Library subdomain names

Mon Aug 5 15:15:12 EDT 2013

Michael Yunkin, fair point.  Certainly many if not most folks just search
to find a Web address these days.  But that does NOT mean one should choose
a domain or subdomain that makes no sense.  A domain of library.college.eduor
college.edu/library makes much more sense than
randomnlygeneratedlibrarysubdomain.college.edu.

It may be that a small percent assume or remember or type in the domain,
but relegating the finding method to search engines - and you will find no
bigger advocate of search than me - is just plain silly.  A small percent
of a large number of users is still important.

What does the sign on the front door of your library (or any other
institution) say?  Your URL is part of labeling, and your URL should match
your branding, not technology constraints.   In many cases you may publish
the URL - whether a brochure, or a give-away paper bookmark, or on the
radio, etc.  My question is: why would you choose NOT to make your URL
intelligible or shareable?  Frankly, I thought we settled this circa 1998.

/rich

On Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 1:07 PM, <your name> Michael Yunkin <
michael.yunkin at unlv.edu> wrote:

> I agree that intuitive URLs should be the norm, but this brings up an
> interesting question: Does any user on earth still try to find a website by
> guessing at the URL, or do they just search for it? The pattern I see in
> usability tests (where the first question is invariably "Go to the
> library's home page") is that they put the institution's name in the
> address bar and navigate to the library, or they search for "UNLV library".
> I've never seen a user (outside of library employees) enter the library URL.
>
> It would be interesting to research whether human-readable URLs are as
> important as they once were. I know they are FOR ME, but I have no idea if
> they are for our users.
>
>    -Michael Yunkin
>    Web Content Manager/Usability Specialist
>    UNLV Libraries
>    Las Vegas, NV
>
>
> [image: Inactive hide details for Michael Schofield ---08/05/2013 09:35:56
> AM---Definitely, My point is that if possible you should set]Michael
> Schofield ---08/05/2013 09:35:56 AM---Definitely, My point is that if
> possible you should settle on the most intuitive URL. A user looking
>
> From: Michael Schofield <mschofield at NOVA.EDU>
> To: WEB4LIB at LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> Date: 08/05/2013 09:35 AM
>
> Subject: Re: [WEB4LIB] Library subdomain names
> Sent by: Web technologies in libraries <WEB4LIB at LISTSERV.ND.EDU>
> ------------------------------
>
>
>
> Definitely,
>
> My point is that if possible you should settle on the most intuitive URL.
> A user looking for  the College Library website without having the link
> could drum-in library.college.edu or college.edu/library with the
> expectation that it will resolve, but he or she will *never* think to try
> *mc*library.college.edu – unless you expect all users to know the name of
> the library (and what a misplaced expectation that would be).
>
> Michael // ns4lib.com
>
>
>
> *From:* Web technologies in libraries [mailto:WEB4LIB at LISTSERV.ND.EDU<WEB4LIB at LISTSERV.ND.EDU>]
> *On Behalf Of *Richard Wiggins*
> Sent:* Monday, August 05, 2013 11:52 AM*
> To:* WEB4LIB at LISTSERV.ND.EDU*
> Subject:* Re: [WEB4LIB] Library subdomain names
>
> Well, belaboring the obvious, but just to be clear: the word "Manhattan"
>  obviously conveys class.  The word "mclibrary" invites the eye to see
> McLibrary, which could convey another image.
>
> Best of luck to the original poster.  I hope she will report back with the
> end choice.
>
> /rich
>
> On Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 9:37 AM, Michael Schofield <*mschofield at nova.edu*<mschofield at nova.edu>>
> wrote:
> I agree. The *simplest *URL is the answer, whatever you determine that
> might be. I prefer *library.domain.edu* <http://library.domain.edu/> if
> only because the *domain.edu/library/* <http://domain.edu/library/> can
> get pretty harry with directories (i.e., we are
> .edu/library/main/whateverelse ), but opt for what’s available. You might
> find that *lib* works, but I would avoid a domain that includes your
> library’s name – you suggested *mclibrary*. Users remember big brands,
> and yet I’ve never known a user to remember the name  of the library.
>
> Additionally, if you can take further advantage then try to grab-up the
> domains that a user might enter without navigating through the university
> site or Googling. If you go for *lib.whatever.edu*<http://lib.whatever.edu/>,
> be sure to take *whatever.edu/library* <http://whatever.edu/library> and
> redirect it.
>
> Now you have 4 cents : ).
>
> Michael // *ns4lib.com* <http://ns4lib.com/>
>
> *From:* Web technologies in libraries [mailto:*WEB4LIB at LISTSERV.ND.EDU*<WEB4LIB at LISTSERV.ND.EDU>]
> *On Behalf Of *Richard Wiggins*
> Sent:* Sunday, August 04, 2013 4:21 PM*
> To:* *WEB4LIB at LISTSERV.ND.EDU* <WEB4LIB at LISTSERV.ND.EDU>*
> Subject:* Re: [WEB4LIB] Library subdomain names
>
> This is something that institutions of all sizes wrestle with, as they
> have ever since the Web era began.  When do you use subdomains?  When do
> you use a "folder" - virtual or real - anchored off the main site?  When do
> you create a new domain?  Disney screwed this up with their "go"
> subdomains.  CBS uses *cbsnews.com* <http://cbsnews.com/> instead of *
> news.cbs.com* <http://news.cbs.com/>.
>
> But you folks appear to have it simple.  From a glance it appears that the
> major entry points at *manhattan.edu* <http://manhattan.edu/> are *
> manhattan.edu/topic* <http://manhattan.edu/topic> - About, Admissions,
> Academics.  What's wrong with *manhattan.edu/library*<http://manhattan.edu/library> ?
>  Seems clean and simple.
>
> I do believe in generous redirects based on log analysis.  I just tried *
> http://www.cbs.com/news* <http://www.cbs.com/news> and it failed to give
> the obvious redirect.
>
> Frankly, making your main link mclibrary.*manhattan.edu*<http://manhattan.edu/> because
> of a previous choice of a proxy server strikes me as an unfortunate choice,
> though understandable based on history.  But is your library branded in any
> way as "mclibrary" ?  Not a good brand.
>
> I'd worry more about why a search from the *manhattan.edu*<http://manhattan.edu/> home
> page doesn't bring up your library at the top of the hit list, and why the
> library is not more prominently featured on the home page.
>
> Just 2 cents' worth from far away.  Good luck!
>
> /rich
>
> On Sun, Aug 4, 2013 at 10:20 AM, Stacy Pober <*stacy.pober at manhattan.edu*<stacy.pober at manhattan.edu>>
> wrote:
> As part of our web redesign, we are being given the opportunity to have
> our own subdomain in the college's website.
>
> The most logical name would be "library" but that one is already being
> used for our EZproxy server, and it would be most onerous to change over
> 100,000 EZproxy links in our catalog, libguides, etc.
>
> We've thought about some alternative subdomain names such as lib or
> mclibrary.  Anyone have some library subdomain naming wisdom they'd like to
> share?
>
> --
> Stacy Pober
> Information Alchemist
> Manhattan College Library
> Riverdale, NY 10471*
> **stacy.pober at manhattan.edu* <stacy.pober at manhattan.edu>
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