What is SFX?

SFX, from Ex Libris, is a link server for libraries that facilitates linking between all parts of the library’s electronic collection, including full-text repositories; abstracting, indexing, and citation databases; online catalogues (OPACs); and citations appearing in research articles, e-print systems, and other web resources. With SFX, the creation of links is entirely under the control of the librarian both in terms of what types of links are presented to the user and to where such links should resolve, thereby addressing the ‘appropriate copy’ problem. A link to the full text of an article should lead, not to the default copy, but rather to the institutional copy of the article held in electronic form; or, if the institution has licensed only the print version of the journal containing the article, then the user should be led via the OPAC to the print version of the journal on the library shelves. Users whose institutions have implemented an SFX server will notice as they navigate resources – hosted locally by the institution or remotely by third parties – that an SFX button appears along with each retrieved reference. Clicking on the SFX button for a reference brings up an SFX menu window from which the user can select from a number of services that are relevant for that reference. These services are institutionspecific and will lead users only to those resources and services deemed appropriate by their librarian. The librarian can determine the scope, definition, and description of such services to be offered based on the information resource from which the user is linking, and on the content of the reference. SFX services will only be offered for a particular request if the target service is deemed to be able to resolve such a request. For example a link to the electronic full text of an article will only be offered as a service to the user if: