PERSISTENT URLSWhat? Why?? And How???

Ann BarrettHealth Sciences LibrarianSeptember 1, 2011

Dal Libraries UnZippedLightning Information Sessions for Faculty & Researchers

Ever sent (or posted) a URL to students or colleagues that just wouldn’t work?

• The URL is probably not ‘persistent’, or ‘durable’

WHAT are persistent URLs?• A "persistent link" or a "durable URL" is a link that does

not expire or change over time.

• Persistent links are often used to link to academic articles, search results, or e-books.

• Frequently needed with subscription based resources.

WHY use persistent URLs?• Eliminate the “This link doesn’t work!” syndrome

• Allows you to create URLs that work ON and OFF campus

• Helps you work within fair dealing guidelines

• Keeps you within the license agreement between Dalhousie and the publisher/vendor

• These links should work from year to year in your OWL or course space

HOW to make them? – there are 2 ways

Method 1: from a Dalhousie Libraries database

Any of the Dalhousie Libraries databases offer either

(or both):• A “Permalink” feature to create persistent URLs

• GetIt@Dal button that has a persistent link feature

Online Tutorials:Persistent URLs: What are they? http://libcasts.library.dal.ca/Journals/URL/One/URL1.htmlPersistent URLs: How to make them. http://libcasts.library.dal.ca/Journals/URL/Two/URL2.html

Method 1: Creating persistent URLs

•from Dalhousie databases like…• Proquest• Ebsco • WorldCat Local • Pubmed

EBSCO

PROQUEST

PUBMED

World

Cat

Loca

l

Method 2: Creating persistent URLs

•from Dalhousie Libraries eJournals lookup Citation Linker… http://sfxhosted.exlibrisgroup.com/dal/az

Online Tutorials:Persistent URLs: What are they? http://libcasts.library.dal.ca/Journals/URL/One/URL1.htmlPersistent URLs: How to make them. http://libcasts.library.dal.ca/Journals/URL/Two/URL2.html

The problem of long URLs…

Tiny URL http://tinyurl.com/

• can take this…

• and make it into this.

http://aleph1.novanet.ns.ca/F/JGT5UADJTKU4A1FH8K15TTKQAABI7TL4VTVBEV1B1JRDUAF9R4-54086?func=full-set-set&set_number=007098&set_entry=000029&format=999

http://tinyurl.com/3ffknav

That’s it in a nutshell. Any questions?

Dal Libraries UnZippedLightning Information Sessions for Faculty & Researchers