October 5, 2011

Recently I’ve been asked a few questions about using Gale bookmarks, so I thought I’d share them. Oh, okay. I’ll share the answers, too. ;-)

Do I need to log in when I access Gale content via a Gale bookmark (PURL)?
Yes, you will need to log in when using a Gale bookmark or persistent URL (PURL) to access Gale content UNLESS
•    you were already logged in to a Gale database when you accessed the Gale bookmark, or
•    your school’s or district’s IP addresses are on file with Gale.

Hey, wait! At one time, weren’t we able to skip logging in when accessing Gale content via a Gale bookmark?
Yep. Around the time that the statewide database contract was awarded to Gale, they were trying to break down access barriers. While easier access is still a goal at Gale, they had to re-institute the authentication prompt, or the need to log in to prove you have the right to access Gale content, when using Gale bookmarks. 

Huh? What’s a Gale bookmark or PURL?
A Gale bookmark is a stable link that will take you back to the page you created the link on. It is also called an InfoMark or persistent URL (PURL). It’s a way to share an article, a list of search results, and more with students and staff in your school. This short Gale tutorial explains how to create and use Gale bookmarks. Note that the database featured in the video has been updated, but the tool box where you click to create Gale bookmarks still displays towards the top of the page on the right.
            
To illustrate how Gale bookmarks work, click on this one to learn which iconic American president once turned down the governorship of Oregon:
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA173216608&v=2.1&u=oslis&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w.

Halloween-Related Resources
And by chance, Julie Pepera, a Gale trainer, just asked me to share a sampling of Gale bookmarks that lead to Halloween-related resources, to show the variety of ways that the Gale databases can support users’ research needs and browsing interests.

Paranormal Phenomena in Opposing Viewpoints in Context [Julie bookmarked a portal page in OVIC.]
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/topic/actionWin?limiter=AC%20y&showDisambiguation=true&displayGroups=&query=&prodId=OVIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=GALE%7CAAA000032734&scanId=&display-query=&mode=view&userGroupName=oslis&jsid=5b2b612a8f9a4692bc328ceb04befca3

Salem Witch Trials in U.S. History In Context [Again, here a portal page is bookmarked.]
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/uhic/topic/actionWin?limiter=AC%20y&showDisambiguation=true&displayGroups=&query=&prodId=UHIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=GALE%7C00000000MXHT&scanId=&display-query=&mode=view&userGroupName=oslis&jsid=6f61b97e653a4180a0d92408d9f4fd8c

Articles on RL Stine from Kids InfoBits [Here Julie bookmarked a search results page.]
http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits?subTopic=Authors&locID=oslis&failover=1&topic=Stories%2B%2526%2BLiterature&c=1&searchTerm=Stine%252C%2BR.L.&ste=7&tbst=tsrch&tab=2&bConts=3

Articles in PowerSearch on Horror Movies [This examples shows that you can save specific items from a search and then bookmark that page to get back to the items later.]
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=42252&v=2.1&u=oslis&it=markList&p=GPS&sw=w

Witchcraft in America (eBook in GVRL) [Notice that the Bookmark tool is in the top left corner on GVRL.]
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE|9780787693206&v=2.1&u=oslis&it=aboutBook&p=GVRL&sw=w

Questions? Please ask.

Thanks,
Jen

Jennifer Maurer
School Library Consultant
Oregon State Library
250 Winter Street NE
Salem, OR 97301
503.378.5011
jennifer.maurer@state.or.us