The Intersection of Virtual Organizations and the Library: A Case Study

The proliferation of virtual organizations is changing the nature and practice of research. These changes present a challenge to Libraries, as their traditional roles and services do not translate well to virtual organizations. However, virtual organizations also offer opportunities for librarians to participate in shaping the next generation of information discovery and management systems. This case study describes a project conducted by the Purdue University Libraries to assist CAT-hub, a developing virtual organization, in creating a set of tags for information discovery and site navigation. The methodology and processes used to develop and implement these tags are described in detail.