april 2005 debbie morrow, systems librarian, jeff daniels, periodicals cataloging manager, & bob...
TRANSCRIPT
April 2005 Debbie Morrow, Systems Librarian, Jeff Daniels, Periodicals Cataloging Manager, & Bob Schoofs, Periodicals Librarian
1
LinkFinderPlus :
Linking Citations & Abstracts to Online Full Text:
What we know after Year 1
April 2005 2
The LFP concept
LinkFinderPlus = “OpenURL Link Resolver”
LFP is Endeavor Information Systems’ implementation of an OpenURL resolver.
Some other OpenURL resolvers:
• SFX from Ex Libris
• WebBridge from Innovative Interfaces
• Article Linker from Serials Solutions
April 2005 3
The LFP concept: Definitions
The goal of a link resolver is to link a citation or abstract to online full text from any other available licensed or public resource.
A&I databases
= “Sources”
Link resolverFull text resources
= “Sites” containing “Targets”
• Anthropological Literature
• ComAbstracts
• Etc.
LFP at GVSU
• ProQuest
• EBSCOhost
• ACS Publications
• Etc.
April 2005 4
The LFP concept: Linking
Link resolv
er
Source
Target
Target
Target
Metadata
Link
Link
Link
• A link resolver accepts metadata from a source and presents links based on logic and business rules administered locally
• It knows the user’s context and what the user has access to
April 2005 5
The LFP concept: Standards
Link resolv
er
Source
Target
Target
Target
Metadata
Link
Link
Link
OpenURL standardizes this part of the communication
April 2005 6
The LFP concept: OpenURL
• OpenURL is a standard way to send metadata to a link resolver
• Administered by NISO
• Stakeholders
• Libraries
• Content providers
• Software developers
• OpenURL 1.0 was released as a Draft Standard in Nov. 2003. NISO standard Z39.88 was approved by voting members of NISO in 2004, and is presently “being readied for publication.” (additional information on the NISO website)
April 2005 7
The LFP concept: OpenURL
An example of an OpenURL metadata string for a journal article:
http://encompass.gvsu.edu?&genre=article&issn=10410406&volume=17&issue=4&date=20021201&spage=8&sid=EBSCO:aph&title=Earth+Island+Journal&atitle=War+is+not+healthy+etc&aulast=&pid=<ui>7505463</ui></db>
April 2005 8
The LFP concept: OpenURL
elements• http://encompass.gvsu.edu?
• &genre=article
• &issn=10410406
• &volume=17
• &issue=4
• &date=20021201
April 2005 9
The LFP concept: OpenURL
elements• &spage=8
• &sid=EBSCO:aph
• &title=Earth+Island+Journal
• &atitle=War+is+not+healthy+etc
• &aulast=
• &pid=<ui>7505463</ui></db>
April 2005 10
The LFP concept: Chain of Events
• In an OpenURL-compliant Source, e.g. Historical Abstracts
• a user clicks on the “Full Text?” button.
• An OpenURL version of the citation is sent to our link resolver, LinkFinderPlus,
• which matches the citation to our licensed full text Targets
• and presents any valid links to full text for the user.
April 2005 11
Implementing LFP
• Set up GVSU’s LFP server
• In LFP Admin, activate titles available to us in Target databases
• Contact A&I database vendors and enable OpenURL linking in Source databases
• Customize the LFP user interface
April 2005 12
Implementing LFP: Enabling Sources
Supply LFP base URL, link text, and link icon:
• Base URL tells the Source where to send the OpenURL-formatted citation metadata: http://encompass.gvsu.edu:8888/lfp/LinkFinderPlus/Display
• Link text (not used by all db’s): Check for Full Text
• Link icon (not used by all db’s):
April 2005 13
LinkFinderPlus : Users’ view in the databases
FirstSearch:
button + text link
Eureka:
button only
InfoTrac:
text link only
April 2005 14
LinkFinderPlus : Users’ view in the databasesProQuest:
LFP doesn’t appear on results list …
… and where it appears in the individual record, we have no control over image or text choice:
April 2005 15
LinkFinderPlus : Users’ view in the databases
Gale:
LFP link appears whether or not full text is available in the current database:
This is pretty common among our databases; only a few present the LFP text link or button only when there is no full text in the current source.
Also, the links appear in the source databases whether or not GVSU can supply any full text targets in other sites.
April 2005 16
Implementing LFP: User
Interface
Customize the LFP user interface:
•Use XSL and HTML to customize the LFP linking screen
• Configure and activate ‘Extended Services’ in LFP Admin
Customizations:
• applied new GVSU Libraries consistent “look & feel” banner
• developed a number of “Extended Services” links
April 2005 18
LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines
What we love to see: LFP working perfectly!
America History & Life (ABC-CLIO)
April 2005 19
LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines
Reality check:• LFP doesn’t always present links
• Links presented by LFP don’t always work
• You can work with this!
April 2005 20
LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines
It will help you to know…• … OpenURLs and OpenURL resolvers are new technology, and they don’t work 100%.
• … For a library our size, we are within the expected range of having licenses to link to full text for 25-35% of citations (we’re closer to 25%).
• … You can report problems; some are fixable if they’re brought to someone’s attention.
• … You can expect improvements to the application over time.
• … You can teach users all the things they can do from the ‘Full Text Finder’ screen.
April 2005 21
LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines
LFP didn’t find it: we only have it in print.
ProQuest
April 2005 22
LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines
Sometimes LFP doesn’t succeed in finding a path to online full text we actually have, as discovered by using the Voyager ISSN link search.
Some of these can be fixed, if the failure is reported; some can’t …
Communication Abstracts (CSA)
April 2005 23
LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines
LFP didn’t find it: but using the link to the Serials Solutions e-journals list reveals that we do have it online (and a Voyager title search matches on a current print subscription, too)
E-Journals list (Serials Solutions)
MLA (FirstSearch)
April 2005 24
LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines
LFP found a link, but there’ s no full text there: LFP can’t yet work with the common 6-12 month publisher embargos …
Communication Abstracts (CSA)
ProQuest
April 2005 25
LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines
… but the Serials Solutions E-journals list has the embargo information.
E-Journals list (Serials Solutions)
April 2005 26
LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines
What we hate to see: database connection errors and other problems. Please report these! …
America History & Life (ABC-CLIO)
April 2005 27
LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines
Reporting an LFP problem is easy:
• Use Snag-It to capture the LFP screen, including the citation• On the Snag-It screen, use Send Mail to open an e-mail with your screen capture attached• In the e-mail, indicate the database you were starting from, the link you had a problem with, and the nature of the problem, OR information you have about a link that should be showing• Address your e-mail to Jeff Daniels in Periodicals
• If you prefer, just make a screen print of the LFP screen (use ctrl-p to print or use Snag-It), and write the additional details on the printout for Jeff.
April 2005 28
LinkFinderPlus : On the front linesLFP ‘Extended Services’ links let you:
• Look in Voyager by ISSN or Title
• Enter a title search in the Serials Solutions list of e-journals
• Check other libraries
• Go to an ILL request form
• Send a question to the Library
April 2005 29
LinkFinderPlus : On the front linesThe ‘Edit Citation’ button can be used to correct faulty information, e.g. a typo in a volume number or ISSN
But use with ‘Edit Citation’ with caution, it’s not often a successful option.
April 2005 30
LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines
If we had a link in a convenient spot, the ‘Add/Edit Citation’ Information screen could also be used to enter citation information directly and look for full text
“Search by article citation” button
here?
April 2005 31
LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines
When you have questions:• Send e-mail to Jeff Daniels
• Check the ‘GVSU Library Staff FAQ’ on LinkFinderPlus: in My Computer, go to L:\Policies\FAQs\FAQ_LFP.htm
April 2005 32
LinkFinderPlus : in a nutshell,
…
. . . Because each vendor is unique, and they don’t all follow the new standard exactly the same way, some links don’t work, and interfaces don’t all have the same features.
BUT,
When it works, it works great! – it becomes a seamless part of the databases, and simply gets people to what they want: full text on their screen.
April 2005 33
Acknowledgements
Significant portions of this presentation are adapted from slides and remarks presented by Harry Samuels, LinkFinderPlus Product Manager, Endeavor Information Systems and NISO Committee AX member, at an MLC “OpenURL Special Program” on 14 November 2003.