About LibKey Link
LibKey Link requires that the item being requested includes:
- A valid DOI or PMID
- That it be available for a subscribed source held by the library or be available Open Access
- That it be published by a LibKey supported publisher.
Open Access Linking
LibKey is enriched with Unpaywall data which adds article-level Open Access knowledge to Third Iron’s already substantial understanding of title-level Open Access journals. Third Iron has taken the unique step of locally loading and synthesizing this data into our linking algorithm, delivering the advantage of only linking to the version of record, adding more links to PDF articles, removing the unneeded obstacle of authentication, and better responsiveness should there be a linking problem. See our Open Access linking support page for more information.
The Format Chooser
Alternate Linking Options
The Format Chooser option is enabled by default. The following alternative default linking modes are available in lieu of the Format Chooser option.
To turn on any of these modes as the default please contact support@thirdiron.com.
GoToFullText Option
Article Link Express Option
The "Article Link Express" option will bypass the Format Chooser and go directly to the article link every time (if available), in lieu of offering users a choice. If an article link is not available, the user will fallback to the link resolver.
PDF Express Option
The "PDF Express" option will link users directly to the PDF if one is available. In contrast to the GoToFullText option, the fallback behavior will be to forward to the link resolver if no PDF is available, instead of going to the article link.
LibKey Link URL Syntax Options
All the variations of the LibKey Link URL syntax are documented here for easy reference. This guide provides URL syntax examples for forcing LibKey Link to behave in different ways and is useful for a more customized setup.
Where to use LibKey Link
LibKey Link may be used in any database where an OpenURL link resolver is used today. Libraries report the most benefit in databases that include a lot of article citations, including Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, EBCSOHost and ProQuest databases, and more!
Additional Configuration
When a user clicks on a link which initiates LibKey, a screen will briefly appear indicating that LibKey is retrieving the article and show the library logo. If you do not want this page to appear, contact support@thirdiron.com and request it be suppressed.
Accessibility
LibKey Link is both mobile optimized and works great with assistive technologies like screen readers. For vision impaired users in particular, going directly to content, and avoiding having to navigate the link resolver menus and vendor screens, is a huge improvement in user experience.