Do you want to point a student, colleague, or classmate to an online journal article or book chapter, but the link that worked for your session doesn't work when you or someone else uses it later?
Many library databases provide methods to create durable links (also referred to as permalinks, persistent links or stable links) to online full-text articles and book chapters.
By using a durable link, someone can click a link in a syllabus, email, webpage, or Brightspace -- days, months, or even years after you post the link. Here is a step-by-step guide.
In short: use a durable link whenever you have the option!
If you're posting a link to Brightspace, including it in a PowerPoint presentation, posting to the web, or saving an article for yourself for later, you should probably use a durable link.
If you are citing a source in a paper, many citation styles do not require inclusion of links for journal articles. However, it never hurts to keep track of links in your own records.
The instructions below include a step where you may need to add this text to your link:
https://pluma.sjfc.edu/login=
This text, added at the start of the link, allows the person who clicks your link to be recognized as an SJFC user, so she or he can get access. Some databases include this prefix in their durable links (EBSCO's "permalinks" include it, for instance), while in other databases you will need to add it.
Note: if you are posting a link to a website like Twitter, to an article for publication, or in an email to a person outside of SJFC, don't include this "pluma" prefix, because the person clicking won't be able to log in unless they're an SJFC user.
More information about off-campus linking, including a link creator tool, is available here:
https://libguides.sjf.edu/offcampuslinks
What you don't want to do: don't share or post a link that includes what's called a "Session ID." These are usually a long list of letters and/or numbers, sometimes marked with "session=" or "SID=" in a webpage address. These links are not just very long: they don't work after you leave your internet browser!
An example URL with a "session ID" is:
http://web.b.ebscohost.com.pluma.sjfc.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=41e174ab-e3fd-4153-bca7-211255c5bb66%40pdc-v-sessmgr02&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=144562988&db=buh
The durable version of this link is:
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=144562988&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Even better: this version is durable, and will work off-campus (see below):
https://pluma.sjfc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=144562988&site=ehost-live&scope=site