Content, form, and currency: the information provided on North Carolina Public Library Web Sites

Many public libraries now have Web sites, which can be evaluated in regard to accessibility, usability, appearance, or content, among other criteria. This paper focuses on content. Sixty-six North Carolina public library Web sites were examined to see what subject matter they included, what form they took, who their audiences were, and whether the information was current. The most frequent subject matter was information about the libraries themselves, followed by electronic resources. Many of the sites included local information, including social service listings or local history resources. Almost three-quarters of the library sites included information of more general interest, including Reader's Advisory materials and Web links. Approximately a third provided user instruction materials, while five sites published unanticipated content, such as information about sister library programs