You can't always return to an online document by copying the URL in the address bar of the page you're viewing.
To find URLs that always link to a document, use a permanent link, also called a durable or persistent URL - these don't change or expire after you leave them.
Persistent links are designed to connect directly to an online document. Use them on a bibliography, course syllabus or reading list.
This tutorial covers how to find and use a permanent link that you can provide to others.
Click the gray tabs at the top of this box to learn about finding and creating permanent links.
Click the red tabs above this box for:
Omni offers the easiest way to create permanent links. If you can find your item in Omni, try this first. It doesn't require a proxy prefix (because Omni ensures only authorized users get access) and it provides all the available options for retrieving the item, if it's available on multiple sites or formats.
The link below connects you to the "Permalinks" page on the Omni Guide.
You've found an online document, and now you want to be able to provide others with a link to that document. Find a reliable permanent link.
There's one more step you need to take before you give a link to someone: authentication. In many cases, only authorized users will be able to access a document. Our proxy server checks the user's authorization as a member of the Trent community.
Consider your audience and provide a link that works for them. If they have a MyTRENT login, include Trent's proxy prefix at the front of the url: http://proxy.lib.trentu.ca/login?url=.
To test whether your link will work for someone else, open a new & different browser and paste the link into the address bar. It must be a different browser so that it has no memory of how you got there and it isn't already logged into the proxy server. You'd be surprised what browser histories remember!
If you don't have more than one browser on your computer, consider adding one. It's a good idea to have more than one browser, because many database features perform better in one or another browser.
You can also try the link on a different computer or mobile device to test it.
If the link doesn't get you where you expect, start again. If you're stuck, you can email library@trentu.ca for help.