Sharing Library Documents
When sharing documents with students, only provide a link to the legal copy of the document, as sharing scanned, printed, or uploaded versions may violate copyright or license terms.
In the library, the legal copy link of a document is known as the stable link or permalink. Additionally, the publisher may provide the article’s DOI. In all databases apart from the Library Discover Search, you will need to use the permalink in place of the URL at the top of the page. Using permalinks or DOIs in your syllabus or Course Management System (CMS) is the safest way to direct students to course materials held by the library.
Review the following instructions for help finding the DOI or permalink for library articles. If you cannot find a permalink for your article, Ask a Librarian for assistance.
A DOI typically appears in a database along with the rest of an item's citation information, as shown:
A permalink may require a few clicks to obtain. Click on the provider below for instructions on where to find the permalink:
EBSCO Permalinks
Many of the library's resources come from EBSCO, which you can recognize by the EBSCOhost logo at the top of the screen. To find a permalink for an item:
- Search for the item and click on its title.
- Make sure the full text is available.
- Look for the permalink icon in the "Tools" column on the right.
- Click the icon, copy the link, and paste it into your CMS or syllabus.
Gale (Academic Onefile) Permalinks
To get the permalink for an item in a Gale database:
- Search for the item and click its title.
- Look for the permalink icon, labeled "Get Link," near the top right of the screen.
- Click the icon, copy the link, and add it to your CMS or syllabus.
JSTOR Stable URLs
JSTOR "stable URLs." To find the stable URL of an item in JSTOR, search for your item, click on its title, then copy the stable URL from the left of the screen and paste it into your CMS or syllabus.
ProQuest Document Links
To get the permalink for an item in a ProQuest database:
- Search for the item and click its title.
- Look for the link icon, labeled "Durable Link," in the upper right corner.
- Click the icon, copy the link, and add it to your CMS or syllabus.
