Journal Linking and the ADL
AHEC ILS Meeting March 15-16, 2007
How do we link to journals?
• Locally Maintained Journal Lists
– Charlotte AHEC IRC Journals Holdings
• This is also linked through the ADL
– MAHEC Ebsco A to Z List
• This is also linked through the ADL
– EbscoHost EJS List – Southern Regional
• Only available on site at Southern Regional AHEC
How do we link to journals?
• Direct Journal Links in the ADL
– Linked through Health Specialties page – Linked through Journals page – Linked on Special Collections
How do we link to journals?
• Direct Journal Links in the ADL
– ~1300 Distinct Licensed Journal Titles in ADL
How do we link to journals? • Criteria for direct link inclusion in ADL
– Must have current full text available – Must fall within the scope of the ADL – Exceptions
• Journals already with direct links in ADL whose status changed from current full text to archival access • Some out-of-scope titles that are important to specific user populations (Harvard Business Review)
How do we link to journals?
• Link to Journal Collections
– Journals at Ovid – Ebsco – MDConsult
How do users access fulltext articles?
• By searching databases
Database Searching Pitfalls
You always You don’tmight have which know to leave the database You’ve got to fulltext is to link into the know through available which journal and database to which database then find the search! article
Behold… The Power of Linking
What is Linking?
• “The ability to search a heterogeneous set of resources with a single interface”
(American Libraries. June/July 2004 pg.92. Andrew Pace)
• “A user should not have to leave one system and essentially recreate his or her search in another to find the full-text gold at the end of the rainbow.” (Library Technology Reports. January-February 2006 pg. 5. Jill
Gregg)
What is Linking?
• In our current environment…
– We are trying to move a user from “traditional forms of bibliographic information to the corresponding full text” (Gregg, pg. 8) – Traditional Bibliographic Information
• Our known Databases: Medline, Cinahl, etc.
What is Linking?
(citation database) Ovid Medline
Direct link to full-text
Full text of article
Our current linking environment (for the most part)
Notes *Users can only link to the full-text that is “internally” attached to a databases *Users won’t have access to other full-text that is not “internally” attached to a specific database
What is Linking?
(citation database) Ovid Medline
Open URL
Link Resolver
The Next Step Linking Environment Note *Currently available for Individual Subscribers
Full text choices Title A (vendor Ebsco) Title B (vendor Elsevier) Title C (vendor Swets) Title D (vendor Ovid)
The current linking situation
• Available for individual users
– Utilizes Ovid’s Link Resolver – Can link from Ovid Database into any full text (except MDConsult resources) – Live Example
Other Issues
• Accessing Ovid Full-text links through Ebsco’s Cinahl
– This IS possible! – This CAN be in place – when the transition takes place in August – Steps to make this happen
Other Issues
• Accessing Ovid Full-text links through Ebsco’s Cinahl
– Steps to make this happen
• Link Resolver Selection • Ebsco is willing to help set up linking through any link resolver that we select • Voila – From your perspective the MAGIC of linking
Other Issues
• PubMed!!! • Many Known Issues • We are working on it!!!!
Final Thoughts
• Linking is really HARD STUFF • Linking (as defined previously) is no longer an option – it is a NECESSITY • “Linking must be at the top of the librarian agenda” (Gregg, pg.44)
Final Thoughts
“Linking must be at the top of the librarian agenda” (Gregg, pg.44) “…to ignore linking is to ignore a core tenet of librarianship: the right resource for the user at the right time”
Final Thoughts
A major future direction for the ADL Portal is going to be enabling linking technologies!
– Less duplication of effort – Ensures access to a core set of resources – Ensures access across a common platform – Will be User-Centric