The benefit of linking to library catalogue records and Quick Topic Search item records is that these links are generally stable and will not need to be updated when access rules change. The downside to linking to these records is that users will need to click twice: once to get to the item record, and then again to get to the resource.
NOTE: Always test your links before you post them anywhere.
If you are linking to ebooks, ebooks, streaming media, or entire databases in the library collection, the best practice is to link to the library catalogue record (aka Books and Media search). The catalogue link is a stable link, which means that even when changes to the links within the record occur, the catalogue link remains the same.
Example:
If an item is not available in the Books and Media search, but is available in the Quick Topic Search, the best practice is to link to the Quick Topic Search item record. Typically, this will be the practice if you are sharing links to specific journal articles. For articles available through the Quick Topic Search, use the Permalink in the right side menu to get a stable link. Please wait until after Aug. 19 as these links will change after our transition to OpenAthens.
If you have direct links to library content that you need to update, take a look at the Best Practices section above first. If those do not apply, follow the steps below, but note that there are some exceptions.
Always test your links in order to ensure that they are working properly and we still have access to this content. Content in our subscription collections (articles, ebooks, and even streaming media) may change from year to year depending on publisher access agreements.
Permanent links provided by certain databases are structured to work with OpenAthens. They include our customer ID in the URL. Do not put them through the OpenAthens link generator.
If you are updating older links for these resources, you will still need to remove the old EZproxy prefix from these links, if present.
Links to open access content do not need to be athenized.
Please contact Library Reference for assistance.