Creating Links into the Directory of CDL Licensed Content

While the simplest approach is to provide a link to the home page of the Directory of CDL-Licensed Content at http://www.cdlib.org/directory/, there are many other kinds of links into the Directory that library web managers can include on their web sites. In almost all cases, creating these links is as simple as going to the desired Directory page and then cutting and pasting the URL. Once this is done, most of the parameters within the URL, such as "perpage" (the number of records that display per page), can be easily modified.

Example #1: Linking to All Resources From a Particular Provider

All ScienceDirect Resources

You can create a simple and quick link to a list of resources, from a particular vendor. The URL used in the link above is:

http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/search?campus=ALL&format=all&perpage=10000
&index=provider&word=ScienceDirect

To generate this URL, go to the long display for a Science Direct title (e.g., Accident Analysis and Prevention). Notice that the Provider field is a link. Select the Provider link, and then cut and paste the URL.

It's easy to modify these URLs. Notice that the URL above includes the parameter campus=ALL. If you want to change it so that your campus is selected, simply change the URL; for example - replace ALL with UCR:

http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/search?campus=UCR&format=all
&perpage=10000&index=provider&word=ScienceDirect

You can follow these steps to create links to any provider in the Directory of CDL-Licensed Content, including electronic journal providers. For example, the URL that will create a link to all American Chemical Society electronic journals available at UCSF looks like this:

http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/search?campus=UCSF&format=Electronic+Journal
&perpage=40&index=provider&word=American+Chemical+Society

Example #2: Linking to a Top-Level Browse Page

Social Sciences Electronic Journals at UCLA

The URL used in the link above is:

http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/browse?topic=Social+Sciences&format=Electronic+Journal
&campus=UCLA&perpage=10&x=28&y=6

The easiest way to get this URL is to actually go to this page in the Directory, then cut and paste the URL into your web page. You may then decide that you want 20 records to display per page: change &perpage=10 to 20:

http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/browse?topic=Social+Sciences&format=Electronic+Journal
&campus=UCLA&perpage=20&x=28&y=6

Also, the &x= and &y= elements are not necessary — you can delete these if you wish. This would leave you with the following URL:

http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/browse?topic=Social+Sciences&format=Electronic+Journal
&campus=UCLA&perpage=20

Example #3: Linking to an Alphabetical List

Physical Sciences Electronic Journals at UC Davis (Alphabetic List)

The URL used in the link above is:

http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/browse_title?campus=UCD&format=Electronic+Journal
&perpage=20&letter=A&topic=Physical+Sciences

Again, the easiest way to obtain this URL is to go to this page in the Directory, then cut and paste.

Example #4: Linking to a Broad Subject List

Arts & Humanities Electronic Journals at UC Irvine

The URL used in the link above is:

http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/browse_topic?campus=UCI&format=Electronic+Journal
&perpage=50&topic=Arts+and+Humanities

Note that the number of records that will appear per page has been increased to 50.

Example #5: Linking to a Specific Subject List

Literature Electronic Journals at UC Irvine

The URL used in the link above is:

http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/browse_topic?campus=UCI&format=Electronic+Journal
&perpage=30&topic=Literature

Example #6: Linking to a "Canned" Directory Search

All Directory Resources Containing the Word Stem "biochem" at UC San Diego

The URL used in the link above is:

http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/search?index=keyword&word=biochem*&format=all
&campus=UCSD&perpage=40

This URL was obtained by doing a Directory search on biochem*. Note that truncation is achieved by using the asterisk (*). Also note that 40 records will appear per page.

Example #7: Linking to all Databases

All Databases in the Directory of CDL-Licensed Content

You can use the Directory search link approach described in Example #6 above to create a link that will produce an alphabetical list of all databases in the Directory of CDL-Licensed Content; then, simply cut and paste the resulting URL. The URL used in the link above is:

http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/search?index=keyword&word=*&format=Database
&campus=ALL&perpage=300

This URL was obtained by doing a Directory keyword search on the character *, and limiting the format to Databases. Also note that 300 records will appear per page.

Example #8 Linking to the Long Display (Full Record)

FRANCIS Database

As mentioned above, you do not want to cut and paste the URLs for the long display pages. These URLs are dynamic and will change over time. To create links to these pages, you need to create URLs that follow this simple format:

http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/search_title?title=XXX, where XXX is the exact Directory title for the resource; spaces in the title must be replaced with a + sign; case-sensitive

The URL for a direct link to the Directory long display page for the FRANCIS database should look like this; the exact Directory title is FRANCIS [via Eureka/RLG]

http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/search_title?title=FRANCIS+[via+Eureka/RLG]

As another example, the URL for the Directory long display page for Science Citation Expanded Index (the exact CDL title) would be:

http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/search_title?title=Science+Citation+Expanded+Index

Adding a Directory Search Form

The simplest way to provide access to the Directory of CDL-Licensed Content search feature is by linking to the search form. However, library web managers can also add a Directory search form directly to their pages. Examples, along with the actual HTML, are provided below:

Search Form Example #1

The following form searches the Directory of CDL-Licensed Content with no limits placed on format or campus. This form uses hidden fields — no pull-down menus will show for the format, campus or per page settings as they do on the Directory of CDL-Licensed Content search page.

<form method=get action="http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/search">
<input type=hidden name="index" value="keyword">
<input type=hidden name="format" value="all">
<input type=hidden name="campus" value="ALL">
<input type=hidden name="perpage" value="10">
<input type=text name=word value="" size="30"> <BR>
<input type=Submit value="Search the CDL Directory">
</form>

You can change the format, campus and per page hidden fields. For example, you might want this form to limit searches to those resources available at UC Santa Cruz; simply replace <input type=hidden name="campus" value="ALL"> with <input type=hidden name="campus" value="UCSC">. The allowable values are: ALL, UCB, UCD, UCI, UCR, UCLA, UCSD, UCSF, UCSB, UCSC.

You can also have this search limited to electronic journals for example, by changing <input type=hidden name="format" value="all"> to <input type=hidden name="format" value="Electronic Journal">. Allowable values are: all, Electronic Journal, Database, Reference Text.

The per page value is set to 10 in the example above. To change this to 30, change <input type=hidden name="perpage" value="10"> to <input type=hidden name="perpage" value="30">. Allowable values: 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50.

Search Form Example #2

Using the following form format will allow your users to select among the various search limits.

<form method=get action="http://www.cdlib.org/cgi-bin/search">
<input type=hidden name="index" value="keyword">
<input type=text name=word value="" size="30"><BR>
Format: <SELECT NAME="format">
<OPTION VALUE="all" selected>ALL FORMATS
<OPTION VALUE="Electronic Journal">Electronic Journals
<OPTION VALUE="Database">Databases
<OPTION VALUE="Reference Text">Reference Texts
</SELECT><BR>
Campus: <SELECT NAME="campus">
<OPTION VALUE="ALL" selected>No Limit by Campus
<OPTION VALUE="UCB">UC Berkeley
<OPTION VALUE="UCD">UC Davis
<OPTION VALUE="UCI">UC Irvine
<OPTION VALUE="UCLA">UC Los Angeles
<OPTION VALUE="UCR">UC Riverside
<OPTION VALUE="UCSD">UC San Diego
<OPTION VALUE="UCSF">UC San Francisco
<OPTION VALUE="UCSB">UC Santa Barbara
<OPTION VALUE="UCSC">UC Santa Cruz
</SELECT><BR>
Records per page: <SELECT NAME="perpage">
<OPTION VALUE="5">5
<OPTION VALUE="10" selected>10
<OPTION VALUE="20">20
<OPTION VALUE="30">30
<OPTION VALUE="40">40
<OPTION VALUE="50">50
</SELECT><BR>
<input type=Submit value="Search the CDL Directory">
</form>

You can arrange these form elements in many different ways. You may also only choose to provide some of the pull-downs.

Document Owner: Ivy Anderson

Last reviewed: May 7, 2008

URL: http://www.cdlib.org/inside/projects/cdldir/linking.html