Library Portals and an Evolving Information Legacy

Abstract

Many authors report uncertainties over the expression Web portal, but nowhere are these more understandable than with library applications. On one hand, the phase library portal is a tautology. In keeping with the traditional role of a doorway to knowledge, much of the library’s Web presence is characterized by portal functions and their continuing role as “trusted” information resources. On the other hand, the library as metaphor appears prominently in the literature of Yahoo, MSN, Google, AOL and other modern innovators to explain their new technologies for personalized information services.