Block 1 Sessions, 9:45-10:30 am
Program D
Discussion
Group
The Mission and Role of the Library Web Site
Mark Stover
Director of Library and Information Services
Phillips Graduate Institute
Many libraries have created a presence on the Web, but have we really
thought about why we want to be there? Should library Web sites be
grounded in the past or look forward to the future, or both? This
discussion group will focus on various issues related to the mission and
role of the library Web site, including the following:
- the different missions of academic, public, and special library Web sites
- how mission impacts the content of a Web site
- supporting the parent institution through the Web site
- the threefold mission of higher education
- the difference between the purpose and the function of a Web site
- the universal role of librarians as selectors, organizers, and
disseminators as applied to the Web
- the future scope of library Web sites: gateway, surrogate, or
virtual library?
Intended audience: anyone with an interest in library Web sites, especially
those who wish to clarify the nature and purpose of their own library Web
site.
