Need to create a link from within your online study or document to a full-text article from a library research database (such as Gale's InfoTrac or ProQuest)? If so, be aware that this process is not the same as embedding a link to a publicly available web page (such as a CNN article). In order to ensure that such links work smoothly for your students, read and follow the steps below:

Note: for those creating a longer list of web page links, especially if they will be reused over time and placed on multiple web pages or study templates:consider routing those links through our ESCORT database (login required). Doing so will eliminate the need to edit a broken link in more than one place. To do this, send a description of your request and the list of citations and their accompanying links to: librarian@esc.edu. We will then add these to ESCORT and send you the proper links to use.

Steps for embedding a database link into your online study: Locate the article using one of the library research databases. Locate the database used in one of the tables below. Copy the article URL using the instructions for the database as noted below. If indicated in the table, add the college library prefix (3rd column) to the URL you copied - this will create a PURL ("Persistent URL") that can then be used by remotely located students using their MyESC college login. Example: http://library.esc.edu/login?url=http://www.search.eb.com.library.esc.edu/eb/article?tocId=28049) Go to the location in your document and highlight the text that will serve as the link and create the link/hotspot. Link creation steps will depend on what system or software you are using to create the document (e.g., Lotus Notes/SLN/Angel). After embedding the link, check that it is working by viewing your template on the web.

Terms Used: URL: the address of the web page in question (e.g., http://www.esc.edu/library). It is displayed in the address bar at the top of your browser. PURL (persistent URL): pages that are generated "on-the-fly" by a server cannot be bookmarked for later access. This can be resolved by creating a "persistent URL" or PURL for short; also referred to as a "stable URL."

PURL Instructions by Database Name:
There are three tables with database-specific instructions below:

1. General/multidisciplinary databases (used the most)
2. Specialized, subject-specific databases
3. Databases that do not support PURLs (and so links to pages within them cannot be created)

Ask a Librarian for more information, or contact a librarian via e-mail at librarian@esc.edu