Naming a library's web presence

[John Kupersmith]

re Greg Sennema's question:
>We in our library are currently debating some issues surrounding our
>web presence (www.calvin.edu/library/).  Specifically, I am curious to
>know if libraries choose to refer to their web presence by a different
>name, e.g., The Hekman Library (alongside) The Hekman Digital Library.
>...

I think the choice of a name is critical for at least three reasons:
it shapes users' expectations of what they will find on your site;
it's a key element in "branding" the site, i.e., fixing its identity
in people's minds; and if used in the page title, meta tags, and body
(as it certainly should be), it provides a consistent indexing point 
and display text for search engines.

Reflecting on the two naming projects I've been involved with,
both of which chose names that establish a distinct identity
for the web site but also tie it back to the parent library:

* The Washoe County Library System (Reno NV) chose "Internet Branch"
to emphasize similarity with the physical branches as a service point
and to create a sense of familiarity.  The idea of a "branch library
in cyberspace," with its implication of the Internet as a neighborhood
that the library serves, has worked well.  Several other public libraries
have used this form of name (some, I think, before we did).
< http://www.washoe.lib.nv.us >

* The University of Texas at Austin General Libraries chose "UT Library
Online" to encompass both the traditional name and nature of the library
and its new role of providing information online.
< http://www.lib.utexas.edu >

Please note that these are both former employers and I'm not speaking
for either of them here.

--jk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  John Kupersmith        jkup at jkup.net        http://www.jkup.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Assistant Reference Librarian       http://www.lib.berkeley.edu
  University of California, Berkeley
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Not speaking for UCB in this message~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~