[Eril-l] Link resolvers and frames - a trend?

[Kidder, Louise]

Good afternoon everyone,

We use 360 Link for our link resolver service. Content accessed via the link resolver is generally opened in a window with a sidebar frame w/ info about the publication, error report form, and a librarian help chat option.

Some platforms have to be added to the "sidebar exclude list" so that this frame does not appear, otherwise the site won't load properly or the content is otherwise inaccessible.

It seems that we are adding more platforms to the exclusion list recently. Our main ExLibris/ProQuest tech support person concurs:

"I think it's a growing trend. Cross-site scripting is a security risk, as well as "framing" content to put ads around it, so a lot of providers don't like to do it. Hopefully providers are responsive to client feedback, since you're the ones who pay them. I would encourage you to let them know you don't like it. We just have to work around it when we can."

Sure, we can ask our providers to allow frames, but if they see it as a security risk and the content itself is still accessible, they're probably not going to switch back.

I'm interested in whether other libraries are experiencing the same/similar issues. And what does the future of link resolving services look like, if this is the case? Will there be a way to provide our users with the error report form, librarian chat, etc. without resorting to frames?

(Relatedly, the error report form "spoofs" the sender's email, which then gets filtered by our email security system because that's a common spam/phishing technique. I guess I'm just frustrated that the tools we're trying to use to help our users are also commonly used for more malicious purposes. /venting)

Thanks, and I hope y'all have a great weekend,

Louise



Louise Kidder
Discovery Services Librarian
Moody Medical Library/Academic Resources

University of Texas Medical Branch
301 University Blvd., Galveston, TX 77555-1035
P 409.772.8741 F 409.762.9782
E tlkidder at utmb.edu<mailto:tlkidder at utmb.edu>

[UTMBlogo]

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