Generalization of Porter value chain to special libraries with concomitant effects of Information Technology

Information Technology has uncountable advantages for organizations and their dependent institutions. Michael Porter, a University Professor at Harvard Business School, developed the Value Chain Model in 1985. According to this model, proper activities in productive organizations could be divided to primary activities and support activities. Primary activities are those that have value added character. Managers of special libraries -with regard to the importance of libraries as part of the infrastructures of any generative organizations- are concerned with using IT to increase productivity. In this paper, generalization of the value chain model to the activities of special libraries, as well as the effects that IT could have on each of the main activities of the chain are discussed.