Links change every day. Copying URLs from your browser could result in broken links since they change so frequently. The easiest way to avoid broken links is to use "permanent" or "persistent" URLs. These special URL will never change, and they will point the user directly to a specific webpage so you never have to worry about your link breaking.

Due to contracts and licensing, Loyola limits access of databases to current faculty, staff, and students. For users to verify themselves as part of the Loyola community, databases will prompt you to sign in through a proxy server. If you want a persistent link to go through the proxy server,all you have to do is include an extra piece of code as part of the URL. Most of our links should do this automatically, but in the event it doesn't, just use the formula below.

In order to activate this proxy server insert http://flagship.luc.edu/login?url= in front of the persistent URL. 

For example: 

http://flagship.luc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=42314962&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live. 

The proxy server will be different for other Libraries, like the Health Sciences or those outside Loyola. Please contact them directly for their proxy address.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI) codes are assigned to any entity (database, e-journal, e-article, etc) for use on the web. They are used to provide current information, including where they (or information about them) can be found on the Internet. Information about a digital object may change over time, including where to find it, but the DOI itself will not change so users can always find and access them. Over 4,000 organizations use DOIs to find and identify articles. The International DOI Foundation manages the system. 

Some database producers use the DOI system of consistant addresses instead of persistant URLs. You can create a URL with the following formula: http://flagship.luc.edu/login?url=http://dx.doi.org/[DOI] 

You can do a reverse look up of an item by putting your DOI into a "resolver" (like a translator) which will find the page associated with the number. See: http://dx.doi.org/. 

For more information about DOIs visit http://www.doi.org/

For Research Guides you may use URLs. No proxy code is required.

For example: http://libguides.luc.edu/linking 

Individual pages within a Research Guide will have unique URLs, so feel free to link to individual pages in a Guide.