Context-Sensitive Linking: It's a Small World After All

Linking services that provide seamless access to a library's e-journal collections are becoming increasingly prominent. This article outlines some of the hurdles to seamless linking and discusses the technologies that make linking services possible. These include the Digital Object Identifier, the CrossRef initiative, the development of emerging standards like the OpenURL, resolution servers, and an examination of how these are incorporated into a linking service. The authors interviewed representatives from four companies providing linking services—Ex Libris, Sirsi, Endeavor, and Openly Informatics—and describes features of their systems. Serials Review 2002; 28:267–282.