Troubleshooting Links in LibGuides

We are recommending that all links to books, journals, and databases be reviewed because:

• links to Voyager catalog records for print books (or anything else) no longer work
• many links were broken when Georgia College updated the website
• to check to see if links will work for off-campus as well as on-campus users
• GALILEO databases may have changed links, been eliminated, or been updated
• for guides not recently created or updated, newer resources may exist

The libguides link checker can be used to identify and fix broken links. 

Instructions from SpringShare for using the LibGuides Link Checker can be found here: https://ask.springshare.com/libguides/faq/771

However, there are a few extra things to keep in mind when using the Link Checker:

• links are listed for pages which are not published (and we have a lot of unpublished libguides)
• links are listed which are not mapped to any page
• if the link requires a password, it will likely show up on the list

Alternatively, you can review your links in Libguides > Content > Assets

Instructions from SpringShare for adding, reusing, and editing link assets can be found here: https://ask.springshare.com/libguides/faq/936

Advantages to using assets to review links include:

• can filter by Map Count
• can review all links, not just those that SpringShare flags as potential problems

When the library catalog migrated from Voyager to Alma/Primo, links to the catalog records for titles and searches were broken.

These broken links can be located by searching by URL in Assets.  These links take a few different forms

1. http://gilfind.gcsu.edu/vufind/Record/66699
2. http://gilfinduc.usg.edu/vufind/Record/5133252
3. https://gil.gcsu.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID= 304919

To update the link to the library's current catalog

1. Click on the "Edit Item" icon in the Asset or Link Checker list
2. Copy the title and in a separate browser tab, search the library catalog
3. For the title that you want, click the elipse (...) to show actions items
4. Click on Permalink
5. Click on "COPY THE PERMALINK TO THE CLIPBOARD"
6. Navigate back to the browser tab for libguides and paste the new URL into the correct field
7. Use Proxy should be set to NO
8. You might want to add cover art or a print resource icon

Links to the old Georgia College Library website no longer work.

It's likely that any link to a resource that begins with library.gcsu.edu or gcsu.edu/library will be broken, whether or not it appears on the Link Checker list.

To locate these potentially broken links, filter the Assets list by these URLS

• gcsu.edu/library/
• library.gcsu.edu/

If the resource can be located elsewhere, update the URL

In order for a link to a library purchased ebook, ejournal, article, or other library resource to work for off-campus users, it will need to be authenticated.

There are several different ways this has been done.  As we are moving to OpenAthens, I would strongly suggest that links be checked and updated to these best practices.  Once we move to OpenAthens, these links should continue to work for a while.  However, it is likely that we will need to revisit them in the future.

Scenario One: Proxy prefix has been pre-pended onto the link for the ebook, ejournal, etc.

• ex. http://proxygsu-geo1.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edspub&AN=edp164130&site=eds-live&scope=site
• ex. https://gcsu.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mih&AN=8650129&site=eds-live&scope=site
• ex. http://proxygsu-geo1.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=8698&xtid=60480
• Best practice, do not include proxy profix in the link URL.  Instead, toggle Use Proxy? to Yes
• To fix, click on the Edit Item icon, remove the Proxy Prefix (http://proxygsu-geo1.galileo.usg.edu/login?url= or https://gcsu.idm.oclc.org/login?url=) from the Link URL and set Use Proxy? to Yes
• Check your links to verify that they still work

Scenario Two: Link to ebook has been created without the proxy prefix

• ex. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/gcsu/detail.action?docID=310845
• This is the best practice, but be sure that Use Proxy?  is toggled to Yes
• It never hurts to click and follow the links to make sure that they work

Scenario Three: Other proxied link formats

• Ebook Central (and potentially other resources) may provide a permalink that looks like this:
• ex. https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.gcsu.idm.oclc.org/lib/gcsu/detail.action?docID=4877017
• it would be possible to rearrange the link to work with Use Proxy? YES, but I would suggest we just make sure that Use Proxy? NO is chosen

Note: for database links, the GALILEO express link, if available, should be used

• ex. http://www.galileo.usg.edu/express?link=merq-geo1

Over the years, databases have been added and removed.  Links persist in libguides to databases to which we no longer have access.

• to view the databases, click on Content > A-Z Database List
• to see which databases are no longer accessible, apply filter for Hidden Yes
• to see which hidden databases appear in libguides, sort by Map Ct. descending

Hidden databases will not show up in the public view of your libguide, but you may want to remove it, revise libguide text, or select another comparable database to take its place