Both professions celebrate the value of knowledge and information, recognize the importance of organizing knowledge for efficient information retrieval, and are investigating the effect of newer AI technologies on their workplaces. Several library associations, such as IFLA, CILIP, and ASIS&T, have units within their structure devoted to knowledge management.
KMWorld Europe conference chair, Dawn Brushammar, gave a talk at KMWorld 2025 last November, "Knowledge Leaders: Integrating Library Science into KM and AI", in which she spelled out some similarities between the two professions. Her belief is that library science DNA underlies KM, with today’s intelligent platforms reliant on library-based principles of structure, context, access, and trust. Librarians were the original semantic engineers, dating back to the era of paper catalogue cards. Reference librarians’ work involves search tuning and retrieval, a corollary to KM’s conversational AI. When KMers talk about technologies such as semantic layers and knowledge graphs, the foundation is library science. Plus, librarians being empathy and keep the research process trustworthy.
Sneak Preview of KMWorld Europe Sessions
Here’s a sneak preview at just a few of the sessions I am looking forward to at KMWorld Europe. I’m delighted that Martin White is coming out of retirement to speak on AI governance. White, the only person to win both the Jason Farradane and the Tony Kent Strix awards in the same year, has a long history with KM and enterprise search. Now he’s turning his attention to the practicalities of AI governance when "shadow AI" is on the rise that can seriously undermine the value of information and knowledge management. He’s also presenting with search guru Agnes Molnar in a half day pre-conference workshop on AI governance. Off-topic: White is also an accomplished organist, so if you want to talk about organ music, organs, and organists, he’s your go-to expert.
When we think of KM, United Nations peacekeeping may not be the first activity to come to mind. Line Holmung Andersen begs to differ. She offers a case study on the Network for Uniformed Women Peacekeepers and how this community acts as a pivotal KM engine for the 1,100 female officers in the network. Across diverse missions and spread around the globe, the uniformed women use KM techniques to capture actual operational experiences and share these widely to improve worldwide peacekeeping. What an exemplary application of KM!
Sonia Ramdhian, CILIP’s chief development officer, presents on that organisation’s Knowledge & Skills Base (PKSB), which is a framework for ethical and responsible use of AI. Noting that PKSB aligns with the international standard ", BSI ISO 30401, "Knowledge management systems. Requirements", Ramdhian provides examples of how PKSB can ensure the responsible deployment of AI in knowledge workflows.
In information-centric professions, the latest emphasis seems to be on technology, mostly AI-related technologies, including AI-powered search, knowledge graphs, machine learning, semantic layers, LLMs, chatbots, Several talks at KMWorld Europe focus on human-centred Communities of Practice. Although these may employ various technologies to facilitate knowledge sharing, at heart, they are about people interacting with other people. Rachel Teague, Emory Consulting Services, concentrates her attention on the human side of AI adoption, reminding us that creating a resilient future isn’t solely about technology. Designing fair AI and leading change with empathy acknowledges knowledge as both a resource and a responsibility. The same can be said for many projects and processes that internet librarians become involved with.
Details of KMWorld Europe
KMWorld Europe will be held 14-15 April 2026, with pre-conference workshops on Monday the 13th, at the America Square Conference Centre, London EC 3. Tower Hill and Aldgate are the closest Tube stations. Early bird discounted prices end 13 March. Click here to register. The full programme is on the KMWorld Europe website. This is a great opportunity for internet librarians to learn more about KM and discover how the work of KMers can overlap with and add to skill sets on the other side of the information coin. Readers of ILI365 benefit from a special £200 discount to attend. Use code ILI200 at the checkout.