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 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 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 resolver Full text resources = “Sites” containing “Targets” Anthropological Literature ComAbstracts Etc. LFP at GVSU ProQuest EBSCOhost ACS Publications Etc.

April The LFP concept: Linking Link resolver Source Target Metadata 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 The LFP concept: Standards Link resolver Source Target Metadata Link OpenURL standardizes this part of the communication

April 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 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)additional information

April The LFP concept: OpenURL An example of an OpenURL metadata string for a journal article: icle&issn= &volume=17&issue =4&date= &spage=8&sid=EBS CO:aph&title=Earth+Island+Journal&ati tle=War+is+not+healthy+etc&aulast=& pid=

April The LFP concept: OpenURL elements &genre=article &issn= &volume=17 &issue=4 &date=

April The LFP concept: OpenURL elements &spage=8 &sid=EBSCO:aph &title=Earth+Island+Journal &atitle=War+is+not+healthy+etc &aulast= &pid=

April 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 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 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: FinderPlus/Display Link text (not used by all db’s): Check for Full Text Link icon (not used by all db’s):

April LinkFinderPlus : Users’ view in the databases FirstSearch: button + text link Eureka: button only InfoTrac: text link only

April LinkFinderPlus : Users’ view in the databases ProQuest: 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 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 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 LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines What we love to see: LFP working perfectly! America History & Life (ABC-CLIO)

April 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 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 LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines LFP didn’t find it: we only have it in print. ProQuest

April 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 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 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 LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines … but the Serials Solutions E-journals list has the embargo information. E-Journals list (Serials Solutions)

April 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 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 with your screen capture attached In the , 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 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 LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines LFP ‘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 LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines The ‘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 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 LinkFinderPlus : On the front lines When you have questions: Send to Jeff Daniels Check the ‘GVSU Library Staff FAQ’ on LinkFinderPlus: in My Computer, go to L:\Policies\FAQs\FAQ_LFP.htm

April 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 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.