Services

Creating Persistent Links

What is a Persistent Link?

A persistent link (also known as a permanent, stable, or durable link) takes a user directly to an article or other resource from a link embedded in a website. This allows links to specific resources to be placed in Canvas, syllabi, or other locations. Without a persistent link, the student would be taken only to the search page of the library database and would have to do a search using the resource’s author, title, etc. in order to get the resource.

To Create the Link

• Find out whether the article is available in full text in one of the library's databases by using the Library homepage to search the catalog or relevant databases.
• If the article is available, create the persistent link by following the steps outlined further down on this page. These steps show you how to create persistent links in some of the library-provided databases, including our catalog (WMS), Academic Search Complete and other EBSCOhost databases, JSTOR, and others. If the article you need is in a database not addressed by these instructions, please contact the Library at NancyFalcianiWhite@rmc.edu.
• If you need help with putting the links in Canvas, please contact Lily Zhang at zzhang@rmc.edu or (804) 752-3216.

After creating the link:

• If possible, test the link from off-campus.
• Beside each link you create in Canvas, state the full bibliographical information for the article. This way, your students will be able to track down the article even if the link fails for some reason during the course.

Database-Specific Instructions

• JSTOR
• EBSCOhost Databases
• ProQuest Databases
• Access World News
• Literature Resource Center
• Library Catalog (WMS)
• Library Catalog (WMS)

EBSCOhost Databases

This information is relevant for many different databases and archives, including Academic Search Complete, Discovery Search, Time Magazine Archive, etc.

1. Click the title of the desired resource in the search results list to view the article details.
2. Click on the "Permalink" link on the right side of the screen and the persistent link will appear above the article title.
3. Copy the URL of the persistent link, and paste it into Canvas or other destination
   
4. The proxy URL prefix is typically included in the Permalink provided by EBSCOhost. But if needed, it the proxy URL will always be the same:

   https://rmc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=

The proxy prefix added onto the beginning of the article URL will send your off-campus students through an authentication process before viewing the article, allowing them to be recognized by the database vendor company as an authorized user.

The finished persistent URL to the article in the example above should look like this example:

https://rmc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=129941212&scope=site

ProQuest Databases

This includes databases such as New York Times Online, Dissertations & Theses, PAIS with ProQuest Political Science, etc.<.p>

1. Click on the Abstract/Details of the desired resource to display the item details.
   
2. On the article display page, copy the "Document URL" found near the bottom of the first screen of the article display, and paste it into Canvas or other destination.
   
3. Add the proxy URL prefix to the beginning of the article URL. The proxy URL will always be the same:

   https://rmc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=

4. The proxy prefix added onto the beginning of the article URL will send your off-campus students through an authentication process before viewing the article, allowing them to be recognized by the database vendor company as an authorized user.
5. The finished persistent URL to the article in the example above should look like this example:

   https://rmc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/2015455589?accountid=28349

Access World News

1. Click the title of the desired resource to view detailed information and/or full text of the resource.
2. On the item detail page, click the “link” icon, copy the url that displays, and paste it into Canvas or other destination.
   
3. Add the proxy URL prefix to the beginning of the article URL. The proxy URL will always be the same:

   https://rmc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=

4. The proxy prefix added onto the beginning of the article URL will send your off-campus students through an authentication process before viewing the article, allowing them to be recognized by the database vendor company as an authorized user.
5. The finished persistent URL to the article in the example above should look like this example:

   https://rmc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=WORLDNEWS&req_dat=FD4A283686454BB288406641F2BB
   EE47&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F16DACD243300A7E8

Literature Resource Center

1. Click the title of the desired resource to view detailed information and/or full text of the resource.
2. Copy the URL at the bottom of the page in the “Source Citation” and paste it into Canvas or other destination.
   
3. Add the proxy URL prefix to the beginning of the article URL. The proxy URL will always be the same:

   https://rmc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=

4. The proxy prefix added onto the beginning of the article URL will send your off-campus students through an authentication process before viewing the article, allowing them to be recognized by the database vendor company as an authorized user.
5. The finished persistent URL to the article in the example above should look like this example:

   https://rmc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A240097363/LitRC?u=vic_randolph&sid=LitRC&xid=28b8792d

Library Catalog (WMS)

1. Click the Link option on the result you would like to link to. 

2. Copy the URL that is provided, and paste it into Canvas or other destination.

3. Add the proxy URL prefix to the beginning of the article URL. The proxy URL will always be the same:

https://rmc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=

The proxy prefix added onto the beginning of the article URL will send your off-campus students through an authentication process before viewing the resource, allowing them to be recognized by the database vendor company as an authorized user.

The finished persistent URL to the article in the example above should look like this example:

https://rmc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://rmc.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1082317373