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Christel Mahnke mahnke@tokyo.goethe.org

Interview with new KM Section Chair Xuemao Wang

Curriculum Vitae Xuemao Wang
Born in Chongquing, China
After graduation in LIS at Wuhan University, worked as academic librarian in China
Moved to U.S. in 1991, completed two more LIS master‘ degrees
Worked for Queens Borough Public Library (NY) and Metropolitan NY Library Council, completed MBA.
After tenure at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland) appointed Associate Vice Provost at Emory Libraries (Emory University, Atlanta) in February 2009

How did you get involved in IFLA?
I came to know IFLA when I became an academic librarian in China in the early 80's, but the actual involvement with IFLA started at 67 th WLIC 2001 in Boston where I gave a poster presentation for Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO). In 2004, I joined Johns Hopkins University. With support and encouragement from Dean Winston Tabb, a long-time IFLA leader, I started to look for opportunities to participate in IFLA with service to a working committee.
Why did you join the KM section?
Before I went to IFLA WLIC Seoul, I looked for opportunities to serve on IFLA working committees. I had just completed years of ALA committee work, including chair of Asia and Pacific subcommittee. My experience with ALA taught me that the deep involve-ment with a professional association involves serving on a working com-mittee. Over the Seoul conference, I chose to sit in on a couple of IFLA sections' standing committee meetings. The KM section's discussion typically caught my interest as I realized that this is an emerging area, and it is also an area that libraries are challenged to find their niche. Libraries have been in the business of managing knowledge since their birth. However, when KM as a popular concept and a buzzword came out, not many people seemed to agree that the library is one of the key players.
It seems to be a long way from Chongquing, China to Emory, Atlanta. Can you tell us something about it?
My journey to America started with my desire to seek advanced graduate study in library and information science after I worked 10 years as an academic librarian in China. My brother came to the US before me to obtain his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. With his encouragement and support, I came to the US in 1991.  
During my pursuit of education, I completed two master's degrees in library and information science with Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and University of South Carolina. After then, I have worked for four library organizations: Queens Borough Public Library, New York; Metropolitan New York Library Council; Johns Hopkins University and now Emory University. working at METRO, I also completed an M.B.A. education with Hofstra University, New York. Over my studies and work with those diverse organizations, I have gained and came to greatly appreciate different perspectives from public, consortium, and academic/research libraries, and have developed my passion to work for educational and cultural institutions.
You set up the first multilingual library web portal  for public librarians in the US. How important is cultural diversity in your library work?


Libraries have a social responsibility to steward, disseminate, and preserve human knowledge and cultural heritage. The concept of diversity applies to many of fundamental duties of libraries, including collection of all-points-of-view, promotion of multilingual collections and services, and development of a diverse workforce that reflects the community that the library serves. The WorldLinQ project of Queens Borough Public Library of New York is one of the early success in the mid '90s by using emerging Internet technology to fulfill the library's social res-ponsibility. I am proud that I had the opportunity to lead a team to create such a wonderful project that continues to have a great impact on the local community.
How do you encourage Knowledge Sharing in your working environment?


Knowledge Sharing actually remains a big challenge for all types of organizations, and the Emory University Libraries are no exception.
To "encourage" and "formalize" knowledge sharing, you will need to establish some frameworks to ensure that it happens, and you will also need find a way to measure the success. A library is in the business of collecting, sharing and preserving knowledge. However, unlike other industries, the framework of process management and performance /success measurement have not been rigorously established.
In Emory's near future, we hope to achieve the following KM aspects of our Library Business Process Management initiatives:
1. identify, capture, and define key processes: not only those with "traditional" library existing workflows, but with those "emerging" area workflows, such as digitization, data curation, and knowledge management etc.

2. establish a performance measurement system includes key measurement indicators and metrics

3. establish a formal procedure or knowledge management system to capture and share knowledge

4. train/educate a learning-driven knowledge-based workforce

Notice: the interview will be published in the Newsletter No 9 of IFLA KM section. If you have any questions, please write to KM Newsletter editor Christel Mahnke mahnke@tokyo.goethe.org .