Open Access Resources, SPEC Kit 300 (September 2007)

Hood, Anna K.

Open Access Resources · 39
Link Maintenance
13. How does the library monitor changes and/or maintain links to externally hosted OA resources?
Check all that apply. N=67
Respond to reports of problems 60 90%
Rely on data provider (e.g., Serial Solutions) for link checking 43 64%
Link checking software or scripts from a third-party, please specify 22 33%
Do not systematically monitor or maintain links locally 19 28%
Link checking software or scripts that are locally developed 14 21%
Other method, please describe 8 12%
Selected Comments from Respondents
“Circulation students systematically review links.”
“For GPO PURL, rely on GPO.”
“Link checking software from ILS.”
“Local shareware programs.”
“Manual checking.”
“MarcIt records/updates from SFX.”
“Student manual link-checking.”
“We use the ILS linking software to identify and correct broken links.”
Link checking software:
Innovative Interfaces checkbot (2 responses)
Innovative Interfaces URL Checker module
JTurl
LinkBot (2)
LinkScan
OCLC PURL link checker software (3)
Voyageur LIS software
WebLinkValidater

Previous Page Next Page

SPEC Kit 300: Open Access Resources (September 2007) resources

Help

38 · SPEC Kit 300
“856 field indicator is 40”
“856 PURL”
“856 subfield z =freely available online.”
“856 tag 1 labeled as “linked resource.””
“856 tag subfield z Free”
“Added entry for package or ‘Open Access resource selected by the UCSD Libraries ...’”
“Coded as ‘free web’ but not distinguished from other free or ‘free with print’ resources.”
“DOAJ titles have a 730 ‘Directory of open access journals.’”
“Either in the 856 $z or by the nature of the persistent URL assigned to the resource.”
“Either with an added author (usually corporate) entry, or an added title or series entry.”
“For theses and dissertations there is a computer file tag. There is no particular tag to indicate OA.”
“Labeled in a corporate entry field: [Name of Resource]- York University.”
“Locally created series statements.”
“May not be specified as OA. Electronic Resources have note: Web site/Electronic Resource – URL. Also have
holding record with location listed as: Electronic Resource.”
“Most open access journals include a 730 of ‘Open access journals.’ Additionally, open access journals do not
include a note regarding access restrictions (845) whereas licensed resources do include this note in the OPAC
record.”
“Note field and holdings record indicate this.”
“Our local projects are identified by a series statement, external resources tend to not be so identified.”
“Records from the California Digital Library Shared Cataloging Program include a title hook in the 793 field
‘Open Access Resource Selected by the UC Libraries.’ Other open access resources are not identified in any
field or tag, but are recognizable by the absence of any note specifying restrictions on access, e.g., ‘Restricted
to UCI’ or ‘Restricted to UC Campuses.’”
“SFX button or 856 link.”
“The subfield z in the 856 identifies the source (Government web site, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis,
etc.) It does not specifically identify that this source is open access.”
“There is no special labeling. Full catalog records are contributed to OCLC, brief catalog records are not.”
“URLs are added to holding records. Notes include: Freely accessible Free access made available at the
publishers discretion.”
“Various fixed and variable length fields depending on the nature of the record.”
“We use the MARC 773 field to identify open-access resources.”

Previous Page Next Page

SPEC Kit 300: Open Access Resources (September 2007) resources

40 · SPEC Kit 300
Xenu (3)
Link checking software provided by the university
Software provided by library ILS
“Currently investigating new software.”
14. Has the library experienced any other significant link maintenance issues that are unique to OA
resources? N=64
Yes 8 12%
No 56 88%
If yes, please briefly describe the problem and how the library addressed it.
Selected Comments from Respondents
“3000+ OA journals in link resolver have frequent URL changes and require more maintenance than average
title. Also have tendency to disappear.”
“In local Electronic Resources database the links are checked infrequently. Links break and it is difficult to
trace to correct resource. Manually checked in ERDB, now moving to Serials Solutions, they do most work.
Occasionally, we find a problem and send it to them. Not as time consuming as before.”
“Not significant problems, but it is our impression that URLs may change more frequently than other resources
or journals may go from open access to subscription-based without notification.”
“OA resources are no more volatile than the paid titles equally problematic for maintenance.”
“OA resources, particularly Canadian government documents, seem to be less stable than our subscribed
resources. The government documents are the group most likely to have URL changes that we are not notified
about except through problem reports.”
“Occasionally, there are titles that are listed as OA but are not full OA or are not OA at all. Those problems we
fix in our SFX Knowledgebase and report problems to SFX.”
“Often it takes longer for OA sites to resolve technical difficulties at their end. Normally if a free e-resource is
not available we delete it. We tend to give truly OA sites a little longer before making this decision.”
“Sometimes a title seems to be free and then it requires payment. Sometimes a title drops from DOAJ because
it no longer meets their criteria and we point to DOAJ in our link resolver.”
“These ‘free’ e-journals often move to paid subscriptions without notifying libraries, and in some instances
they vanish without notice.”

Previous Page Next Page

SPEC Kit 300: Open Access Resources (September 2007) resources

Help

loading

SPEC Kit 300: Open Access Resources (September 2007) resources

SPEC Kit 300: Open Access Resources (September 2007) resources