Linking to library e-resources from Moodle

1 – Check that RHUL staff & students have access to the online material.|

2 – Find / create the ‘stable URL’ link for the ejournal article or ebook.|

3 – Combine the ‘stable URL’ with the 'RHUL login URL' to create a link that can be used in Moodle|

4 - Add the resource link to Moodle|

Step 1 - Check that RHUL staff & students have access to the online material.

Search the Library Catalogue| or LibrarySearch| to find out whether a journal title or book is available online and if RHUL has access to it (check the dates covered for journals). LibrarySearch| can also be used to search by article title. You should then refine your search by 'Items with full-text online', then refine by 'Content type' - such as journal article, ebook, newspaper, etc. (see More Information section).

Step 2 – Find / create the 'stable URL' for the ejournal article or ebook.

When you find the ejournal article or ebook you want to link to, check the full reference section (sometimes referred to as ‘more information’ or 'citation information' or 'bibliographic information'). This is usually where the stable URL can be found.  (see More Informaiton about stable URLs.)

JSTOR|: stable URLs are located with the article information in Tables of Contents and also in the full reference when you view the full-text article (see Examples section).

EBSCO Host:| click on the title of the article to go into the full reference information and then click on ‘Permalink’ on the right hand panel. Highlight the stable URL (or Permalink) and copy it.

MyiLibrary ebooks:|  go to the ‘cover’ page of the ebook (the first page you are taken to) click on ‘Bibliographic details’. Then click on ‘Citation’ and copy the stable URL from one of the citation formats. You can also link to chapters following the same procedure (see Examples section).

DawsonEra ebooks:  go to the ‘Full Title Display’ page for the ebook (i.e. the first page you are taken to after login), copy the url from the browser URL address field.You can also link direct to chapters by copying the browser URL at the Chapter page (see Examples section)

ScienceDirect:|  copy the Digital Object Identifier/DOI (see 'More information' below) and paste it on to the end of the DOI resolver URL: http://dx.doi.org/ (see Examples section) 

e.g. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0304-1131(82)90015-7| (see More Information about DOIs)

 Step 3 - Combine the ‘stable URL’ with the 'RHUL login URL' to create a link that can be used in Moodle.

In order for RHUL staff and students to be able to access a ‘stable URL’ both on and off campus, you need to add the following URL to the front of the 'stable URL':

http://ezproxy01.rhul.ac.uk/login?url=

The final URL should look similar to:

http://ezproxy01.rhul.ac.uk/login?url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/3060574|

http://ezproxy01.rhul.ac.uk/login?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0304-1131(82)90015-7|

This format of URL can now be pasted into a link from Moodle.

Step 4 - Add the resource link to Moodle

If you have not already done so, go to Moodle| and login.

1. Turn editing ON
2. Go to week / Topic and
3. From the ‘Add a resource’ drop down menu select ‘Link to a file or web site’
4. Enter a name for the resource (e.g. the article / book chapter reference or the book / journal title or the name of the e-resource) 
5. Paste the URL in the Location text field
6. Click on ‘Save and  return to course’
7. Test the link

IMPORTANT: We recommend that you always check your Moodle links to Library resources from a computer that is off campus, this is to ensure that your students can access the material from their own computers.

1 - JSTOR article

Dilemmas of Development in Oceania.
Donovan Storey, Warwick E Murray.
The Geographical Journal.
Vol. 167, No. 4 (Dec., 2001), pp. 291-304.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3060574

Correct URL for linking from Moodle:
http://ezproxy01.rhul.ac.uk/login?url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/3060574|

2 - ScienceDirect / Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Agriculture and Environment
Volume 7, Issues 3-4,
November 1982, Pages 223-235
Air Pollution Effects on Crops
doi:10.1016/0304-1131(82)90015-7

The stable URL is therefore: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0304-1131(82)90015-7

Correct URL for linking from Moodle:
http://ezproxy01.rhul.ac.uk/login?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0304-1131(82)90015-7|

3 - MyiLibrary ebook

Film, Drama and the Break-Up of Britain
Written By: Blandford, Steve
MIL EAN/ISBN: 9786610747696
Pub e-EAN/ISBN: 9781841509792
Subject (LC Class): N8700 - Art and the state. Public art

Click on ‘Bibliographic details’,then click on ‘Citation’. Copy the URL from a citation format.

Correct URL for linking from Moodle

http://ezproxy01.rhul.ac.uk/login?url=http://lib.myilibrary.com?ID=74769|

4: DawsonEra ebook

Sound commitments : avant-garde music and the sixties
Edited By Robert Adlington.
Pages: 305
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication date: 19 Feb 2009
eISBN-13: 9780199714360

At the Full Title Display’ copy the url from the browser URL address field.

Correct URL for linking from Moodle

http://ezproxy01.rhul.ac.uk/login?url=http://www.dawsonera.com.ezproxy01.rhul.ac.uk/depp/reader/protected/external/AbstractView/S9780199714360|

Correct URL for linking from Moodle to Chapter 3 of the same ebook

http://ezproxy01.rhul.ac.uk/login?url=http://www.dawsonera.com.ezproxy01.rhul.ac.uk/depp/reader/protected/external/EBookView/S9780199714360/S69|

About Step 1

Always search the Library Catalogue| or LibrarySearch| to find out whether a journal or book is available online and if RHUL has access to it. (i.e. that the Library has a subscription to the ejournal or has purchased the ebook). When using the Library Catalogue|, search for the journal title (not the article title) or the ebook (author / title search) and then go through to the ejournal and ebook to make sure we have access to the full-text. 

LibrarySearch| can be used to search for article titles. You should then refine your search by 'Items with full-text online', then refine by 'Content type' (such as journal article, ebook, newspaper, etc), and go through to the ejournal and ebook to make sure we have access to the full-text.

NB. always check the library catalogue / LibrarySearch each time you draft or update your reading lists as the Library adds new ebooks and ejournal titles on a regular basis.

About Step 2: stable URLs

When linking to electronic journals at article level it is important to use a "stable" or "persistent" URL: that is, a link that will remain constant throughout commercial or archival changes (such as a change of publisher). 

Some electronic journals allow you to create stable links to an article simply by using the web address (URL) you get when you retrieve the article.

Many ejournal services, including JSTOR and EBSCO, URLs contain session information that will expire after a period of time so cannot be used to create stable links. Therefore, they cannot be copied and used in Moodle, online bibliographies or course websites. These services often provide a method for generating stable URLs (see above steps for instructions).

Most online full-text services will provide a specific ‘stable URL’ that can be used to link to from Moodle and that will not change over time. Often this is a shorter URL than the one shown in your web browser's URL address field and is therefore easier to cut & paste. (NB. if you do not use the ‘stable URL’ the link that you create may not work or allow access).

About Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)

Some ejournal services (such as ScienceDirect) use Digital Object Identifiers (or DOIs) as unique identifiers for the articles that they provide. The DOI is also used as part of a stable URL. The DOI is usually a string of numbers & letters identified by the prefix 'doi:' 

e.g. doi: 10.1016/0304-1131(82)90015-7 

To create a stable URL you need to copy the DOI and paste it onto the end of the URL for the DOI ‘resolver’ service, which is:

http://dx.doi.org/

(The DOI resolve service is a mechanism for the internet to be able to recognise the DOI and direct you to the relevant article / webpage.)