Linking to D2L

Linking to an Article from a Library Database in D2L

The best way to incorporate a specific article from one of the library’s databases into your D2L course is by linking to it. When you link to the library’s licensed electronic resources for classes or research, you do not have to worry about copyright or fair use because you are not uploading a new copy of the article. Since access to these resources has already been paid for, no further permission is needed to use them. This option saves you time and effort because you do not need to scan and upload documents onto a course website.

Basic Linking Instructions

Creating links to content from library databases works the same way as creating a link to any other URL in D2L, with one exception. Since most of our databases are subscription based, anyone attempting to open a link from off campus will need to login. To be sure that the link works properly for students when they are off campus, you must add the link to the library’s proxy server at the beginning of the hyperlink. However, when linking to a document from an EBSCO database the library’s proxy server is already included in the documents "permalink" feature.

An example of how this works appears below.

Gale Virtual Reference Database
EBSCO Databases such as "Academic Search Complete"