Linking to Library Resources: FAQs

In order for a link to an article to work from outside the VinUni campus network, it must contain special coding that will allow VinUni users to access the article using their VinUni username and password.

You can use the Permalink feature in the VinUni Library Catalog to create permanent links to e-books.

• Find the e-book in the catalog by searching by title or keyword.
• Click on the book title.  Click on the link "Bibliographic Record Display . . ." This opens the PDF.
• Click on "Permalink" in the bar on the right side of the screen.
• Copy the URL from the Permalink box that appears above at the top of the screen. (This is the persistent link to the item)

• Your link may not be stable. Please see "Finding Persistent Links" to find the appropriate link.
• The content you linked to may no longer be available in the database.  Search Library Homepage or contact VInUni librarian to see if an alternative resource may be found.

The off-campus access prefix (proxy) may have a typo. Please compare your link prefix to the proxy link provided.

Persistent links are links that remain constant. They are provided by many online library databases to ensure consistent access to full-text online articles, electronic books, etc. Persistent links to resources will remain active as long as the item is included in the database, or as long as the library maintains a subscription to the database.

Please refer to the Finding Persistent Links section of this guide.
Other names for persistent links include: permalink, document link, copy link, article stable URL, and bookmark.

 Copying and pasting links directly from the address bar on a webpage can be problematic.  Often these links are temporary and will not link back to the original source.  Using a permalink makes getting back to an article much easier.  Permalinks can be added to your Canvas site, webpage, library electronic reserves, email  or any other place you use a URL. 

Linking directly to articles in Library subscribed e-resources has the advantages of being copyright compliant and cost effective. Using permalinks to connect readers to articles also creates usage statistics that the Library examines when deciding whether or not to continue a subscription.  Reading a PDF that was loaded onto a site does not create usage statistics.  Thus, a journal that should be garnering high usage statistics will end up showing very little usage.

Your Library information may need to be updated. Please contact the Library Circulation desk.

The library recommends the use of permalinks. A permalink is a permanent URL, a web address that will consistently link to a specific online information resource such as an article, book chapter, e-book, allowing a reader to go directly to the linked resource. Please learn "Finding Persistent Links" which will help you to create permalinks that will reliably link off-campus users to our licensed content.  Using permalinks also helps the library track the use of journal articles.