Everything you always wanted to know about SFX but were afraid to ask

Wendy C. Robertson, University of Iowa
Paul A. Soderdahl, University of Iowa

Abstract

Link resolvers, including Ex Libris’ SFX, use OpenURL to provide library patrons with context-sensitive links, such as the ability to move quickly from a citation in an abstracting and indexing database to the full text. In SFX, information for determining the appropriate links is maintained in the knowledge base, which contains details about a library’s electronic holdings and other information about electronic information resources. This article describes SFX functionality, what the service looks like from a patron’s point of view, and how it can be of particular assistance to a serials librarian.