Knowledge Management and for many, it became apparent that IRM can be considered as a subset of KM. By 2002, with Knowledge Management remaining a real and exciting subject for discussion (not having faded away as some predicted) a majority of the Management Committee proposed that the extended area of interest should be reflected in the name of the network. After discussing a number of options, the proposal to change the name was put to an EGM in September 2002 and network members voted formally for the change of name.

The constitution of KIMNET is in effect the model constitution used by many of the Special Interest Groups of Aslib. KIMNET members can view it in full at Constitution. Under the terms of this constitution, members of the Network are invited to elect the Chairman and other representatives to the Management Committee. The officers appointed by the Committee are: Treasurer, Secretary, Web Site Manager and Programme Manager. The Management Committee meets approximately 10 times a year and 8 of these meetings are probably audio-conferences to save time and expense.

The current membership fee for 2003 is £84 + VAT. Click here to access our our online membership application form.

The Network has successfully maintained a membership of approximately 100 and regularly has about a third of the membership attending the meetings. It has been a policy of the Management Committee to ensure that sensible reserve funds are available and the Network currently has a significant sum on deposit. The purpose of these funds is to enable the Network to invest in events and activities that benefit members.

Members are entitled to attend five open meetings per year, without additional charge, and have privileged access to the network Web Site. The meetings are always followed by informal social occasions where members are encouraged to meet other professionals who share an interest in the subjects. The meetings are held at various locations in central London, with facilities frequently provided by member organisations. The current plans include a significant investment in the development of the Web Site to create a really useful and attractive resource for those with an interest in knowledge and information management.

Unequivocally excellent. We have attracted many of the leading thinkers on the subjects of IRM and KM, including David Skyrme of Skyrme Associates, Marcus Speh of Shell, Prof Richard Potter now with Qinetiq, David Snowden of IBM and many others. A full list of speakers and in most cases a copy of their presentations is available to KIMNET members in the Resources section of our Members Only Area.

Everybody quotes Francis Bacon "Knowledge is power" but few are familiar with the full quotation: "Knowledge is power. But mere knowledge is not power; it is only possibility. Action is power; and its highest manifestation is when it is directed by knowledge." For the individual, the acquisition of knowledge can be for personal pleasure. But for organisations, we take the view that knowledge is 'that which enlightens decisions and action'. In other words, knowledge is anything that helps an organisation to make decisions and undertake actions and as such it includes tacit knowledge (in people's heads), information (explicit knowledge) and processes (the how to, sometimes called embedded knowledge).

Information is a subset of knowledge. It is that element of knowledge that is written down, explicit knowledge, and is sometimes defined as 'data organised for a purpose'. The scientific definition of information is; 'That which reduces uncertainty'. Another way of looking at the issue is to say that 'knowledge is what we know', in which case information is the articulated and recorded part of what we know.

Knowledge Management is a set of ideas that help to understand the nature of the knowledge and how it is used in decisions and actions. It is helping managers to create, organise, store, use and enhance the knowledge resources available to them. From a different perspective, knowledge management is about extending a manager's toolset, giving him/her greater opportunities to make the right decisions and a greater chance of achieving the desired strategy.

Send an email to the Web Site Manager stating your name and we will email you your password as soon as we can.

Have you a question not included here? If so, please contact the KIMNET FAQ Editor: faq@kimnet.org.uk

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