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Linking into eLibrary from other Web pages.

The following guide explains the options for creating HTML code or URL links to direct users to eLIbrary content from external web pages. This can be in the form of the GoFindIt application (which allows searching for eJournals, eBooks, etc.) or of links directly to specific resources within eLibrary or FindIt@Bham.

The instructions and examples assume a general level of familiarity with both eLibrary and web-page authoring but no programming language experience is needed.

Edward Craft
July 2009.

Embedding GoFindIt into WebCT pages
Embedding GoFindIt into external Web pages
Embedding GoFindIt into UCMS Web pages (coming soon)
Adding GoFindIt to a Facebook profile (coming soon)
Linking to an eJournal or Article
Simple linking to an eResource
Advanced linking to eResources

1. Embedding GoFindIt into WebCT pages

The easiest way to add the GoFindIt applet (as shown above) into WebCT is by any of the following three options:

Insert <iframe width="100%" frameborder="no" height="200" src="https://diglib1.bham.ac.uk/linker/">dummyText</iframe> to the Front Page document that you want it to appear in, using the Code / HTML view. Add the document to WebCT in the normal way.

To make the applet appear on a Home or Organiser page in WebCT go to the WebCT Build Tab, click on the Page Options drop down menu. Select either Edit Header or Edit Footer depending on if you want the applet to appear at the top or the bottom of the page. Then add the following code to the HTML box and save:

When in the WebCT Build Tab, click on the Add File drop down menu and select Create File. Give the file a Title e.g. Go Find It!. In the Content box type:

Ensure that the HTML box is ticked and save the file.

2. Embedding GoFindIt into external Web pages

To add the GoFindIt applet (as shown above) to a third party web page, add the following HTML code :

If the URL of the calling page starts with "http://" insert -

<iframe width="100%" frameborder="no" height="200" src="http://elibrary.bham.ac.uk/linker/">dummyText</iframe>

If the calling page URL starts with "https://" insert

<iframe width="100%" frameborder="no" height="200" src="https://diglib1.bham.ac.uk/linker/">dummyText</iframe>

This will put a link to the application into an existing web page. Using the wrong link of the ones above will cause a warning box about 'nonsecure content' to appear.

3. Embedding GoFindIt into UCMS Web pages

A drop-in UCMS component for GoFindIt is currently in development. Further details will be posted here when available.

4. Adding GoFindIt to a Facebook profile

Instructions for adding GoFindIt as a Facebook application will be published soon. Further details will be posted here when available.

5. Linking to an eJournal or Article

The best way to link to a journal article is by using the eLibrary linker http://www.elibrary.bham.ac.uk/linker.

The linker will always take the student to a Services Menu which will give the student the option of which database they want to access the article via. This has the advantage of the link not going out of date due to the journal moving from one database to another. Due to the fact that different databases work in different ways technically, you may find that some of the links take the student directly to the full text whilst others only take you to the entry for the whole of that journal title. The student may be asked to log into an item the first time they use such a link that session.

Ensure you are on the Find eJournal tab. Type in the name of the journal, year, volume, issue number and the page number that the article starts on. Then click the Go button. If you only want to link to a journal title and not an individual article then follow the same instructions but do not add the year, volume, issue and start page number to the eLibrary linker.

A list of results may appear, click on the [FindIt!@Bham] button for the correct result.

From the FindIt!@Bham 'Services for this Record' window, click on 'Click Here for Further Options',

Click on 'Citation Information (GO)'

The default citation style, MLA, includes an URL (starting with http:// and proceeding for several lines) which may be copied and pasted into other web pages or WebCT.

6. Simple linking to an eResource

Section 7 below describes in detail the possiblities to create URLs which 'deep-link' into any part of eLibrary. This allows the creation of links to lists of resources, quicksets and even performing searches on titles.

However, it is very simple to create a link to an individual title via eLibrary. Linkiing in this way (rather than using the URL of the resource itself) takes advantage of eLibrary's benefits :

» Any mandatory settings (such as for Shibboleth login) are included for you,
» Problems with resources' URLs including personal or temporary information are overcome,
» Support for users from off-campus is greatly improved,
» If the title subsequently changes it's URL the eLibrary entry will automatically pick this up.

The web page http://www.elibrary.bham.ac.uk/scout/deeplink.asp (no password is required) contains a list of all eResources in eLibrary and the URL required to link directly to them.

The student may be asked to log into an item the first time they use such a link that session.

7. Advanced linking to an eResource ("Deep Linking")

What is Deep Linking ?

It is possible in Metalib, the software underlying eLibrary, to link directly to any page within the service rather than going to the login page and then proceeding via the menus. This means that URLs can be created and included in third party web pages that can :

» Take the user to an individual resource and perform a search on it.
» Take the user to a category or sub-category's list of resources.
» Perform searches on quicksets and take the user to the results.

While deep linking is an ExLibris-supported function of Metalib (and as such we can forward any problems we encounter to their support desks), it does not include FindIt@Bham, Article or eJournal pages. To link from web pages to these please see the 'Linking to an eJournal or Article' section above.

Also, major revisions to the eLibrary user interface are planned for 2010 which may require some changes to be made to eLibrary deep links.

Searching an Individual Resource.

If a resource is searchable (either fully cross-searchable or using search-and-link) it is possible to perform that search within a deep link.

As a starting point, the link

http://diglib1.bham.ac.uk:8331/V/?func=find-db-4&resource=BHM00185

shows that BHAM00185 is the CKB ID for ABI/Inform Full Text (which I know to be cross searchable). We can perform a search on this resource directly by using the function func=find-db-4-check and adding the parameters :

mode=simple	Perform a simple search
find_request_1={text}	for {text}

Eg. http://diglib1.bham.ac.uk:8331/V/?func=find-db-4-check&resource=BHM00185&mode=simple&find_request_1=Molyneux

NOTE : This search will not work if you are not already logged into WebSSO. For instructions on ensuring users are logged in, see 'Forcing a Login' below.

It is also possible to perform advanced searches using this method. If you wish to do this instructions can be found in the online manual - see 'Further Information' below.

Linking to a Category or Sub Category.

You can provide students with a link to not just one resource but to a group of resources as they are currently arranged in the Find Resource – Browse by Subject area of the eLibrary. Each School / Department should have their own list in this area, which gives links to resources that have been identified as being of interest to that subject area. The lists normally have the School name in the Browse by Subject (Category) box and once you have selected a School the Sub-Category (Sub Cat) box becomes relevant to that School e.g. research areas for that School or a list of Departments within it.

When you then select the Go button within the eLibrary you will then be taken to a list of useful resources for that subject area :

You can create a link to these lists of resources. To begin with you need to identify the names given in the eLibrary to the Category (Browse by Subject) e.g. Business, Economics, Urban + Regional Studies and the Sub-Category (Sub Cat) e.g. ALL.

Users can be directed to the list of eResources of a subcategory by using the following code and editing the {CATEGORY} AND {SUB_CATEGORY} sections in order to create a link:

http://diglib1.bham.ac.uk:8331/V/?func=find-db-1-category&mode=category&category={CATEGORY}&SUB_CAT={SUB_CATEGORY}

Note that the name of the category or sub-category needs to be encoded if it contains non-alphanumeric characters. That is, spaces need to be replaced by "%20" and plus-signs need to be replaced by "%2B".

By doing this the link for the Category: Business, Economics, Urban + Regional Studies (Business,%20Economics,%20Urban%20%2B%20Regional%20Studies)

and

Sub Category: ALL becomes:

http://diglib1.bham.ac.uk:8331/V/?func=find-db-1-category&mode=category&category=Business,%20Economics,%20Urban%20%2B%20Regional%20Studies&SUB_CAT=ALL

And the link for the Category: Business, Economics, Urban + Regional Studies (Business,%20Economics,%20Urban%20%2B%20Regional%20Studies)

and

Sub Category: Economics becomes:

http://diglib1.bham.ac.uk:8331/V/?func=find-db-1-category&mode=category&category=Business,%20Economics,%20Urban%20%2B%20Regional%20Studies&SUB_CAT=Economics

An extra parameter, "restricted", can be added to these URLs to specify which eResources to display. This can take the values :

restricted=all	- show all resources
restricted=unrestricted	- show only 'free' resources.

Once students have opened the list they may be asked to enter their University username and password when they have selected a resource from the list. If the student is working off-campus it is advisable for them to log into the University Proxy Service first: http://www.helpdesk.bham.ac.uk/aresources/

Deep-linking and QuickSets.

Deep links to Quick sets are structured in thr same way as those for finding and searching individual eResources. The URL

http://diglib1.bham.ac.uk:8331/V/?func=quick-1

takes the user to the main QuickSearch page's default search (simple search). The advanced search can be specified by adding the parameter "mode=advanced".

To actually perform a search, the function "func=quick-1-check1" should be used. The other parameters for this search are

group_number={quickset ID}	Search QuickSet No. ID
find_request_1={text}	for {text}

It is difficult to determine the QuickSet number using most browsers as the URL displayed in the status bar is usually truncated before the vital information. (If necessary, the information can be seen by viewing the source of the QuickSets home page.)

The current Quicksets and their IDs are :

Arts and Humanities	000010360
Business and Law	000010361
Engineering and Physical Science	000010363
Health and Biomedical Sciences	000010359
Life and Environmental Sciences	000010364
Social Sciences and Education	000010362

(The leading zeroes should be included !)

So to search for "Boston" in "Social Sciences and Education", you would use the URL http://diglib1.bham.ac.uk:8331/V/?func=quick-1-check1&mode=simple&find_request_1=Boston&group_number=000010362

By using this with the following option (Forcing a Login) it would be possible to create a QuickSet Search Box to embed into third party web pages.

Forcing a login.

With all of the previous deep links the user has been taken to the page as either a guest user or as themselves if they are already logged into eLibrary. Any of the previous URLs can be amended to force the user to be logged in before showing the eLibrary page by adding "&force_login=y" to the end of the URL.

So the URL

http://diglib1.bham.ac.uk:8331/V/?func=find-db-1-category&mode=category&category=Business,%20Economics,%20Urban%20%2B%20Regional%20Studies&SUB_CAT=Economics&restricted=all&institute=BHAM

becomes

http://diglib1.bham.ac.uk:8331/V/?func=find-db-1-category&mode=category&category=Business,%20Economics,%20Urban%20%2B%20Regional%20Studies&SUB_CAT=Economics&restricted=all&institute=BHAM&force_login=y

and the user will be taken to the Shibboleth/WebSSO login page before seeing the list of eResources. If a user already has a WebSSO session open (either by previously logging onto eLibrary or another shibbolized service) then they will not be prompted again for their login credentials.

Digital Library Team