LibX depends on having someone at the library actively update it in
addition to the normal work of keeping an Link Resolver up and running.

Google Scholar's Library Links feature works directly with the link
resolver, and doesn't require extra work.

I would suggest directing users to Google Scholar or just providing DOI
links.

You can structure search links that will search Google Scholar using the
DOI information, so all of this can be done with a script.

It's a pity that we have to depend on Google like this, but over my time as
a Systems Librarian I look for the solution that requires the fewest steps.


Regards,

Brett

On Wed, Jan 25, 2017 at 10:16 PM, Kevin Hawkins <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I've got two simple questions but first a long statement of background so
> you know why I'm asking.  If you're in a hurry, feel free to skip to the
> questions.
>
> == Background ==
>
> We've got a research group on campus that has built up an annotated
> bibliography of literature in their topic of study over the years, which
> graduate students have carefully organized according to a taxonomy of
> topics.  They are happy to continue to host this bibliography online as a
> searchable database.
>
> However, they've asked us in the library to help them think through what
> it would mean for them to help people reach the full text when available
> online (often through licensed library resources).  Supporting users at our
> institution is easy -- we can prepend the proxy server string to the DOI,
> or query our link resolver, or query our library discovery product.  But
> I'd also like to offer some options for what they could do to help users
> not at our institution.
>
> Including a hyperlinked DOI or other publisher-provided permalink will
> allow users at other institutions who are on campus and using VPN to reach
> the resource directly, assuming their institution subscribes.  So while
> that's an easy solution, it only helps certain users.
>
> In brainstorming with a colleague, we've come up with two other options
> that we might offer to the research group for helping users at other
> institutions reach the full text:
>
> a) They could recommend that users install LibX and then use its "magic
> button" feature to select the citation and search for it through their
> institution's library.
>
> b) They could build queries that go to Google Scholar and suggest that
> Google Scholar users configure "library links" in order to prepend their
> institution's proxy server link or send them to their link resolver.
>
> While I know that Google Scholar's database includes plenty of bare
> citations (without any links to full text), I'm not sure it's big enough to
> actually include the sorts of book chapters and possibly obscure journal
> articles found in this bibliography.  But I'm content to leave that to the
> research group to experiment with.
>
> == The questions ==
>
> 1. Does anyone have a sense of the number of institutions with "editions"
> for LibX versus the number of institutions with "library links" set up in
> Google Scholar?  I can't find full lists on the websites of either, but if
> we know that one is more comprehensive than the other, I'd just as soon
> recommend that.
>
> 2. Are there other options you'd suggest besides LibX and Google Scholar
> (with "library links") for helping people people find a library-licensed
> version of a resource when you don't know what institution the user is at?
>
> Thanks in advance for your thoughts,
>
> Kevin
>