Connect to Resources from Off-Campus
To connect to library research databases and restricted resources (such as LexisNexis Academic and Academic Search Premier) from off-campus, simply click on the appropriate link for the resource of interest. You will be taken to a page that asks you for your AccessNet username and password. After entering this information, click the "Login" button and you will be taken to the site you requested. This login procedure is only necessary the first time you try to access a restricted resource from off-campus. As long as your internet browser window remains open, you will not be asked to login again even if you try to access another restricted resource.Alternate Methods of Access
TUPortal users and users of Temple's proxy server can also gain access to restricted resources. For instructions on using those methods, see Computer Services' Accessing Temple's Library Research Databases from Off-Campus page.
Please contact the Computer Services Help Desk at 215-204-8000 with any problems or questions concerning the proxy connection.
For More Information About:
- The proxy server
- How to create proxy-ready links
- Accessing restricted resources from links outside the library website
What is the Proxy Server?
Because our electronic resources are subscription products (we pay money for them), for legal reasons we must limit access to current Temple students, staff, and faculty. This is done by limiting access to certain ranges of computer IP addresses. Every computer connected to the Internet has an IP address (in some ways similar to a telephone number) that is provided by the computer's Internet provider (a home service like AOL, a company in which the computer is located, or an institution like Temple).
IP addresses that are allowed access to our resources are based on computers in Temple's network (which is why you don't have to login to resources when you are on campus).
When you are off campus your computer will not have a Temple IP address, but by connecting to the proxy server before accessing restricted resources, those resources will view your IP address as that of the proxy server itself. You therefore appear to the resources as part of Temple's network and are allowed access.
In practical terms, this is done with a prefix added to the URLs that are restricted. While the normal URL for the database Academic Search Premier is:
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?profile=ehost&defaultdb=aph
When the proxy prefix is added it is:
https://libproxy.temple.edu:2343/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?profile=ehost&defaultdb=aph
The added prefix is the way the computer knows to go through the proxy before getting to the database. It is also what will cause you to have to login with your AccessNet account before accessing the resource. The library has already added this prefix to all links on our website going into restricted resources.
Proxying URLs:
If you are off campus, you may come upon a resource that Temple does pay for access to, but, since you are off campus, the resource will not give you access (or may ask you to pay for services). It is possible to "proxy" the URL you are at and gain access.
The easiest way to do this is through this bookmarklet.
Drag the following link to your browser's toolbar (or right click and add it to your favorites/bookmarks).
Proxy This
(Note: Using the above bookmarklet requires a JavaScript-capable browser with JavaScript enabled.)
When you are on a resource restricting your access, click on this bookmark. It will automatically add the proxy prefix to the URL and reload the page.
[Screenshot from Google Scholar.]
For instance if you search in Google Scholar, you will find many links to such restricted resources as JSTOR, Project Muse, or Science Direct. If you simply follow the link you will be denied access. If you follow the link and then use the proxy bookmarklet, you can login and view the article without having to go into the database through the library website and then searching for the article.
Stable URLs and the Proxy:
Many databases have what are called "Stable URLs" (also called "Persistant Links"). This is a URL that will take a user directly to the article (or search or journal) in question. This allows a user to easily share a link to an article with others.
In some cases (like in EBSCO databases) the proxy prefix will be automatically added to the stable URL found in the database.
[Screenshot from Academic Search Premier.]
In other cases the proxy prefix will not be added.
[Screenshot from JSTOR.]
In this case, the proxy prefix must be added to make the link accessible from off-campus. One simply adds the following to the beginning of the URL:
https://libproxy.temple.edu:2343/login?url=
Such that the JSTOR link above would begin:
https://libproxy.temple.edu:2343/login?url=http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0016-[...etc. the link continues for a little while]
This page last updated: October 19, 2006