Open URL resolvers

An Open URL resolver works together with a library's database and a knowledge base, which serves as the Open URL's metadata, to provide more full-text or print retrieval options in information searches. This technology enables one to pull records from many different sources, as opposed to the library's own limited set of holdings, or the journal articles found in any one database. It literally pulls out relevant records from any source connected with any database or library making their information available: both full-text and local print holdings options, as well as ILL service options, may be returned, if the knowledge base is configured to do so. This type of search-ability will greatly enhance both libraries' and users' quests for information due to the increasing breadth of output derived from a single search. Whereas in a typical database search on a given topic, the results would likely be all coming from the same academic field of journals, if not the same journal, an Open URL search will likely yield several different fields' perspectives, and many different sources. In addition, Open URL makes it easy to find and print an article in one step, request an ILL, and browse related articles. For these reasons, I would argue that Open URL resolvers will be the technology most beneficial to MANY users; however, it is not the MOST beneficial overall -- see "Adaptive Technologies" to find out why not.