FirstSearch components
Communications method component
Include the communications method component in the URL to specify the use of a communication method other than the Internet to access FirstSearch.
Internet communication is used when the communications method component is not included in a URL.
The following table contains options, formats, and examples for the communications method component:
| Communications method | Component format | Component example |
|---|---|---|
| OCLC Dedicated TCP/IP | route=dedip | route=dedip |
Nota
In order to use OCLC Dedicated TCP/IP communications, the library must have access to this communications method.
Although response time for many users outside of North America is better through Digital Island, test this option before deciding to use it in URLs.
Although response time for most European users is better through the UK node, test this option before deciding to use it in URLs.
Examples of IP address recognition URLs
Authorization number component
If you have two or more FirstSearch authorizations, include the authorization number component in the URL to specify the authorization number for any link that uses an additional authorization for IP address recognition.
Your default authorization for IP address recognition is used when the authorization number component is not included in a URL.
The following table contains the format and an example of the authorization number component:
| Component format | Component example |
|---|---|
| autho=[FirstSearch authorization] | autho=999999999 |
For more information about authorizations and IP address recognition, see Information needed to set up IP address recognition access to FirstSearch.
Nota
If you include an authorization not specified in your IP address recognition setup information, users who click on the link are not logged on to FirstSearch. Instead they receive a message and an opportunity to log on manually using a FirstSearch authorization number and password.
If you do not type "autho" correctly in the URL, your default authorization for IP address recognition is used.
If you use the Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.X browser, do not type a URL containing an authorization in the browser's Open dialog box or in the Address section of the browser's tool bar. If you do, the browser does not format the URL correctly and the system may use the default authorization and other default values for options specified in the URL. However, the Internet Explorer 3.X browser does format the URL correctly when you click on a link containing a URL.
Examples of IP address recognition URLs
FirstSearch screen component
Include the FirstSearch screen component in the URL to link users directly to a particular database selection screen, database screen, or Electronic Collections Online journal screen within FirstSearch.
Users are linked to the FirstSearch Home screen, which is also the screen displayed after someone logs on manually, when the FirstSearch screen component is not included in a URL.
The following table contains options, formats, and examples for the FirstSearch screen component:
| FirstSearch screen | Component format | Component example |
|---|---|---|
| A database selection topic area | topic=[topic value] | topic=education |
| A list of all databases available in your FirstSearch account | topic=all | topic=all |
| A database's default search screen | dbname=[dbname value] | dbname=worldcat |
| A database's basic search screen | dbname=[dbname value] &screen=basic | dbname=eric &screen=basic |
| A database's advanced search screen | dbname=[dbname value] &screen=advanced | dbname=eric &screen=advanced |
| A database's expert search screen | dbname=[dbname value] &screen=expert | dbname=worldcat &screen=expert |
| An Electronic Collections Online journal's information screen | dbname=eco&journal=[ISSN] &screen=info | dbname=eco&journal=0007-0882 &screen=info |
| An Electronic Collections Online journal's current issue table of contents screen | dbname=eco&journal=[ISSN] &screen=current | dbname=eco&journal=0924-669x &screen=current |
| An Electronic Collections Online journal's list of available issues screen | dbname=eco&journal=[ISSN] &screen=available | dbname=eco&journal=0924-669x &screen=available |
| An Electronic Collections Online journal's search screen | dbname=eco&journal=[ISSN] &screen=search | dbname=eco&journal=0007-0882 &screen=search |
A list of topic values is available at Values for the topic Component.
A list of dbname values is available at Values for the dbname or db component and for Group Catalog.
Additional information about linking to Electronic Collections Online journals and links to individual journals are available at FirstSearch databases: Electronic Collections Online (ECO).
Nota
You can specify OCLC-defined topic areas or custom topic areas that you define in the FirstSearch administrative module.
To highlight aspects of FirstSearch for your users, you can create separate links on your web pages for individual topic areas, databases, and Electronic Collections Online journals.
Examples of IP address recognition URLs
Exit page component
Include the exit page component in the URL to specify the web page to which a user goes after exiting FirstSearch.
The user goes to the FirstSearch manual logon screen after exiting when the exit page component is not included in a URL.
The following table contains options, formats, and examples for the exit page component:
| Exit page | Component format | Component example |
|---|---|---|
| The page containing the link the user clicked to access FirstSearch | done=referer | done=referer |
| A particular web page | done=[URL] | done=https://www.oclc.org/ |
You must enter codes in place of certain special characters that may follow the https:// portion of the URL of the exit page. A URL encoder tool such as https://www.urlencoder.org/ can be used to properly encode the URL after the done= part of the component.
For more information, see Special characters in the exit page and library logo components.
Nota
Returning the user to the page containing the link clicked to access FirstSearch (done=referer) works only if the user clicked on a web-page link to enter FirstSearch. It does not work if the user typed the URL in the browser.
If a user's FirstSearch session times out or ends before the user exits properly, the user sees a message indicating that the session has ended. After clicking OK, the user returns to the page containing the link clicked to access FirstSearch.
Examples of IP address recognition URLs
Language component
Include the language component in the URL to specify the language in which to view FirstSearch instructions, labels, and help files.
Instructions, labels, and help files are viewed in English when the language component is not included in a URL.
The following table contains options, formats, and examples for the language component:
| Lingua | Component format | Component example |
|---|---|---|
| Francese | language=fr language=french | language=fr |
| Spagnolo | language=es language=spanish | language=es |
Examples of IP address recognition URLs
Library logo component
Include the library logo component in the URL to add your library's logo to FirstSearch screens. (If you want to use this component, do not specify a library logo in the administrative module.)
No logo is added to FirstSearch when the library logo component is not included in a URL and no logo is specified in the administrative module.
The following table contains options, formats, and examples for the library logo component:
| Library logo | Component format | Component example |
|---|---|---|
| A particular image file | logo=[URL] | logo=https://www.oclc.org/firstsearch/images/library.gif |
You must enter codes in place of certain special characters that may follow the https:// portion of the URL of the image file. For more information, see Special characters in the exit page and library logo components.
Nota
The logo appears throughout each FirstSearch session at either the upper left or upper right of each FirstSearch screen, depending on where you have designated it to appear.
For best results, the logo's image should be 40 pixels high.
If you want to specify the logo image file in the administrative module and your library has multiple FirstSearch authorizations, be sure to specify it in the administrative module for each authorization.
More information is available on Add your library's logo to FirstSearch.
Examples of IP address recognition URLs
Timeout periods component
Include the timeout periods component in the URL if you want to override the timeout periods set in the administrative module with shorter timeout periods.
The timeout periods specified in the administrative module are used when the timeout periods component is not included in a URL.
The following table contains options, formats, and examples for the timeout periods component:
| Timeout period | Component format | Component example |
|---|---|---|
| Session timeout and full-text timeout | timeout=[300-1800 seconds] &fttimeout=[900-2700 seconds] | timeout=600 &fttimeout=900 |
Nota
If a user's FirstSearch session times out or ends before the user exits properly, the user sees a message indicating that the session has ended. After clicking OK, the user returns to the page containing the link clicked to access FirstSearch.
In the administrative module, timeout periods are specified in minutes. For IP address recognition, timeout periods are specified in seconds.
| Minutes | Seconds |
|---|---|
| 5 | 300 |
| 10 | 600 |
| 15 | 900 |
| 20 | 1200 |
| 25 | 1500 |
| 30 | 1800 |
| 35 | 2100 |
| 40 | 2400 |
| 45 | 2700 |
Examples of IP address recognition URLs
Special characters in the exit page and library logo components
You must enter codes in place of certain special characters that may follow the https:// portion of the URL of the library logo image file or the exit page. The table below lists each special character and the code that replaces it.
Using a code in place of a special character is called URL encoding. The code to use contains the % symbol followed by the two-digit hexadecimal representation (case-insensitive) of the ISO-Latin code point for the character. The URL doesn't need to include the https:// portion of a URL or any slashes (/) following https:// in the exit page or library logo components.
| For this special character | Use this code |
|---|---|
| & (ampersand) | %26 |
| @ (at) | %40 |
| : (colon) | %3a |
| , (comma) | %2c |
| $ (dollar sign) | %24 |
| = (equal to) | %3d |
| # (number or pound) | %23 |
| % (per cent) | %25 |
| + (plus) | %2b |
| ? (question mark) | %3f |
| ; (semicolon) | %3b |
| space | %20 |