Creating Links to Library Resources
This guide provides instructions on how to grant access to library resources within Learning Management Systems like Moodle. Many library database agreements do not allow for the storage of full-text articles (PDFs) within the LMS itself. However, seamless access can be achieved by using persistent links to the full-text articles.
Bookmarking the link converters
Drag any of the links below to your bookmarks bar.
What will these do?
Links 1 and 2 will link you to the converters on this page. Link 3 will convert your current url and save the result to your clipboard. See What's a bookmarklet? for more information.
About Persistent Links
Persistent links, also known as durable, stable, or permanent links, are Internet addresses that link directly to online journal articles (and other resources) and do not change once the session is over.
Why not copy the URL from the browser?
Simply copying the URL (website address) that comes up while you have a full text article open in a database will likely create an unstable link. Technically speaking, this is due to the extra information included in the URL, unique to the session, e.g. session or client IDs, browser information, search terms, etc... So to avoid problems with links, make sure you always use the database-provided persistent link.
Why is the "ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz" in the middle of the URL?
You might notice that, in some databases, the UoW ezproxy address appears in the middle of the URL (highlighted below).
https://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/login.aspx?direct=true...
It pays to have the ezproxy prefix at the beginning of the URL to create a better "persistent link". To convert, paste the URL into Link Converter 2.
Alternatively, the URL can be modified manually by removing the highlighted section (above example) and adding the University of Waikato ezproxy prefix: https://ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/login?url=
https://ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com?direct=true...
Identifying Persistent Links
Many database-providers include persistent links within the database but they may need modifying so students can access off-campus via authentication.
NOTE: There are exceptions – please contact the Library if in doubt.
Item with a doi from publisher's database
Publisher’s databases use a DOI for persistent identification of digital objects. To modify the DOI for off-campus access, use Link Converter 1. This will generate a URL which includes the UoW ezproxy prefix:
https://ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/login?qurl=
And the DOI prefix:
https://dx.doi.org.
It is then encoded to create a more stable link.
To use the converter:
- Find the full citation of the article required
- Look for the DOI (usually at top with the citation information)
- Copy the DOI (numbers only) into Link Converter 1 below:
Item with no DOI (aggregator database)
If the article is in an aggregator database (e.g. ProQuest, EBSCOhost), or has no DOI, you may need to modify the database-provided persistent URL. Use Link Converter 2 below.
To use the converter:
- Paste the URL of the artice into the Link Converter 2 below: