Newsline from EDINA
October 2004: Volume 9, Issue 3
by Tim Stickland
EDINA, in association with UKOLN, have developed the JISC-sponsored OpenURL Router to ease the administrative burden of setting up and maintaining links between bibliographic services and local OpenURL resolvers.
A vital function of the OpenURL Router is the ability to identify users and determine the institution to which they belong, so that they can be directed to the appropriate local OpenURL resolver. This capability has now been enhanced by the use of Athens Single Sign On (SSO) technology. Any user who has logged on to Athens can now automatically be recognised and will be directed to their local OpenURL resolver. This extends the coverage of the OpenURL Router, with over 96% of requests now being directed to local resolvers.
Resolvers registered with the OpenURL Router will automatically benefit from links in all EDINA bibliographic services, and subscribers to Ovid services can request links using the OpenURL Router.
The next phase of the OpenURL Router project is promotion with service providers, to raise awareness of the benefits of using the Router.
More information about the OpenURL Router, including how to register your resolver.