[WEB4LIB] RE: Do we want a .lib or .library domain?

[Richard Wiggins]

An umbrella organization might preclude a library or other unit from striking out on its own -- or they might well encourage that practice.

The domain of Michigan State University is msu.edu.  In recent years the university has begun using .org and .com addresses for specialized sites.  The university National Public Radio stations use wkar.org (based on call letters) for live and archived streaming (and other uses).  The business college recently launched msumba.com, advertising master's programs.  Etc.

There already is a sort of "lib" space in the United States, broken down by states.  Do an AltaVista search on host:lib.mi.us or host:lib.fl.us.  So in a sense we already have the geographically broken-down naming scheme, at least for public libraries.  That would imply that a .lib TLD might not need a geographic breakdown.  You could even make a case for .lib to also be a second tier within country codes, e.g. .lib.us and .lib.au would be flat national library spaces.

/rich



------Original Message------
From: Tony Barry <me at Tony-Barry.emu.id.au>
To: Multiple recipients of list <web4lib at webjunction.org>
Sent: December 21, 2000 6:11:27 AM GMT
Subject: [WEB4LIB] RE: Do we want a .lib or .library domain?


At 4:34 AM -0800 20/12/2000, tdowling wrote:
>Did libraries stop being information services without anyone telling 
>me?   I'm happy with .info.

Easy to agree with that BUT libraries are almost invariably (is there 
a contrary example?) part of other institutions. As such, in 
Australia, the National Library sits in gov.au, the university 
libraries sit in, {institution}.edu.au and so on. The host 
institution may well have a policy which would preclude a subordinate 
library striking out into its own virtual domain space.

Tony
-- 
phone  +61 2 6241 7659
mailto:me at Tony-Barry.emu.id.au
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Richard Wiggins
Consulting, Writing & Training on Internet Topics
www.netfact.com/rww         wiggins at mail.com
517-349-6919 (home office)  517-353-4955 (work)  
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