Persistent URLs

A "persistent URL" (also known as PURL) enables a more or less permanent link to specific individual full text articles in several of the Sawyer Library's licensed full text databases. Faculty in all departments can use PURLs to prepare web-based or Blackboard pages that students can use to link directly to the full-text of articles. Each full text database provider has resolved all copyright issues; persistent URLs are available at no extra cost to the user or the Sawyer Library. Therefore, PURLs can be used to create Web links to articles for required course readings, reducing the number of printed articles in course packets and thereby reducing the cost of the packets for students.

Persistent URLs can be formatted for both on- and off-campus access.  A correctly-formatted article-level persistent URL must begin with "< a href = "http://0- " and include "library.law.suffolk.edu" AFTER the domain. Therefore, a correctly-formatted PURL would look like this example: http://0-search.epnet.com.library.law.suffolk.edu/direct.asp?an=10236180&db=aph&tg=AN

For examples about how to create or find persistent URLs for different library databases, visit the library's guide for Persistent Link URLs -- How to create them.

Most information vendors used by the Sawyer Library provide online help within the database as to how to create and link PURLs.  If you have any questions not covered by the vendor's instructions, please contact the Sawyer Library Reference Department by e-mail (sawlib@suffolk.edu) or by calling 573-8532, or contact Amy Dumouchel by e-mail (adumouchel@suffolk.edu) or by calling 573-1120.