Link Resolver Services for UC

Within the context of the Shared Cataloging Program (SCP)-created catalog records, SFX OpenURLs will be created to point to the UC-eLinks service (which is supported by the UC-wide SFX KnowledgeBase), whenever possible. SCP will continue to provide holdings statements in the MARC 856 field. Existing PIDs will be carried forward into the new link resolution application and will continue to be resolved until we have accurately determined that they are no longer being used.

See sections below:

• Documents
• Principles
• Specifications
• Assessment
• Planning Group

Documents

• Link Resolver Services:
  As web capabilities have advanced, the functionality of link resolver services has expanded enormously. Although the software behind the PURL server provides many services, use of OpenURLs in UC-eLinks (provided by the SFX application), when such use is possible, can expand the range of services available to our patrons. November 2005 [PDF]

Principles

• UC Link Resolver General Principles and Detailed Linking Guidelines:
  List of principles and guidelines documenting common agreement on the use of various resolution services by Shared Cataloging Program staff. October 2005 [DOC]

Specifications

• Specifications for Link Resolver Services for UC, Including a Maintenance Interface:
  CDL is committed to providing a system for integrating various electronic services available from both CDL-hosted and externally licensed resources. The goals are to increase integration, to provide a consistent user experience, to use a standards-based approach for integrating services, and to maintain UC's control over offering appropriate services. (April 2005)  [DOC]
• NOID Batch Identifier Infrastructure Specification:
  The noid utility creates minters (identifier generators) and accepts commands that operate them. Once created, a minter can be used to produce persistent, globally unique names for documents, databases, images, vocabulary terms, etc. Properly managed, these identifiers can be used as long term durable information object references within naming schemes such as ARK, PURL, URN, DOI, and LSID. [PDF]
• NOID Software download: [HTML]
• PID Resolution Service:
  This resolution service allows UC Libraries to create a persistent identifier (PID) for any URL they choose. [HTML]

Assessment

• Linking to Online Resources in Melvyl: OpenURL vs. PID: Focus Group Findings & Recommendations:
  In August/ September 2005, CDL conducted two focus groups with Users Council members to investigate the impact of transitioning away from the current PID method of linking to full text (and other services) and toward the OpenURL method (used by UC-eLinks) on UC public services, within the Melvyl environment. August-September 2005 [PDF]

Link Resolver Planning Group

Mary Heath, CDL, Project Manager
Linda Barnhart, SCP, Head Metadata Services, UCSD
Renee Chin, SCP Cataloger
Becky Culbertson, SCP Electronic Resources Cataloging Librarian
John Kunze, CDL, Preservation Technologies Architect
Patricia Martin, CDL, Bibliographic Services Manager
John Riemer, UCLA, Chair, SCP Advisory Committee
Adolfo Tarango, SCP, Head, Serials Cataloging, UCSD
Margery Tibbetts, Senior Development Programmer