What are OpenURL link resolvers?

OpenURL is a standardized format for representing bibliographic metadata about scholarly resources such as journal articles, books, and conference proceedings. OpenURL compliant link resolvers are software tools that parse the metadata within an OpenURL (e.g., article title, author's name, publication year, etc.) to search multiple databases to generate a list of available resources that fulfill the user's request. They are designed to work with various library systems and discovery software tools.

If your institution maintains an OpenURL compliant link resolver such as SFX^®, a link or graphic will appear to the right of the ‘Show/Hide preview’ link in the Result page citation and at the top of the record page. When you click this resolver link, the resolver checks whether your institution has access to the full-text version of that record.  If your institution does not have full-text access, the link resolver searches for alternative methods to access the full-text record.

Refer to local holdings links for additional information.