What is LinkSeeker?

LinkSeeker is a new tool that enables context-sensitive linking between electronic resources. For example, upon searching Inspec�, you discover that for each of your search results, LinkSeeker presents a number of options for further navigation within the Research Library's collection and beyond. For the first reference you consider, you note that there is a link to the full-text of the article. Another link allows you to conduct a cited reference search in SearchPlus, yet another one links into the Research Library's online catalog. You follow the link into SearchPlus and, again, LinkSeeker buttons appear for each of the search results. One goal of testing is to determine what other services you would find valuable.

Originally called SFX, the LinkSeeker framework was developed from research on linking between scholarly information resources, including full-text repositories; abstracting, indexing, and citation databases; on-line library catalogs; and citations appearing in research articles, e-print systems, and other Web resources. This framework permits context-sensitive linking between Web resources; it is context-sensitive in that the target of a link within the framework depends on the digital library collection of the institution to which the user who requested the link is affiliated. This is accomplished by installing a mechanism--a "hook"-- that allows other servers to intervene dynamically in the selection of a link's target. The presentation of available links is fully determined by the local library presenting the services, and is constructed by examining available metadata within a database record as the user clicks on the LinkSeeker button.

This project from the Library Without Walls Project and the LANL Research Library is made possible with co-operation from Ex Libris, a developer of high performance applications for libraries and information centers. The SFX context-sensitive reference linking solution was acquired by Ex Libris from Ghent University in Belgium.

Use of LinkSeeker is limited to staff of LANL and other subscribing institutions. Institutions interested in subscribing should see the library Electronic Products page for more information.

Please send comments to linkseeker@lanl.gov

September 2005: added the ability to download bibliographic records into BibTeX.

July 2005 - upgraded to SFX version 3 and OpenURL Version 1.0.

April 2005: made our holdings links available in Google Scholar.

August 2004: added the ability to get reviews from Computing Reviews database.

June 2003: added two new services: jumping to Journal Citation Reports to determine a journal's impact factor; getting journal information from Ulrichsweb.com.

Version 2 - released 5/1/2003

• Administrative improvements - New modules in SFXAdmin, improved management of CrossRef and Proxy information.
• Improved management of IP addresses.
• Journal title improvements - mixed case and diacritics display supported.

Version 1.1 - released 6/8/01

Reordering of services

Added services:

• Web search based on title words
• Ask a Librarian
• Addition of MELVYL and Library of Congress for library catalog look up
• InfoBridge - search for full-text reports

• Cited paper search now starts from date of original article.
• Cited author search now starts from date of original article.

Version 1.0 - released 11/14/00

Services included are:

• Journal article full-text links
• Report full-text links
• Cited paper
• Cited author
• Author search via FlashPoint
• Document request
• Library catalog look up
• Author email search
• Gene search via PubMed
• Book look up via AddAll

Blake, Miriam E. and Frances L. Knudson. Metadata and reference linking. Library Collections, Acquisitions, and Technical Services. Vol. 26, Iss. 3, Autumn 2002.

Blake, Miriam. Implementation of the OpenURL and the SFX Architecture in the production environment of a digital library. Victorian Association for Library Automation Biennial Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 6-8 February, 2002.

Beit-Arie, Oren, Miriam Blake, Priscilla Caplan, Tim Ingoldsby, William H. Mischo, Sally Rogers, Dale Flecker, Laurence W. Lannom, Edward Pentz and Herbert Van de Sompel. Linking to the appropriate copy: Report of a DOI-based prototype. D-Lib Magazine, vol.7 no.9, September 2001.

Blake, Miriam   SFX - Inside issues for libraries.  ALA MidWinter Conference, LITA Electronic Journals/Electronic Publishing Interest Group. Jan. 14, 2001

Blake, Miriam and Herbert Van de Sompel Just-in-case linking vs. Just-in-time linking -- the Library Without Walls experience. Proceedings of the Fourth ACM International Conference on Digital Libraries, August 11-14, 1999, Berkeley, California, p. 217-218.

On the origins of the OpenURL/SFX/LinkSeeker:

Van de Sompel, Herbert and Beit-Arie, Oren. Open Linking in the Scholarly
Information Environment Using the OpenURL Framework. D-Lib Magazine.Vol. 7, No. 3, March 2001.

Van de Sompel, Herbert and Patrick Hochstenbach. Reference Linking in a Hybrid
Libary Environment, Part 3: Generalizing the SFX solution in the "SFX@Ghent &
SFX@LANL" experiment. D-Lib Magazine. Vol. 5, No. 10, October 1999.

Van de Sompel, Herbert and Patrick Hochstenbach. Reference Linking in a Hybrid
Libary Environment, Part 2: SFX, a Generic Linking Solution. D-Lib Magazine. Vol. 5, Iss. 4, April 1999.

Van de Sompel, Herbert and Patrick Hochstenbach. Reference Linking in a Hybrid
Libary Environment, Part 1: Frameworks for Linking. D-Lib Magazine. Vol. 5, Iss. 4, April 1999.