Sonny Software

This is a feature which would allow Bookends to look for a reference on online databases (via SFX); sort of the reverse of an internet search which downloads references into Bookends.

Why is this useful? Because online versions of articles and other media are being added all the time, and this allows one to check for them via Bookends, and then download the pdf if it is available.

Would anyone else be interested in seeing this implemented?

I think there may be some misunderstanding about what I'm asking for. I checked with a friend, and he replied, "All the DOI/OpenURLs I have found are in PDF files I already have on my computer. Can you think of a situation where you have the URL but not the article? How did this happen?"

There appears to be a misunderstanding here: you don't need a URL for it to work. I have many references for articles without associated pdfs -- or URLs, for that matter.

The problem is that there are many online sources for articles. Our library is attempting to solve this (and other issues) with a feature called SFX. Here is more information about SFX:

<http://www.exlibrisgroup.com/sfx.htm>

You enter the address of the local SFX server in the bibliographical management software's preferences, and you're done.

What does this do? It works wonders for the few references that I've entered by hand, but also for *downloaded* references as well. Why? Because the URL that is automatically entered for the reference merely serves to reference the information as it originally appeared in the online database (the MLA International Bibliography, for example, or Historical Abstracts); it doesn't tell me whether the article is available in full text format online and if it is, where I need to download it.

Thanks to SFX, I can simply open the reference in the bibliographical reference software, and choose "Open URL link" (which is different from the command "OpenURL," and voilà! I'm given a page which links to our online library catalog, but also to JSTOR, Project Muse, etc. if an online version of the article is available.

Does that make sense?

This sounds great. I can easily imagine how useful it would be. In case people didn't understand the above post, the way this works is quite simple: using data in your reference (title, author, journal, etc.) the OpenURL standard can automatically obtain information regarding the online availability of that article. So, as new (or old) materials become available online, you can easily find out if your library carries it.

Unfortunately, my own library does not support SFX, so I was unable to test this. I suspect that lack of widespread support for this standard may be one reason why more people are not demanding this feature. I urge people to ask their libraries if they provide an SFX server, or if they have plans to do so. It seems like a very useful service.

Hi Luhmann,

I also don't have access to an SFX server. If I can gain one, I'll look into this further.

Jon
Sonny Software

I would love to see SFX functionality added to BE. It's the one EndNote feature that I miss. There's more info here about the implementation of SFX at Harvard University's libraries (my home institution).

Luhmann wrote:using data in your reference (title, author, journal, etc.) the OpenURL standard can automatically obtain information regarding the online availability of that article.

Thanks for this succinct definition, Luhmann. It should be really easy to get Bookends to generate a URL in the OpenURL format, which is defined here (http://www.niso.org/standards/standard_ ... std_id=783).

I'd be happy to test Bookends, since I have access to a SFX server.

There is a list of SFX / Open URL servers here, and you can also use these settings from EndNote (they are listed as one of the demo servers):

open url path Arguments: (Carriage returns added - make sure to remove.)

1cate a demo site only, but it does provide a testbed.

By coincidence, I started to work on this early this morning (after I added PubMed LinkOut). You'll see something in the next release.

Jon
Sonny Software

thecritic wrote:
................Would anyone else be interested in seeing this implemented?

Yes please, if Jon can do it. The University I am at uses it as an adjunct to library resources.

Tacitus