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Researchers debate whether tacit knowledge sharing through information technology (IT) is actually possible. However, with the advent of social web tools, it has been argued that most shortcomings of tacit knowledge sharing are likely to disappear. The purpose of this paper is two‐fold: first, to demonstrate the existing debates in the literature regarding tacit knowledge sharing using IT; and second, to identify key research gaps that lay the foundations for future research into tacit knowledge sharing using the social web.

This paper reviews current literature on IT‐mediated tacit knowledge sharing and opens a discussion on tacit knowledge sharing through the use of the social web.

First, the existing schools of thought in regards to IT ability for tacit knowledge sharing are introduced. Next, difficulties of sharing tacit knowledge through the use of IT are discussed. Then, potentials and pitfalls of social web tools are presented. Finally, the paper concludes that whilst there are significant theoretical arguments supporting the notion that the social web facilitates tacit knowledge sharing there is a lack of empirical evidence to support these arguments and further work is required.

The limitations of the review include: covering only papers that were published in English, issues of access to full texts of some resources, and the possibility of missing some resources due to search strings used or limited coverage of databases searched.

The paper contributes to the fast growing literature on the intersection of KM and IT particularly by focusing on tacit knowledge sharing in social media space. The paper highlights the need for further studies in this area by discussing the current situation in the literature and disclosing the emerging questions and gaps for future studies.

The purpose of this paper is to update Carlsson (2015), which examined the research on public libraries and the social web published from 2006 to 2012, and it also intends to go beyond Carlsson (2015) by including six additional variables.

Literature searches were performed against Web of Science Core Collection and EBSCOhost databases. By adapting Carlsson’s (2015) three level key phrase searches, which were then complemented by chain searching, a total of 60 articles were identified and analyzed.

In comparison to Carlsson (2015), this study shows that the recent research, published between 2012 and 2018, leans toward a more general acceptance of the social web’s usage to improve the services provided by public libraries; that the public library is rarely premised to be in a state of crisis; and that the social web is mostly perceived as having a complementary relationship with librarianship and library services. The findings from analyzing the six additional variables are also presented.

The findings from this study provide LIS professionals a greater understanding of where the research stands on the topic at present, and this study also identifies gaps in the literature to offer insight into the areas where future research can be directed.

Given the continued popularity of social web usage among public libraries, this study examines the literature published on the social web in the public library context between 2012 and 2018 and offers implications and future research suggestions.

Social websites have become a major medium for social interaction. From Facebook to MySpace to emergent sites like Twitter, social websites are increasing exponentially in user numbers and unique visits every day. How do these websites encourage sociability? What features or design practices enable users to socialize with other users? The purpose of this paper is to explore sociability on the social web and details how different social websites encourage their users to interact.

Four social websites (Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter) were examined from a user study perspective. After thoroughly participating on the websites, a series of observations were recorded from each experience. These experiences were then compared to understand the different approaches of each website.

Social websites use a number of different approaches to encourage sociability amongst their users. Facebook promotes privacy and representing “real world” networks in web environment, while MySpace promotes publicity and representing both real world and virtual networks in a web environment. Niche websites like LinkedIn and Twitter focus on more specific aspects of community and technology, respectively.

A comparison of different models of sociability does not yet exist. This study focuses specifically on what makes social websites “social.”

The purpose of this research is to present a report on Nigerian universities' use of their web sites for collaboration.

Descriptive research methodology and content analysis technique were adopted in the research. The research was undertaken through an examination of the various university web site contents and web link structures. The study relied on the Google search engine as the source of its electronic data, while manual evaluation was used to carry out content analysis. Only Nigerian universities with 500 or more web pages were considered; 15 of the 92 universities met this criterion and were subsequently sampled.

The research revealed that Nigerian universities' web sites did not contain appropriate contents. Both non‐academic and academic contents expected to be found in university web sites were not available and, hence, made the expected inter‐university web links, electronic social networking and cooperation non‐existent. Consequently, only commercially‐based web sites had web link with the sampled web sites. The findings show that the required structure needed to support web collaboration among Nigerian universities has not been developed. Hence, further research to understand the existing structure required for electronic collaboration among Nigerian universities is needed.

Since the study was limited to only those university web sites that had 500 or more web pages, this meant that universities with fewer than 500 web pages, which nevertheless may have traces of social network and cooperation in their link structures, were automatically excluded.

The research provides information on the readiness of Nigerian universities to adopt web site technology for collaboration and solving the problem of resource sharing that they currently face. It has also laid the foundation for understanding Nigerian universities' web site use in relationship with three social capital dimensions: structural, contents, and relational.

The research provides web analysis information on Nigerian universities. Past experience has shown that research available on web analysis and characteristics of Nigerian universities is very limited and that none has been carried out on their web site use for e‐collaboration.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the notion of social search as a new concept, drawing upon the patterns of web search behaviour. It aims to: define social search; present a taxonomy of social search; and propose a user‐centred social search method.

A mixed method approach was adopted to investigate and conceptualise the notion of social search. A review of literature on social search was carried out to identify the key trends and topics. A model of online collaboration was adopted to delineate the types and categories of social search. Four use case scenarios were developed to provide a more pragmatic approach to the understanding of social search.

The developed taxonomy of social search reveals important similarities and differences between many social search systems. This analysis reveals a gap in social search approaches. A practical method was identified that allows users to directly leverage social search without special features built into search engines.

For feasibility reasons, Google was used as an example of a search system that can be used for carrying out social searches.

The paper provides several practical implications for web searchers as well as web designers. In particular, some recommendations are provided for the design of search engines, digital libraries and browser add‐ons.

The study demonstrates the value and power of “collective intelligence” in web search. It shows how general web searches can be enhanced through using socially enhanced web‐based tools such as social bookmarking systems, social tagging services and social media sites.

This is the first study that provides a granular analysis of the notion of social search and puts forward a taxonomy of social search. The use cases developed and reported are created based on real search topics, and show the value and validity of the approach taken.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of social marketing principles in Web 2.0 commercial and social marketing campaigns.

A literature review and online search were conducted to document the types of products and behavior change initiatives being marketed on Web 2.0 platforms. Case studies from commercial and social marketing were critically reviewed to determine whether they exhibited one or more of the principles of social marketing.

Results demonstrated that social marketers can employ the following social marketing principles to successfully design and implement a Web 2.0 campaign: consumer orientation, behavior change, market segmentation and targeting, mixed methods, exchange and competition.

The findings present originality and value to social marketers who want to effectively integrate, expand and apply Web 2.0 channels to meet their behavior change goals.

This study aims to explore the extent of Web 2.0 adoption by libraries of top universities in Africa. It focuses on identifying the extent of utilization, types of Web 2.0 technologies adopted and how these technologies are used.

The content analysis method was used. Data was collected by analyzing library websites of 82 top universities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Also, a combination of literature review and document analysis was applied.

About half of the libraries in the study adopted one or more Web 2.0 applications. Social networks were the most widely adopted while social bookmarking and tagging were the least used applications. Web 2.0 utilization in African academic libraries was still in early stages.

This study is mainly based on analysis of library websites. Web 2.0 platforms that were password protected and accessible through intranet were not studied. Therefore, studies that are based on feedback of librarians and patrons are warranted to further investigate Web 2.0 utilization in African libraries.

Web 2.0 plays a key role in facilitating information sharing, collaboration, and communication between librarians and patrons, and among librarians. It is essential for African libraries to integrate these technologies into library services to enhance the quality of services.

This is likely the first study about Web 2.0 applications in African academic libraries. It is a useful source for implementing web-based technologies in libraries.

The purpose of this paper is to follow up on the 2009 publication “Building a virtual branch at Vancouver Public Library (VPL) using Web 2.0 tools” and to explore the work that VPL has been doing in the social media space over the past two years.

Following the launch of its new web site in 2008, Vancouver Public Library has continued to expand its online presence, both via its own web properties and in the social media space. At the core of the library's approach to web services is the desire to take the community development model online, and engage with communities in the spaces of their choosing.

The Web Team has been active in moving into the social media space, and was an early adopter of popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The social bookmarking site Delicious also became an integral part of the new web site, being used as a management tool for the library's extensive collection of recommended web links. Since 2008 the Web Team has piloted a variety of other Web 2.0 and social media tools, pushing the library's online presence into new spaces while continuing to build on the successes experienced by its established accounts.

Libraries are very conscious of the need to leverage social media tools to engage with patrons, but are also facing the challenge of managing these tools with reduced staff and funding. VPL's success in this space offers a model of how to use these tools effectively to engage patrons, develop community, and maximize resources in a time of constrained budgets.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss new approaches for managing personal knowledge in the Web 2.0 era. The paper questions whether Web 2.0 technologies (social software) are a real panacea for the challenges associated with the management of knowledge. Can Web 2.0 reconcile the conflicting interests of managing organisational knowledge with personal objectives? Does Web 2.0 enable a more effective way of sharing and managing knowledge at the personal level?

Theoretically deductive with illustrative examples.

Web 2.0 plays a multifaceted role for communicating, collaborating, sharing and managing knowledge. Web 2.0 enables a new model of personal knowledge management (PKM) that includes formal and informal communication, collaboration and social networking tools. This new PKM model facilitates interaction, collaboration and knowledge exchanges on the web and in organisations.

Based on these findings, professionals and scholars will gain a better understanding of the potential role of Web 2.0 technologies for harnessing and managing personal knowledge. The paper provides concrete examples of how Web 2.0 tools are currently used in organisations.

As Web 2.0 has become integrated in our day‐to‐day activities, there is a need to further understand the relationship between Web 2.0 and PKM.

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of embedded social media channels and determine whether the embedded social media channels enhance the overall experience of travelers using the hotel Web sites.

A true-experimental, between-group and post-test-only design was used to address the primary research questions. Two privately accessible complete versions of the Web site (one with embedded social media channels and one without them) were designed for the experiment. The uses and gratifications approach was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Data were analyzed using ANOVA.

The results of this study revealed that embedded social media channels on the hotel Web site enhanced travelers’ social gratifications of perceived social interaction. Apart from these benefits for travelers seeking social gratifications, embedded social media channels did not enhance the overall experience (content and process gratifications) of travelers using the Web site.

In the case of embedded social media on hotel Web sites, this study suggests that hotel managers measure return on engagement to examine the effectiveness of embedded social media, instead of return on investment.

The study revealed that the emergence of embedded social media channels and their integration on hotel Web sites will have significant influence on travelers who seek social gratifications.

The findings of this study offer new empirical evidence that embedded social media channels enhance only travelers’ perceived social interaction during their first visit to the hotel Web site.