Options for individual campus websites/desktops

- Create a link that takes users to the Gale collection menu
- Create a link that takes users straight to the search form for any one of the individual databases (see Custom InfoTrac URLs below)

Options for district-wide or other shared websites

- Create a shared link to either the Gale collection menu or individual databases (requires discrete campus IP recognition)
- Create links for individual campuses using select tools (e.g., lists/menus or jump boxes) or cgi/.asp scripts

The enterprising web administrator may also create scripts that identify the user's campus affiliation (usually by source IP or domain) and redirect them to the requested Gale application (more on this below).

Background - Common InfoTrac Start URLs

Gale "start" URLs begin with a common stem. Using this stem, the following conditions and behaviors apply:

Start URLs can be extended to modify the logon behavior

The {userID} is a shared logon credential; it identifies the user as a member of a particular user group or identifies the user's institutional affiliation. (Gale does not, at this time, issue individual user credentials.)

Use the common URL stem when

- several user groups (campuses, branch libraries, etc.) need to share a common link to Gale resources,
   _AND_
- a discrete network IP address (or range) can be associated with each user group

Use the extended URL, with {userID}, when use of the common URL stem is impractical or impossible (i.e., several user groups, with their own logon credentials, share a common network IP address space).

Customize InfoTrac Start URLs

Site administrators are encouraged to create links that shorten the path of discovery to Gale online resources. One way to do this is to create product-specific links on the library website and direct users straight to the search dialog for each database. This is done by coding the product's ID in the start URL's query data. For example, using the userID 19zyas, the URL

http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/19zyas?db=CPI

will direct the user to the search dialog for CPI.Q (the Canadian Periodicals Index), and bypasses the Gale collection menu.

If the site uses a shared, common start URL (like those used on the Gale/ERAC home page), the product ID can still be added to the URL's query data:

http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb?db=CPI

The following table lists the databases, database codes, and their product specific start URLs, using the 19zyas userID (ERAC licensed products only).

If you have questions about how to set-up links to Gale resources at your school or district, please contact martin.borg@cengage.com , or Gale technical support at

800 877 4253 option 4
gale.technicalsupport@cengage.com

If there is additional information you'd like to see on this site, please contact martin.borg@cengage.com .

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