Tools: Proxied Links to Subscription Resources

Why is it Important to Avoid Manually-proxied Links?

NOTE:  We have transitioned to a hosted version of EZproxy.

In preparation for this change, Annie has gone through and cleaned up asset links where librarians had used manually-proxied links to our electronic resources.  Here are the changes that were made...

Example 1:

• Manually-proxied Link:  https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.proxy.library.ucsb.edu/lib/ucsb-ebooks/detail.action?docID=7069073
• Proper Link:  https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucsb-ebooks/detail.action?docID=7069073
• The "Use proxy?" box is set to "Yes"

Example 2:

• Manually-proxied Link:  http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.ucsb.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1991712&site=ehost-live
• Proper Link:  http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1991712&site=ehost-live
• The "Use proxy?" box is set to "Yes"

Tips to Avoid Creating Manually-proxied Links:

• If you are linking to a resource that is on the database list, ALWAYS reuse the link from the database list.
  • You should not create your own links to items that are on the database list!
• Add links while you are on campus.
  • Click through to the e-resource and look for the permalink there.  If you are on campus it should be an unproxied link.
  • Use the permalink to the resource from UC Library Search.  Those will be unproxied links.
  • Always check to make sure the "Use proxy?" box is set to "Yes"
  • NOTE:  If you right click on a link that contains the proxy string and "copy link" you will get a manually-proxied link, even if you are on campus!
• If working from off campus, use the campus VPN when adding links. 
  • Click through to the e-resource and look for the permalink there.  If you are on campus it should be an unproxied link.
  • Use the permalink to the resource from UC Library Search.  Those will be unproxied links.
  • Always check to make sure the "Use proxy?" box is set to "Yes"
  • NOTE:  If you right click on a link that contains the proxy string and "copy link" you will get a manually-proxied link, even if you are on campus!

More information about the proxy transition will be forthcoming as we getting closer to migration day.  In the meantime, please be conscious of how you are linking to e-resources in LibGuides and try not to add any new manually-proxied links to the system.

It is extremely important that all of your links to subscription resources use proxied links.  This will enable users who are both on campus and off campus to have access to the resource.

Do not proxy links to free resources that are available to anyone without a subscription!

The boxes below will show you 3 different ways to accomplish this in LibGuides.  They are ordered top-to-bottom from the most recommended method to the least-recommended method.

NOTE:  You should always check every link you put in a LibGuide by clicking on it.  This will help you catch problems before the users find them.

How Proxied Links Work:

When a user clicks on a proxied link, the proxy server looks at their IP address to determine if they are on campus or off campus.  If they are using a computer with an IP address from the campus IP range, the proxy server will pass them through to the resource without requiring the user to sign in.  If the user is off campus, they will be prompted to log in with their UCSBnet ID and password and will be passed to the subscription resource after authentication.

This is the BEST WAY to link to a database.  By using this method, you don't have to worry about keeping the links up to date.  When they are updated in the database list, your link will be automatically updated.

Note that you can use your own description by using the "custom description" field.

See the "Database List" tab for instructions.

When using the "Link" or "Book from the Catalog" content types for purchased electronic resources, always check the "Yes" box next to "Use Proxy?" if the item is a subscription resource.  Checking the "Yes" for "Use Proxy?" will automatically place the proxy prefix in front of your link. 

You should do this for links to anything that we pay to access -- databases, e-journals, e-books, online reference sources, etc.  DO NOT use it for open access URLs. 

NOTE:  We will be transitioning to a hosted version of EZproxy before Fall quarter.  The URL for the proxy server will be changing!

WARNING:  This method IS NOT recommended for several reasons:

1. Our Best Practice is to use links from the LibGuides database list when linking to databases.  These links are centrally managed, so you do not have to worry about maintaining the links yourself.
2. Our Best Practices for links to other e-resources are to use the "Link" or "Book from Catalog" content types instead of putting links in text boxes.  This allows for easier proxying and maintenance of links.
3. Entering manually-proxied links to electronic resources BREAKS your ability to take advantage of the built-in tools for proxied links, link checking, and updating of links in the LibGuides system.
4. If you choose not to follow the Best Practice recommendations, YOU will be responsible for REGULARLY checking your links in Rich Text/HTML boxes to ensure that they are still working.

If you have links to subscription resources in a "Rich Text/HTML" content box, you will have to do your own proxied links.  This is the most complicated way to provide proxied links, because you must add the proxy prefix to your links manually.

When entering a link manually, you should insert the proxy prefix string at the beginning of the URL.

• Proxy String:  http://proxy.library.ucsb.edu:2048/login?url=
• Database URL:  http://uclibs.org/PID/126936
• Proxy Prefixed Database URL:  http://proxy.library.ucsb.edu:2048/login?url=http://uclibs.org/PID/126936

Note that the prefixed link has two occurrences of "http://".  This is required for it to work.  LibGuides will trim the initial "http://" from your link, so if you are fixing an existing link URL you will need to manually add the "http://" in between the proxy prefix and the database URL.

You cannot have any spaces between the prefix and the URL!

Always check your link using these two steps to make sure it works:

1. Mouse over your link to make sure that you see the proxy prefix before the database URL.
2. Click on the link to make sure it works.  If you are on campus, it will just take you to the database.  If you are off campus, you will be asked to log in and then will go to the database.

AGAIN, be aware that we DO NOT recommend this method.  Ideally we should not be placing ANY links to subscription resources in a Rich Text/HTML box.  Links that use the LibGuides Database List, the "Link" content type, or the "Book from Catalog" content type are better practice and allow you to take advantage of link checking and update tools built into LibGuides.