Re: [Handle-info] Using preexisting prefix for multi-institution repository

Nothing prohibits multiple institutions from sharing a prefix. However, a prefix is the level at which a handle client finds a handle service. If at some later point in time, the different institutions want to serve their handles using different handle services, it will be harder if they are sharing a prefix. (A typical solution in such a case would be to assign a new prefix, recreate all the handles for an institution using the new prefix, and then trust the original hosting institution to maintain aliases for handles with the original prefix which point at the new handles with the new prefix.)

Note that if you do choose to use multiple prefixes, you can (in general) still choose to host all the handles at the same handle service. So you wouldn't necessarily need to run more handle servers.

Robert

On Tue, Oct 25, 2022 at 5:07 AM Robbins, Seth David <srobbins@illinois.edu> wrote:

Hello,

Our library is working on a plan to build a multi-institutional repository for our state based on our current institutional repository. We plan to use handles to provide persistent identifiers. I'm looking to obtain some guidance for the team about how to architect the multi-institutional system with respect to handle prefixes

The simplest architecture would be to use our existing institutional prefix to mint handles for all other institutions we would be serving, so I'm wondering if there's a downside to that approach.

The other obvious approach would be to give each institution participating in the repository its own prefix, but that would require more management.

Is there anything that prohibits or contraindicates multiple institutions sharing a single prefix?

Thanks,

Seth Robbins

Seth Robbins (Pronouns: he, him, his) | Manager, Scholarly Communications and Repository Services

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | 422 Main Library

srobbins@illinois.edu | 217.300.1584 | https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7525-4772

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