EZProxy Project Update

Our goal is to make it so that we will not have to explain authentication to users, beyond “go to the library web page, click away and enter your netID and password when prompted.” We won’t get there right away, but we think we’ll make things incrementally simpler and perhaps eventually reach our goal. We’ve got a lot of links to proxy; our guess is around 150,000.  

We started by activating EZproxy in the Research Database Locator, and we've since turned on proxying *IN* Serials Solutions, libguides, e-Reserves,  and the library web site. Janice has started to activate EZproxy in Homer. E-books are first.  If you are linking to a resource in the database locator (either in LibGuides or on a web page), you don't need to proxy it, as everything that in the RDL that needs to be proxied is being proxied. SFX will be the final major thing to proxy. 

We hope to have completed the project before the start of the spring semester, but since we’re in uncharted waters implementing EZproxy with so many resources in place (and at the same time as changes to many of our other systems), we’re re-assessing our progress with each system we proxy. We don’t want to cause users problems by rushing the project.

We don't think that users will be confused by an environment where some systems proxy and some do not because things will work like this: after we turned on proxying in the RDL, if a user is off campus and logs into the VPN before going to the RDL, things will work just as they did before. If he forgets to log into the VPN before going to the RDL, EZproxy will prompt him for his NetID and password and he will have access.

If, during this period of incremental roll out, you are trying to help a user with a remote access question, you'll have the choice of doing what you've done before (tell him about the VPN) or you could explain that we are in transition to a new remote access system and refer the user to the RDL. 

If you have any questions about EZproxy, please let us know. We'll keep you up to date as the roll out progresses.

Check out our notes on what & how to proxy resources on your library web pages.

-nicholas and stephanie