This study investigated the practice of library web site (LWS) management, seeking crucial factors for the formatted of the identified management approaches. The LWS role was set as a crucial aspect and it was reviewed and examined with the LWS management approaches. The a priori limited LWS role in the terms of the serving/marketing perspective seemed that it operated harmoniously with the quite poor management practices, operating usually the LWS publishing as a project under a possible one-off cycle perspective, and the relatively poor understanding of the web publishing on behalf of library web managers or library administration. The investigation of the context brought out a crucial factor ¿ the involvement of the parent institution in the management of the LWS -, which was not taken into account by previous studies and to this initial research design; whilst it seems essential for the understanding of the practice.