Campus News

UK Libraries Reconfigures Access to Licensed Library Electronic Resources

 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 15, 2016) — To better ensure continued access to academic and scholarly electronic resources, the University of Kentucky Libraries will reconfigure licensed electronic books, journals and databases to require channeling through the EZproxy server. EZproxy is a service which allows access to restricted electronic information purchased or licensed by the UK Libraries for current UK students, staff and faculty.

In the past EZproxy has been used for off-campus access only, but this reconfiguration will mean that the EZproxy service will be required for both on-campus and off-campus access to most licensed resources. It also means that a user’s initial access to licensed resources will have to be made through a UK Libraries service — the Libraries web site, InfoKat Discovery, Research Guides or “View Now @ UK” button. 

Most users of UK Libraries resources should see no difference.

If an instructor has set up direct access to licensed resources from Canvas or BlackBoard and properly configured links for off-campus access as described on the EZproxy FAQ, there should be no difference. 

If an instructor has not followed the instructions on the EZproxy FAQ, then the links will need to be altered after this change is implemented.

Personal bookmarks, favorites or shortcuts directly to licensed journals, books and databases may need to be recreated after this change is implemented. To recreate personal bookmarks, favorites or shortcuts:

  1. Start from one of the UK Libraries resources listed above: the Libraries web site, InfoKat Discovery, Research Guides or “View Now @ UK” button
  2. Find the resource
  3. Save it to bookmarks, favorites or shortcuts

Alternately the favorite could be edited directly by adding the URL prefix as indicated on the EZProxy FAQ.

UK Libraries does not make this change lightly, but we must to live up to our licensing obligations, avoid disruption of service, and ensure continued access to academic and scholarly electronic information.  

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu