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Link to Library E-Resources

Montgomery College Library provides electronic access to millions of items, including full-text articles, e-books, journals, magazines, newspapers, streaming videos, and more. If you want to link to one of the library's electronic items, such as in a syllabus, Blackboard course site, or email, you must use a permanent link to ensure that link will not break over time. 

About Permanent Links

What is a Permanent Link?

A permanent link -- sometimes referred to as a persistent link, stable URL, or durable link -- is a URL or web address that will consistently point to a specific online resource.

Why Should I Use a Permanent Link?

You want to make sure your link to a library resource will always work. Often the link found in your browser's address bar may work for a short period of time but stop working when you try it later, so you need to follow the steps on this page to ensure your link remains functional.

Can I Just Add a PDF to Blackboard?  Send it in an Email?

Adding a PDF of an article or book chapter directly to your Blackboard course may be a violation of copyright or the license agreement the library has with the database provider. Licensing restrictions also require that the library only provide access to current MC students, faculty, and staff and using link instead of a PDF ensures that only authorized users can access the resource. Using a link instead of a PDF also provides the library with usage statistics that assist us when deciding whether or not to renew a resource.

Instructions for Using Permanent Links

Step 1: Locate the permanent link

All MC Library electronic resources offer permanent links for each individual item. See the examples below to learn how to locate permanent links in commonly-used electronic resources. Once you have found the permanent link for the item you are using, proceed to step 2. 

In RaptorSearch, the permanent link is found by clicking on the "Permalink" icon to the right of each item in the search results or in the full record under the Cite & Share section.

Screenshot of RaptorSearch brief results with red boxes highlighting how to identify the permanent link to a resource.

Screenshot of RaptorSearch record with red box highlighting how to identify the permanent link to a resource.

The permanent link is found by clicking on the "Permalink" icon to the right of the full record under Tools.

Screenshot of an Ebsco database record with red boxes highlighting how to identify the permanent link to a resource.

To display the permanent link for Films on Demand videos first click on the "Share" button below the video player and then on the "Embed/Link"  tab in the resulting screen. The permanent link is under the "Record URL" heading.

Screenshot of a ProQuest Ebook Central record with red boxes highlighting how to identify the permanent link to a resource.

From the full-text of a book, article, or encyclopedia entry, click on the "Get Link" icon to display the permanent link.

Screenshot of Gale database record with red boxes highlighting how to find a permanent link.

JSTOR displays the permanent link in the citation record to the left of the article or book.

Screenshot of a JSTOR record with red boxes highlighting how to identify the permanent link to a resource.

The permanent link for Kanopy streaming videos is found by clicking on "Share" under the video player and then under the "Share link" heading.

Screenshot of a Kanopy video with red boxes highlighting how to identify the permanent link to a resource.

The permanent link on the Oxford Academic platform is available to the left of the book.

Screenshot of an Oxford Academic (Oxford Scholarship Online) book with red boxes highlighting how to identify the permanent link to a resource.

The permanent link in Project Muse can be copied directly from the browser address bar.

Screenshot of a Project Muse record with red boxes highlighting how to identify the permanent link to a resource.

ProQuest databases provide the permanent link in two places -- the "Copy URL" button at the top-right of each page and near the end of the details tab after the "Document URL" label.

Screenshot of a ProQuest database record with red boxes highlighting how to identify the permanent link to a resource.

To display the permanent link in ProQuest Ebook Central, click on the "Share Link to Book" link below the book cover image and then copy the link from the resulting window that opens.

Screenshot of a ProQuest Ebook Central book with red boxes highlighting how to identify the permanent link to a resource.

ScienceDirect displays the permanent link below the title information.  Look for the URL that begins with "https://doi.org" and copy the link.

Screenshot of a ScienceDirect record with red boxes highlighting how to identify the permanent link to a resource.

Step 2: Determine if the URL begins with the library's proxy server URL

The library's proxy server URL allows MC users to access electronic items from off campus and must be included in most permanent URLs for your link to function. 

The library's proxy server URL is: https://montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=

Some of the library's electronic resources will add the proxy server URL to the item's permanent link for you.

  • If the permanent link you obtained in step 1 begins with the proxy server URL listed above, you are done! Your link is ready to use and you do not need to proceed to step 3. 
  • If the permanent link you obtained in step 1 does not begin with the proxy server URL listed above, you will need to add it yourself. Proceed to step 3.

Examples of MC Library e-resources that add the proxy server URL to permanent links for you:

  • EBSCO databases
  • Films on Demand
  • Gale e-books
  • Kanopy
  • ProQuest Databases
  • ProQuest Ebook Central

Note: Kanopy, ProQuest Ebook Central, and Swank Digital Campus -- have special links that do not need the proxy server URL applied. RaptorSearch links do not require the proxy server URL to function.

Examples of MC Library e-resources that do not add the proxy server URL to permanent links for you:

  • Gale databases
  • JSTOR
  • Oxford Scholarship Online
  • Project MUSE
  • ScienceDirect
Step 3: Add the proxy server URL to your item's permanent link

Only complete this step if the permanent link you obtained in step 1 does not already begin with the proxy server URL.

Add the proxy server URL to the beginning of the item's permanent link to create a single URL that will function permanently.

Example permanent URL without the proxy server URL:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/26868622

Example permanent URL with the proxy server URL added:

https://montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26868622

Contact

If you have questions about using permanent links, please use our Report a Problem form and a library staff member will be in touch to assist you.

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