Creating Deep Links

RCC Library Tip Sheet

Using “deep links” to connect to articles in your reading lists, avoids copyright violation issues.

It is important, however, when these links are created, that the URL be configured so that it will work from both on and off campus. That requires that the proxy server (Ezproxy) be included in the link.

There is a web page that assists in this process by allowing the user to cut and paste the URL for an article into the page. When the user submits that link, the system will return a page with the Ezproxy “enhanced” URL.

This page is at http://library.vccs.edu/reference/purltoez.htm

The process then is:

1. When you have located an article, while working on-campus, create a bookmark for that. (How you create the book mark may vary from database to database so that has to be figured out first. In a lot of cases you can't just bookmark the page that displays when you find the article. In others, the site will have a help page that shows you how to create a persistent link.)

2, Cut & Paste the bookmark to the form on the purltoez page.

3. Click on the submit button.

4. When the system replies with the Ezproxy-based URL, cut and paste that into the reading list, web page, or whatever, for which you are creating links.

If you need further assistance, contact Loftan Miller @ lmiller@rappahannock.edu or Cherie Carl 2 ccarl@rappahannock.edu