We recommend creating stable links to library resources for scholarly content, but sometimes freely accessible websites may be more appropriate for your needs. Some examples of useful online content include:
We recommend sharing links with your students whenever possible, since this bypasses copyright entirely: no copying occurs, and students access materials on their own. Please consult Print & Online Materials for more information about distributing copies to your students, and Image Guidelines for details about artistic works like tables, charts, and photographs.
Most websites include copyright information, which may include guidelines for sharing and linking to their content. Check the website header and footer for these links, and keep an eye out for phrases like Copyright, Terms of Use, and Important Information. You should search for these usage terms as part of your course design process.
Stable links ensure that your students will never lose access to important library resources, such as e-books, journal articles, and images. We recommend linking to library materials whenever possible, since this bypasses copyright entirely: no copying occurs, and students access materials on their own. Please consult the stable links guide for detailed instructions.
However, databases licensed through the library may have usage restrictions. Please consult the College Libraries Electonic Access Rights (CLEAR) database to check usage rights before sharing licensed material with your students.
Please consult Image Guidelines for more details about linking to licensed artistic works like tables, charts, and photographs.
Many websites and search engines include filters for freely shareable content, which may have entered the public domain or been openly licensed. Creative Commons lets you search many websites in one place:
Searches can sometimes go wrong, so you should always double-check licensing information before sharing resources with your students, even when using filters for freely shareable content.