Creating Persistent URLs (PURLs)
This page was designed to provide step-by-step instructions for creating persistent links to resources in the online library catalog and databases. It can be accessed at http://www.nvcc.edu/medical/meclibrary/purls.htm. Please contact MEC Librarian Beth DeAngelo with questions or comments.
- What are persistent URLs (persistent links)?
- Why do we need persistent links?
- What can I do with them?
- How do I create them? (choose your database)
- Books@Ovid
- EBSCO Databases (CINAHL, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Alt HealthWatch, etc.)
- Gale Databases (Health Reference Center, Gale Encyclopedias,etc.)
- Journals@Ovid
- Library Catalog (link to a book, journal, DVD or e-book record)
- MEDLINE (PubMed)
- Proquest
- R2 Library
- STAT!Ref
- Wiley Online Library
- Copyright & Licensing Considerations
What are persistent URLs (links)?
A persistent URL (or persistent link) is a web address that generally does not change over time. Persistent links are often used to link to articles, search results, or e-book chapters in the online library databases.
Why do we need persistent links?
Creating persistent links for articles ensures that the link will work when you or your students try to use it later.
When you do a search in a database, the database creates a link to the article on the fly. This means that the link for that article could change every time you try to access it. You can imagine the frustration students feel when they're given a link and told to read the corresponding article before the next class, only to find that the link is broken.
Depending on the catalog or database, you can create links to:
- listings for books, e-books, or DVDs owned by NOVA libraries
- individual articles
- all available contents of a journal
- search results
- specific chapters/sections in e-books
You can then add the links to:
- Blackboard
- Web pages
- Your Internet Favorites (bookmarks) list
Once the link is created, simply click on it or paste it into your browser to read the article. If you are on campus, the link should automatically open the designated article, results list, or chapter. If you are off campus, you must first log in using your myNOVA userID and password. Those who are not members of the NOVA community will not be able to access the information from off-campus.
The instructions vary depending on the database you're using (Note: not all databases support the use of persistent links). They key is to find the persistent link for the information you want, then combine it with a formula that will enable you to access it from off-campus.
Select a database for instructions:
- Books@Ovid
- EBSCO Databases (CINAHL, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Alt HealthWatch, etc.)
- Gale Databases (Health Reference Center, Gale Encyclopedias, OneFile, etc.)
- Journals@Ovid
- Library Catalog (link to a book, DVD or e-book record)
- MEDLINE (PubMed)
- Proquest
- R2 Library
- STAT!Ref
- Wiley Online Library
Persistent links in Wiley InterScience are created using DOI (Digital Object Identifiers) .
Steps:
1) From the results list: click on the Abstract link for the article you're interested in.
2) On the next screen,scroll down to the bottom of the abstract and highlight and copy the DOI (starting with the numbers).
3) Add the DOI to the end of this: http://dx.doi.org/(in this example, adding the DOI would give you this URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/uog.6273)
4) Highlight and copy the URL you just created.
4) Go to this web site: http://library.vccs.edu/reference/purltoez.htm
5) Paste the copied URL into the box and click Submit. A formula will be added to the URL that will enable you to access it from off campus using your VCCS (myNOVA) username and password.
6) Congratulations! You have created a persistent URL, and you can now copy it and use it. The link will be long, so you may want to plug it into a site like Bitly (http://bitly.com/), which will convert the link into a smaller one that is easier to work with. The links never expire.
Persistent links in OVID are called Jumpstart URLs.
Steps:
1) After you navigate to the chapter of the book you want, click on the link at the top of page that says Email Jumpstart.
2) A new box pops up. Highlight and copy the URL in the box at the top (it's usually very long- be sure to get the entire thing). Note that you can also email the URL to yourself, if you wish.
3) Go to this web site: http://library.vccs.edu/reference/purltoez.htm
4) Paste the copied URL into the box and click Submit. A formula will be added to the URL that will enable you to access it from off campus using your VCCS (myNOVA) username and password.
5) Congratulations! You have created a persistent URL, and you can now copy it and use it. The link will be long, so you may want to plug it into a site like Bitly (http://bitly.com/), which will convert the link into a smaller one that is easier to work with. The links never expire.
EBSCO Databases (CINAHL, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Alt HealthWatch, etc.)
Persistent links in EBSCO databases are called "Permalinks".
Steps:
1) After you do a search and have a list of results, click on the title of the article you want (NOT the links underneath for PDF or HTML Full Text).
2) Select Permalink from the Tools bar on the right.
3) A small box containing the URL pops out. The URL contains everything you need to access the article from on or off campus. Highlight and copy the URL (it's usually very long- be sure to get the entire thing), and paste in desired location.
4) The link is long, so you may want to plug it into a site like Bitly (http://bitly.com/), which will convert the link into a smaller one that is easier to work with. The links never expire.
Gale Databases (including Health Reference Center, Gale Encyclopedias, etc.)
Persistent links in Gale databases are called Bookmarks.
Steps:
1) In Gale databases, do your search. When you get your results, open the article you want by clicking on either the title of the article or the link that says Full Text.
2) When the article appears on the screen, go to the Tools box and click Bookmark. Highlight and copy the URL (it's usually very long- be sure to get the entire thing).
3) Go to this web site: http://library.vccs.edu/reference/purltoez.htm
4) Paste the copied URL into the box and click Submit. A formula will be added to the URL that will enable you to access it from off campus using your VCCS (myNOVA) username and password.
5) Congratulations! You have created a persistent URL, and you can now copy it and use it. The link will be long, so you may want to plug it into a site like Bitly (http://bitly.com/), which will convert the link into a smaller one that is easier to work with. The links never expire.
Persistent links in Ovid are called Jumpstart URLs.
Steps:
1) From your results list, locate the article you want and click on Ovid Full Text, to the right.
2) After you've opened the full-text of the article you want, click on the link to the right that says Email Jumpstart.
2) A new box pops up. Highlight and copy the URL at the top (it's usually very long- be sure to get the entire thing). Note that you can also email the URL to yourself, if you wish.
Note that you can also create persistent links for other itmes, such as tables of contents, saved searches, and images.
3) Go to this web site: http://library.vccs.edu/reference/purltoez.htm
4) Paste the copied URL into the box and click Submit. A formula will be added to the URL that will enable you to access it from off campus using your VCCS (myNOVA) username and password.
5) Congratulations! You have created a persistent URL, and you can now copy it and use it. The link will be long, so you may want to plug it into a site like Bitly (http://bitly.com/), which will convert the link into a smaller one that is easier to work with. The links never expire.
Steps:
1) After performing a search in the catalog, click on the title of the item for which you want to create a link.
2) Scroll down until you see the record number for the item to which you want to link.
3) Copy the record number and paste it at the end of this URL:
http://vccslinc.vccs.edu/F?func=find-c&ccl_term=sys=PASTE RECORD NUMBER HERE
4) The link is now ready to use. Because access to the library catalog is already open to everyone in the world, there is no need to add a piece of code to enable off-campus access. If you wish you can use a site like Bitly (http://bitly.com/), which will convert the link into a smaller one that is easier to work with. The links never expire.
5) FOR E-BOOK LINKS:
If you are linking to an e-book record, follow the instructions above. When you share the link with your students, instruct them to click on the link next to Online Access (see below). If students are off-campus, they will be prompted to enter using a VCCS (myNOVA) username and password to gain access to the e-book.
Steps:
1) From your list of results, select the article, abstract, or full-text article you want by clicking on the title.
2) When the next screen comes up, simply copy the URL from your browser's address bar (since MEDLINE is freely available on the open web, it is not necessary to add any code to the URL to ensure off-campus access).
3) If you wish you can use a site like Bitly (http://bitly.com/), which will convert the link into a smaller one that is easier to work with. The links never expire.
Persistent links in Proquest are called Links.
Steps:
1) After you do a search, open the article you want by clicking on the article title, or the link underneath that says Full Text (note: persistent URLs are not available for the PDF form of an article).
(NOTE: if the full text of the article you want is not available in ProQuest database, clicking on the title of the article may take you to the full text, but in a different database. In that case, locate the name of the new database and follow the corresponding directions on this page.)
2) In the yellow bar at the top of the page, click on Copy Link.
3) Highlight and copy the URL (it's usually very long- be sure to get the entire thing)
4) Go to this web site: http://library.vccs.edu/reference/purltoez.htm
5) Paste the copied URL into the box and click Submit. A formula will be added to the URL that will enable you to access it from off campus using your VCCS (myNOVA) username and password.
6) Congratulations! You have created a persistent URL, and you can now copy it and use it. The link will be long, so you may want to plug it into a site like Bitly (http://bitly.com/), which will convert the link into a smaller one that is easier to work with. The links never expire.
NOTE: You can only link to entire books in R2, not individual chapters or pages.
Steps:
1) Once you find the textbook you want, click on the icon for Export Bibliographic Citation 
at the top.
2) An "Export Bibliography" box pups up. Click on any of the available buttons.
3) New information is displayed in the pop-up box. Highlight and copy the URL (take care to avoid highlighting the rest of the information):
4) Go to this web site: http://library.vccs.edu/reference/purltoez.htm
5) Paste the copied URL into the box and click Submit. A formula will be added to the URL that will enable you to access it from off campus using your VCCS (myNOVA) username and password.
6) Congratulations! You have created a persistent URL, and you can now copy it and use it. The link will be long, so you may want to plug it into a site like Bitly (http://bitly.com/), which will convert the link into a smaller one that is easier to work with. The links never expire.
Steps:
1) Open the e-book chapter you wish to link and click on Get a Link at the top of the page:
2) Highlight and copy the URL.
3) Go to this web site: http://library.vccs.edu/reference/purltoez.htm
4) Paste the copied URL into the box and click Submit. A formula will be added to the URL that will enable you to access it from off campus using your VCCS (myNOVA) username and password.
5) Congratulations! You have created a persistent URL, and you can now copy it and use it. The link will be long, so you may want to plug it into a site like Bitly (http://bitly.com/), which will convert the link into a smaller one that is easier to work with. The links never expire.
Copyright & Licensing Considerations
1) Remember: Access to most of the online databases is limited to NVCC students, faculty, and staff by licensing agreements. This is why a log in is required in order to view database documents from off-campus.
2) When sharing/posting a persistent link, you should include complete citation information with the link. This may include the title, author, publication title, volume & issue number (if applicable), year, page numbers, the database in which you found the information, and the date on which you accessed it. Not only does this comply with copyright requirements, but it also provides the information you'll need to track down the article should a link become broken.
(last updated June 2011)