[WEB4LIB] OpenURL Systems - What are you using?

[Thomas Dowling]

Athena Hoeppner wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I'm curious what OpenURL systems (SFX and the like) are in use.  Has
>your library (or consortia) implemented OpenURL?  If so, what do you
>use?  
>
>  
>

OhioLINK uses a locally developed open source resolver.  In my 
experience, resolvers are not difficult software (hey, if *I* can write 
one...); the tricky part is establishing administrative control over 
your electronic journal subscriptions.  If you're more or less able to 
generate a table of your e-journals with columns for the site they're 
located at, and years and/or volumes of coverage, you may want to look 
at local development or open source options.  There is a small but 
helpful community of OpenURL developers and link wranglers who can tell 
you, for example, "To link to an article on site X, construct a URL like 
this...".

If you don't have that subscription information, it may be worth the 
price of a commercial package just to have the vendor sort it all out 
for you.  Of course, it may ultimately be worth more to sit a staff 
member down with instructions to do this, and let you use the 
information as you think best.


-- 
Thomas Dowling
OhioLINK - Ohio Library and Information Network
tdowling at ohiolink.edu