Análise do processo de gestão da informação e do conhecimento em uma biblioteca virtual no Second Life

Abstract

This research was carried out from a case study in the community Virtual Library (CVL), a library located in the "Second Life" virtual environment, aiming to analyze how knowledge management takes place in this environment. Among the features observed is the fact that libraries virtual devices are able to allow simultaneous access for several people Fulfillment in different parts of the world, empowering to exchange and share information and knowledge. However, it was found that not all libraries inserted in virtual environments allow to apply all the potential that such environments provide. Among the possible causes of not using these resources, this research is based on the hypothesis that one of the obstacles lie in the lack of application of information and knowledge management to better enable the use of technological resources, typical of reality virtual. Thus, for all this potential to be specifically explored, it is necessary to be able to count on a job of managing information and the technical knowledge in a professional manner, as libraries with this profile have a great potential to work with librarians and professionals of the information, as well as the realization of its social role through the resources available technologies. Information and knowledge management becomes something essential for the activities developed with the specifics of a virtual environment become certain bridges for sharing of information and the construction of knowledge. This research is exploratory and descriptive, directed to the process of information and knowledge and its empirical field is a virtual library, the collection of data was through participant observation, deconstructed, having as research subjects' managers, volunteers and users. The data separation was separated from the method of content analysis, with categories and subcategories built from the knowledge management model that guided the entire research. As results obtained, it was observed that the library, has actions aimed at Information and knowledge Management, however it does not follow any formal application model. The absence of a planning for the application of some steps of the studied model. It was noticed that there are gaps in the storage processes and the absence of official informationsharing channels. Such results, showed that the professional application of Information Management and Knowledge, can help managers to obtain a better organization of the information flow in order to meet the needs of users and enable the continuous creation of knowledge thus helping to achieve the library goals. The survey confirmed that the application of the Management of Information and Knowledge, in a professional way, constitutes an important resource capable of greatly assisting the management process administrative organization. The benefits lie in helping to take decision of managers, improvement of services and products offered by Library. In the case of CVL, all of this can be leveraged, since in a virtual library it is possible to explore all the resources that the platform of virtual reality, in this case, Second Life, makes available to its users, revealing a strongly conducive environment for collaboration and knowledge sharing.