A Medical Library's Role in Web Development in an Academic Environment

Abstract

ABSTRACT Librarians at the Norris Medical Library, located on the Health Sciences Campus of the University of Southern California, are involved in all levels of World Wide Web development from the overall university to the library's own pages. At the university level, librarians participate in a development group to establish policy, determine style and structure of the campus-wide Web site, and maintain the software and hardware required to publish Web materials. At the health sciences level, Norris librarians are involved in a Health Sciences Web Team charged with maintaining the overall Web site for the USC Health Sciences. The team also solicits participation from campus organizations and departments through an outreach program. In addition Norris librarians provide UNIX account administration and maintenance, Web authoring workshops, and technical support for campus Web developers. Finally, the library has developed and maintains its own Web site. As the Web becomes an increasingly important means of information distribution for the university, it is crucial for the library to be actively involved in maintaining its role as the key information provider in the institution.