The .museum Top-Level Domain (TLD) is a unique and specific domain extension catered for museums around the world. It is an integral part of the Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet. A DNS simplifies and compartmentalizes the IPs into readable and memorable domains, and TLDs form the highest level in the hierarchical DNS.
According to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the .museum TLD is a sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) created in 2001. As stated on the ICANN website, “Sponsored TLDs are specialized domains that clearly serve the interests of a defined community which consist of a majority of the targeted group”.
The operation, organization, and control of this domain are carried out by the Museum Domain Management Association (MuseDoma) with the backing of The International Council of Museums (ICOM).
As a specialized domain, the .museum TLD is only available to bona fide museums, museum professionals, and individual members of the museum profession, as well as organizations, professionals, and individuals that have a professional interest in or relationship to the museum practice and sector. This admission policy helps to ensure that the domain maintains its integrity and continues to serve its designated community (Boutman & Bugaighis, 2001).
A technical aspect of the .museum TLD is that it is the only known TLD that requires third-level domains to be registered. This means that museums don’t simply register as “theirmuseum.museum”, but rather can have several different categories based on the type, location, or specialization of the museum, such as “type.theirmuseum.museum” or “location.theirmuseum.museum”.
An example of its usage can be seen with the domain for the Louvre Museum in Paris, which could be registered as “louvre.museum”, thus maintaining a clear, professional, and dedicated identity for museums on the digital front.
Overall, the .museum TLD is considered a success, having brought museums into the digital era and provided them with an exclusive domain that allows for clear and easy recognition online. It is indeed a great demonstration of how the DNS and TLDs are used to build an organized, readable, and accessible online presence.
References:
- Boutman, E., & Bugaighis, M. (2001). New Realms for Museums, a new Top Level Domain: .museum. Spectra, International Journal of the Museum Computer Network, 28(3).
- ICANN. (n.d.) Introduction to sTLD Application Process from 2004. https://archive.icann.org/en/tlds/new-stld-rfp/new-stld-application-parta-15aug03.htm
- MuseDoma. (n.d.). About .museum. https://about.museum/
