Open URL Link Resolvers

Nowadays libraries provide access to a range of full-text databases for their users. But not every user of a library has access to all of its databases. e.g. in university librares students have access to some databases according to their disciplines. One of the new technologies for managing links and reducing frustration of the users is Open URL Link Resolver.

The OpenURL framework is built on the principle that the full text of an article can be defined by a set of metadata elements in an Open URL. When the protocol is implemented in a database, the static URL (something like this: http://emeraldinsight.com/rtlk377?88&lkl.nvolaoiipo) pointing to only one version of the full text, is raplaced by an OpenURL containing all of the metadata that was extracted from the citation (something like this: http://sfx3.exlib.com:5003/furman_t?issn=0021-8537&date=2003&volume=44&issue=2&spage=241). In this Open URL link you can see the the name of the author, ISSN, volume and issue number of the journal and start page of the article. With help of this technology, libraries can control what links do and do not appear to users. Or in other words a user will be presented only with links to resources that his or her institution subscribed to. To get an general idea about this technology read this short article.