# Presentation: 134403

## Open URL	

- Mr. Nicola (Nic) Cecchino
- Harrell Health Sciences Library
- Penn State Hershey
- July 25, 2008

## Agenda

- History and Introduction
- Open URL in details
- Link Resolvers and Open URLs
- Manipulating Open URLs

## History and IntroductionNic’s cloud of selected bulleted words	

- Vannevar Bush – Herbert Van Sompel
- Information seeking behavior
- Mediated Searches
- The World Wide Web
- Electronic Resources
- Technology
- Open URL

**Notes:**
Vannevar Bush wrote about the concept of information travel such as his concept of the encyclopedia on the Memex...one link leads to another to another...so one.
Hervert Van Sompel, a LIBRARIAN at the University of Ghent – created the openurl and the link resolver – sold his software to SFX.

## Open URL details		

- Definitions...

## Define:  Metadata	

- Data that describes data.  In the sense of a database – a book title is a form of data in that database.  The book title describes the data that’s in the book!  The book title is therefore, metadata.

## Other words

- Journal level – at the level of the volumes or issues
- Table of contents (TOC) – at the level of the TOC
- Article level – to the point of accessing the actual article

**Notes:**
I may use these words throughout my presentation – just so you know what I mean by them...

## What exactly is an Open URL?

- An Open URL is a string of metadata; the metadata lives within the URL.
- So an Open URL has a string of data that is descriptive of other data.
- Each URL is a query of strings that make   references to fields in a database.

## An open URL consists of...

- An OpenURL consists of a base URL, which addresses the user's institutional link-server, and a query string, which contains contextual data, typically in the form of key-value pairs. The contextual data is most often bibliographic data, but in version 1.0 of OpenURL can also include information about the requester, the resource containing the hyperlink, the type of service required, and so forth.
- Wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenURL, last searched 7/19/2008

**Notes:**
So as openURL’s programming developed – going from 0.1 to 1.0, you begin to see the changes and abilities to accommodate electronic resources that libraries manage, and capabilities of including licensing restrictions, information about the user...etc.

## For example:
http://resolver.example.edu/cgi?genre=book&isbn=0836218310&title=The+Far+Side+Gallery+3
is a version 0.1 OpenURL describing a book. http://resolver.example.edu/cgi is the base URL of an example link-server. In version 1.0, this same link becomes somewhat longer:
http://resolver.example.edu/cgi?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:book&rft.isbn=0836218310&rft.btitle=The+Far+Side+Gallery+3

- _[http://resolver.example.edu/cgi?genre=book&isbn=0836218310&title=The+Far+Side+Gallery+3](http://resolver.example.edu/cgi?genre=book&isbn=0836218310&title=The+Far+Side+Gallery+3)_
- is a version 0.1 OpenURL describing a book. http://resolver.example.edu/cgi is the base URL of an example link-server. In version 1.0, this same link becomes somewhat longer:
- _[http://resolver.example.edu/cgi?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:book&rft.isbn=0836218310&rft.btitle=The+Far+Side+Gallery+3](http://resolver.example.edu/cgi?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:book&rft.isbn=0836218310&rft.btitle=The+Far+Side+Gallery+3)_

- An open URL consists of...

## Let’s dig deeper...

- _Journal level:_AANNT Journal: American Association of Nephrology Nurses & Technicians Bibliographic Records: 1981 to 1984_[http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20](http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20&jid=12F9&site=ehost-live)__[&jid=12F9](http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20&jid=12F9&site=ehost-live)__[&site=ehost-live](http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20&jid=12F9&site=ehost-live)__ _

**Notes:**
Note, we have two different open URL’s.  This one and the following slide.  Both taking you to the same journal, except, the second one takes you to an actual article within the journal, where the first one, takes you to the table of contents (volumes and issues).  The data is being queried from the cinahl database in Ebscohost.  So within cinahl’s fulltext data, the queries are calling either the journal by the journal id,, in this case note &jid=12F9 and in the following case the query is calling the article via the Accession number, 1983012640.  Let’s go to that slide so you can see what I mean.

I didn’t want to smash this information on one slide – would have been too much information on one slide.

## Let’s dig deeper...

- _Article level:_  Title:  Renal transplantation: advances in immunology -- a nursing perspective. Author: Irwin BCJournal:  AANT Journal:  American Association of Nephrology Nurses & Technicians
- _[http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20](http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20&AN=1983012640&site=ehost-live)__[&AN=1983012640](http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20&AN=1983012640&site=ehost-live)__[&site=ehost-live](http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20&AN=1983012640&site=ehost-live)_

## At the Journal level

- AANNT Journal: American Association of Nephrology Nurses & Technicians Bibliographic Records: 1981 to 1984
- _[http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20](http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20&jid=12F9&site=ehost-live)__[&jid=12F9](http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20&jid=12F9&site=ehost-live)__[&site=ehost-live](http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20&jid=12F9&site=ehost-live)_

## At the Article level

- Renal transplantation: advances in immunology -- a nursing perspective. Author: Irwin BCJournal:  AANT Journal:  American Association of Nephrology Nurses & Technicians
- _[http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20](http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20&AN=1983012640&site=ehost-live)__[&AN=1983012640](http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20&AN=1983012640&site=ehost-live)__[&site=ehost-live](http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,uid&db=cin20&AN=1983012640&site=ehost-live)_

## Database Open URL

- _[http://medjournal.hmc.psu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,uid&profile=ehost&defaultdb=cin20](http://medjournal.hmc.psu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,uid&profile=ehost&defaultdb=cin20)_This link will take you to CINAHL, the bibliographic database.  Note:  defaultdb=cin20

**Notes:**
Here we have yet another url that will take you directly to the Ebscohost interface for searching Cinahl.  Yet another view added to the mix.  One searches directly for the article, the other searches, gathers and puts together a volume and issues list, and this – simply pulls up the interface and populates with the appropriate information so that you the user can query Cinahl with all of your own terms.  All links perform different queries that enable different results.  All links can be manipulated.  Observe the patterns of each.

A word about manipulating the open urls – support people of the various vendors can point you to where they have all of the information and pieces that are needed for building open urls.  They should be very helpful.

## What’s the difference?

- Cinahl_[http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp?profile=ehost&defaultdb=cin20](http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp?profile=ehost&defaultdb=cin20)_
- Library Literature & Information Science_[http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp?profile=ehost&defaultdb=llh](http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp?profile=ehost&defaultdb=llh)_
- Academic Search Elite_[http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp?profile=ehost&defaultdb=afh](http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp?profile=ehost&defaultdb=afh)_

**Notes:**
So I can’t iterate enough – you want to focus on patterns. The URLs all look the same, right?  There is something different – what’s is it?.  The &defaultdb is the piece that’s querying the database field that represents the bibliographic database search interface.  So, instead of linking to the general Ebscohost page that lists all databases, you can link to the individual database (Cinahl, Library Lit, Academic search elite, etc) – that you license – by simply changing the code within the defaultdb field.  If you can’t find the codes, call the vender and they’ll hook you up with these codes.

## CINAHL Open URL Anatomy

- http://proxyserver.infogoeshere.edu/login?
- url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx
- ?authtype=ip,uid
- &profile=ehost
- &defaultdb=cin20

**Notes:**
Institutions that implement a proxy server might include a URL that’s infront of the the main linking URL – that’s the first line.  It just depends on which proxy server they are using and what the requirements are for linking.
The second line – introduces the root url with login.aspx script call
The 3rd line is the authentication type – here it indicates IP address and university ID is what will authenticate users in.
The 4th line calls out to the EbscoHost profiles; hence, ehost
The 5th is the default database within that ehost profile – which cin20 happens to be Cinahl.

The 5th parameter will change, as I’ve mentioned before, to which ever database we are linking to.  Everthing else needs to stay the same.

## Examples of two versions of URLs – both article levels

- _[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/utils/fref.fcgi?PrId=3494&itool=Abstract-nondef&uid=18284661&db=pubmed&url=http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=18284661](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/utils/fref.fcgi?PrId=3494&itool=Abstract-nondef&uid=18284661&db=pubmed&url=http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=18284661)_(LOOOONG....)
- _[http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=18284661](http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=18284661)_(short...)

**Notes:**
In the most practical sense – if we are linking these urls off of our Library Catalogs (marc 856), so that valuable landscape isn’t consumed, you would most likely use the shorter version.  If you wanted to manipulate the url so that this and other information is available, then definitely use the longer version.  

## Long and Short of URLs

- We know that both are from different versions of OpenURL
- Both take you to the same information
- Both can be manipulated, but the shorter one is more desirable for cataloging & most likely permanent

**Notes:**
The concept of permanence is due to the fact that often times librarians will link resources to the url that appears in the browsers url bar.  
That URL is mostlikely set with time limits that occur over time.  If a user clicks once on it – that user or another user may not be able to use that URL again.  
Publishers may provide you with a shorter version of the URL or may provide you with the pieces that you can construct a shorter version that is permanent for both the catalog or the electronic resources management system that your institution uses.

## Examples of two versions of URLS – both take you to the journal level of Annals of General Psychiatry

- http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/redirect3.cgi?&&auth=0FA9cLKwv8sWbqDi10i1TdiLRgO4NKkpu2grO8AtF&reftype=publisher&jid=312&FROM=Archive%7CBanner&TO=Publisher%7COther%7CN%2FA&journal-id=312&&http://www.annals-general-psychiatry.com(looooong)
- http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/tocrender.fcgi?journal=312&action=archive(shorter)

**Notes:**
Couple things to note though...while both will take you to the same information...the longer will take you to the publisher’s site while the shorter one will take you to the archive at pubmedcentral.

On the next slide you will see that the shorter one is used for the cataloging – so it’s not so cumbersome as the long one – and is mostlikely the permanent one that has no time restrictions on it.

## Catalog view with shorter URL

**Notes:**
Observe...here we have the locater plus catalog at nlm – the url is easier on the eyes...not much landscape consumed in the record.  Can you envision a very very long URL in that space?? I have it highlighted for your viewing pleasure.  This is not how the screen actually looks.

## Open URL – Institutional presentation

- http://www.welch.jhu.edu/redirect_eresource.cfm?welch_er_type=eresource&welch_er_id=7638&welch_er_url=http://www.annals-general-psychiatry.com/

- http://atoz.ebsco.com/link.asp?id=3200&sid=222876201&rid=491534&urlSource=AtoZ&lang=en

## Open URL – Institutional presentation (cont.)

- http://qb9ty5ch5h.search.serialssolutions.com/log?L=QB9TY5CH5H&D=RPM&J=ANNAOFGEP&U=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pubmedcentral.nih.gov%2Ftocrender.fcgi%3Faction%3Darchive%26journal%3D312

## What information is in the Open URL?	

- Institutional
- ISSN
- ISBN
- Authentication method
- Database information
- Citation Database
- Record information
- User Authentication
- Etc, etc, etc, etc.....

## Proxy access and Linkresolvers

- Various links to the **Annals of General Psychiatry**** **
- http://www.welch.jhu.edu/redirect_eresource.cfm?welch_er_type=eresource&welch_er_id=7638&welch_er_url=http://www.annals-general-psychiatry.com/
- http://atoz.ebsco.com/link.asp?id=3200&sid=222876201&rid=491534&urlSource=AtoZ&lang=en
- http://qb9ty5ch5h.search.serialssolutions.com/log?L=QB9TY5CH5H&D=RPM&J=ANNAOFGEP&U=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pubmedcentral.nih.gov%2Ftocrender.fcgi%3Faction%3Darchive%26journal%3D312

**Notes:**
These are closer looks at the various examples of open urls that implement a possible proxy server and services such as Ebsco AtoZ or Serialssolution.  The latter two being Link Resolvers.

In the first case, they’ve set up their own database that manages their eResources – however, all three of the above are using some version of protection – whether it’s proxy or VPN - 
The second case:  they are using the atoz from ebsco...link resolver.  The actual link to this resource is hidden.  Annals of General Psychiatry doesn’t have this URL.
The third case:  they are using serialsolution as their link resolver.  

This is to really accentuate on how open urls can be different among the various Serials Management Systems ....

## Did you say LINKRESOLVERS?

- What’s a Linkresolver?

**Notes:**
So I mentioned link resolvers earlier – and if you haven’t heard of them, you are probably wondering what they are or how they work.

## A Linkresolver is a...

- A Linkresolver parses the string query of an open url and it provides the appropriate service* to the user.
- *The term Service, coming up next.

**Notes:**
While this definition seems way simple – what’s involved is very complex.  Let’s move forward to, as you guessed, more terms.

## More terms...

- Source – Bibliographic Record or Citation where the Open URL is generated
- Target – is the actual resource that the user is trying to get to.
- Service – is the go between!

## LinkResolver Examples	

- SFx from ExLibris
- Ovid LinkResolver
- EbscoAtoZ
- SerialSolution

## How do LinkResolvers work?The SFX model

- Let’s take the definitions and put them in a scenario – starting here:
- User is searching a bibliographic database...
- Finds the optimal article...
- Next slide please...

## The Source Window

- As the user is looking at the citation, he/she is looking at the Source window, and locates the SFX link.
- Either Pubmed or Proquest, in this instance, can be a Source.

**Notes:**
Each institution has it’s own version or they could have chosen another version of SFX’s symbol...

## Behind the scenes

- User, in his/her most professional way says, “Wow, awesome article!” – and suddenly clicks on the SFX link

- So what’s happening...?
- Upon click, linkresolver looks at the metadata and parses it.
- Linkresolver then brings out the Service Window and populates it with data from the corresponding OpenURL data.

## The Service Window

- Out pops the Service Window.
- Service has many options – antsy user impatiently clicks on the ‘go’ under ‘Full Text’.
- Information in the fields under ‘Full Text’ is populated from the OpenURL.

## The Target Window

- Linksolver parsed the open url
- Open url presented service
- Linksolver sent request to publisher database
- Publisher database returned Target Window...
- Happy user clicks on the pdf link and gets fulltext article.

**Notes:**
Ok ... so let’s recap – 
Link solver parsed the url
solver queried the publisher database
Database returns the results – in this case it’s an article.

## How cool is that?

- **Clique!** Source

- **Clique!** Service

- **Clique!** Target

**Notes:**
And Voila – 3 clicks (in most cases) to full text.

## Implications

- Increased access to more licensed electronic books and journal articles
- Easier access to electronic book and journal articles
- Happy patrons can work at any place and any time; with a few mouse clicks – users may retrieve articles efficiently.

**Notes:**
**increased access is dependant on which service you are using.  If users are searching Pubmed, Linkout has the requirement that if NLM has an agreement with the publisher – and the institution has licensed that journal title with that same publisher – only then can users access articles.  However, with SFX, implemented with Pubmed – the users have access to even more resources.

**the demonstrated scenario speaks for itself.

**with availability users can access even more information, faster.

## Practical Stuff for budding eResources Librarians

- Take notes and keep cheat sheets
- Talk to publisher technical support
- Recognize patterns
- Learn the whole picture before making judgments.

## Notes and cheat sheets

- Mine was a cut-n-paste cheat sheet – here’s an example of what I had on mine:
- Wilsonweb ejournal url:
- http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/Journals/getIssues.jhtml?sid=HWW:OMNIFT,EDUFT&issn=FILLINISSNHERE
- ebscohost databases:
- http://search.ebscohost.com/login.asp?profile=ehost&defaultdb=SHORTDBASENAME
- OVID URL for Databases:
- http://gateway.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&PAGE=main&D=PUTSHORTCUTHERENOCAPS&MODE=ovid&NEWS=N&LOGOUT=URLOFPAGEYOUWISHTOEXITTOHERE!!

## Talk to the Publishers Technical Support

- Technical Support can provide information and parameter requirements for Open URLs that link to their resources.

## Recognize patterns

- Look for likenesses and differences in the URL.  These differences are most likely going to be specific to the resource you are working on.  Often good to find the list of parameter keys so that you know what to fill in where.

## Learn the whole picture

- Sometimes a 3 second quick judgment call can mean many hours of work to undo mistakes.

## Conclusion 

## Recap - 

- So what about Vannevar Bush?
- And information seeking behavior?
- And technology?
- And Open URLs?
- Are we as close as we ever were to the dream Vannevar Bush published in 1945, with this one piece known as Open URLs?

## Questions?

- Thank you!

## Contact me:

- Nic Cecchino
- njc12@psu.edu
- 717-531-8630