1. Remote Access to Electronic
Resources
Issues in Academic Libraries
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Maureen Weicher,
St. John’s University
May 2012

2. Remote Access to Online Resources
• Reassessment – why is it needed?
• Where are we now?
• What are the options?

3. Why reassess?
• Users who discover resources without going
through library website may not realize they
have access to full text
• Hybrid systems can make technical support
more difficult
• Students may have to keep track of multiple
userids/passwords
• Better support for mobile devices

4. Why reassess?
• Unauthorized usage of electronic resources
due to outdated usernames and password
sharing – this not only violates license but
skews usage statistics and can cost $$$
• Some systems offer consolidated usage
statistics
• Different options are now available than when
the initial decisions were made

5. Obstacles
• Cost
• Some systems may require IT support or
institutional buy-in
• Difficulty of implementation
• User education

6. Still, we should look at the options
• IP authentication
• Proxy Server
• Sunguard Luminus (St. John’s Central)
• Userid/Password for individual websites
• Athens access and identity management
• Shibboleth federated identity solutions with
Incommon (shared management of access to
on-line resources)

7. Where are we now?
• St. John’s is using a hybrid system for remote
access to electronic resources.
• It is managed in part by IT and part by Library
Systems programmers.
• It includes:

8. IP authentication
• Electronic Resource Librarian sets up IP
addresses for each database.
• Includes all on campus IP addresses.
• Requires valid login to Library Computer

9. Proxy Server/ EZ-Proxy
• Used for off-campus access (though can also
be implemented on campus)
• Requires valid login/userid – under control of
library
• Library systems programmer sets up a config
file for each electronic resource
• Proxy server prefix must be added to url

10. St. John’s Central
• Students sign on with same userid and
password as their email account
• Sunguard Higher Education: Luminus Platform
IV
• Problems: Userids/passwords may get into
wrong hands or are not deleted at graduation
or when student leaves.

11. Athens
• Provides single sign to most databases (set up
in Admin module)
• Alternatively, sign on to OpenAthens
• List of usernames held by Eduserv or locally
• Do not need to sign on to proxy server
• Independent of IP address

12. Athens
• IT participation is not required
• Consolidated usage statistics
• Largely adopted in UK
• Comax Data is US representative
• Cost?
• Provider must be compliant with Athens (most
are)

15. Shibboleth
• Federated identity solutions
• Identity Provider supports single sign on
• May include applications outside Library
• IT participation recommended?
• Supported by third parties such as Unicon
• InCommon is a US-based service that supports
end-user access to Shibboleth

18. Other options
• Jstor has list of all participating institutions on
their website. The login redirects to library
sign-on.

20. “MyResearch” accounts
• Set up by each user
• Access research outside IP/Proxy Server
• Other benefits may include saving articles, RSS
etc.
• Drawbacks include proliferation of accounts,
lack of user acceptance
• Some vendors are allowing MyResearch to be
associated with gmail accounts.

22. Recommendations
• Look further into InCommon for Shibboleth
since that seems to be most widely used in
U.S.
• Ask for password reset at end of each
academic year to minimize password sharing.

23. Questions, ideas, comments?