WebBridge User Guide

Overview

What it is:
WebBridge is a new crosslinking service that utilizes openURL technology. It allows you to connect from the citation in one database to the full-text in another database. In the future the library catalog will also include WebBridge links, advising users of additional resources in other resources for the same search.

How it works:
WebBridge links are now embedded in selected databases (see below) and can be found within the citation of the origin database. The WebBridge link opens a pop-up window which includes a link to the full-text in another database if available (destination database) as well as a  link to the library catalog. If there is no link to a destination database please use the catalog link to verify the status of the given journal. If we do carry the journal read the holdings statement carefully (under 'Lib. has'): this tells you which dates are covered by the given database and / or which dates are available in print in the library.

Requirements
No particular requirements are necessary other than those that are usually needed to access the databases: cookies must be enabled, javascript must also be enabled. Pop-up blockers as featured by Netscape 7.1 must be disabled (though by double clicking on the WebBridge link you can override the pop-up blocker).

Where to find WebBridge:
WebBridge links currently to the full-text in ProQuest, WilsonSelect, JSTOR and BioOne, whereby the list will increase as more providers are integrated.
WebBridge is currently available from the following origin databases (please look for the WebBridge icon and link embedded in the citation):

1. ProQuest
   (from non-full text items)

2. FirstSearch
   (includes among other: AH Search, ATLA, BasicBIOSIS, Business Management, CWI, EconLit, ERIC, GeoRefS, MEDLINE, MLA, PAIS, SocAbs)

3. WilsonWeb 
   (includes: Art Index, Education Index, General Sciences Index, Humanities Index, Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, Social Sciences Index, Wilson Business Abstracts)

4. ABC-CLIO
   (includes America History and Life and Historical Abstracts)

This list will expand as we move forward with WebBridge, however some of our subscription services like Lexis-Nexis are not currently openURL compatible. In addition, you may encounter some errors when using the links from the WeBridge pop-up. See below for some of the known issues to date:

Issues

• JSTOR
  A JSTOR link may appear even when the actual journal is not carried by the database (either the date range is incorrect or the entire journal is not carried). In these cases you will receive an internal JSTOR error message. Use the link to the library catalog to confirm our current holdings for the given journal.
  A solution to this issue will be available from Innovative with the next WebBridge upgrade this coming summer.

• Library Catalog (OPAC)
  As with JSTOR, a link to the catalog may be visible even though we do not carry the journal electronically or in print. We hope that many of these errors will be resolved with the upgrade, however in some instances the originating database may have provided incorrect or insufficient data causing the error in WebBridge.

• General Linking Errors
  As was mentioned above some linking errors may occur when the data in the originating database is either incorrect or incomplete. In those cases check the library catalog to verify our actual holdings.

Update 6/15/04