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Virtual Conference: Link Corrector Tool

AFC Learning Resources Commission Virtual Conference

Link Corrector Tool

https://sfcollege.libguides.com/faculty/linking
https://www.sfcollege.edu/web-assets/Library/js/linking.js

     When the Tyree Library changed e-resource authentication platforms, all of the permanent links (permalinks) for those e-resources needed updating to make them compatible with the format used by OpenAthens, our new vendor, (e.g., links that include the “&” character had to be encoded). Library staff found it difficult to convert the links because it was not as simple as adding a standard prefix as we did with our previous vendor. To simplify the process and ensure the links were correct, Jenna Miller, Reference and e-Resources librarian, wrote JavaScript to create a “Link Corrector Tool.” This tool turns any permalink from any library e-resource – eBooks, articles, and streaming videos – into a viable link. Not only is the tool used by library staff, but faculty can embed corrected permalinks in course materials and when accessed by students, the link prompts for an institutional single sign-on, giving students seamless access to library e-resources. The Link Corrector Tool is simple for the end user. The link is pasted into a simple input box, the user clicks "Create Link," and they receive a correctly modified permalink – see https://sfcollege.libguides.com/faculty/linking for an example. The 160 lines of code in the JavaScript file mainly consist of if/else statements based on the way the various vendors handle links in OpenAthens.

     Since other Florida colleges also transitioned to the OpenAthens vendor, Jenna shared her code and instructions on how to use it through the OpenAthens discussion list hosted by the Florida Virtual Campus. Other institutions can easily reuse the code by replacing Santa Fe's EZProxy prefix and OpenAthens redirect prefix with their own institutional information. See https://www.sfcollege.edu/web-assets/Library/js/linking.js for the current code.

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