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Remote Access to Library Services

Two other web pages that may be of interest are:
  • databases down lists current problems we are experiencing with individual databases
  • electronic troubleshooting provides a number of steps to be checked if you are having trouble accessing the Library databases


Web Access

Many Library services are available to users through the World Wide Web on the Internet. These services are available to users on the campus of the University of Calgary and to authorized users from off-campus locations. Some services are freely available to everyone.

Obtaining Internet Access
           Members of the University of Calgary community can obtain a computer account on the central computing system. Those who have a home computer and modem can obtain Internet access with a UCIC account, which provides access through the University system. The account provides e-mail service and access to the web and other Internet functions.
          Alternatively, anyone can obtain home Internet access from the many Internet Service Providers (eg. Cadvision, Shaw, Telus, Cybersurf, etc.). These ISPs usually provide e-mail service and web access. There are other service providers (eg. HotMail, etc.) that provide basic e-mail service free of charge, but note that there was a recent serious security breach with Hotmail.


1. Freely Available Library Services

Many Library services are freely available to remote users over the Internet. These include:


2. Library Services with Restricted Off-Campus Access

The following Library services are restricted to University of Calgary students, faculty and staff, and that access is usually restricted to educational and non-profit research purposes. These restrictions are applied for several reasons, including (1) licensing restrictions in our database subscriptions, (2) direct cost of the service to the Library, (3) copyright restrictions, or (4) limited resources being allocated. It should be noted that alumni, community readers, and most Continuing Education students are excluded from accessing these services.

One remote Library service, circulation status is available to anyone with a UofC campus card that has been validated for use in the Library. This service is available to students, faculty and staff, as well as alumni, Continuing Education students, and those with community reader cards. This service allows a user to check his/her individual circulation status, including what items a user has on loan and any fines they might have, and it enables users to renew items they have on loan.


User Authentication

Before the restricted Library services can be extended to you, you will need to establish that you are entitled to the service. To do so enter your UserID and PIN from your University of Calgary Campus Card when prompted.

UserID and PIN
  • Your UserID is the first 9 digits of the barcode number on the back of your U of C campus card. Leave off the last digit.
  • Your PIN is the number on the front of your campus card with all leading zeroes removed (e.g. if the number on the front of your campus card is 000123456, your PIN is 123456)
    • unless you have changed your PIN to something more easily remembered, in which case, enter the changed value
  • Forgot your PIN? We will e-mail it to you.

  • For some restricted Library services your University of Calgary identity is sufficiently established if you are logging in from a University of Calgary account (ie, a U of C IP address). In this case only users coming in from outside Internet Service Providers are asked for their UserID's and PIN's.
  • For other restricted services, all users are asked for their UserID's and PIN's, regardless of where they are logging in from.

Through user authentication we are able to extend almost all our Internet Library services to all University of Calgary students, faculty and staff, including Distance Education students, regardless of how they have logged in -- whether they have logged in through a University of Calgary account or whether they have logged in from an outside Internet Service Provider. You may, however, have some difficulty in initially sorting out your access to these services (see electronic troubleshooting).


3. Library Services Available Only with U of C IP Address

Some services and products are only available to faculty, students and staff when they access the services from a University of Calgary account (U of C IP address). They include:
  • a few products with complicated login procedures that have not yet been provided with authenticated remote access
  • a few products with licenses that restrict their use to one or more locations on campus
  • Ingenta Reveal service whereby users can receive e-mail notification of
    • tables of contents of selected journals as each issue is published
    • subject searches run weekly against each database update


Telnet Access

Telnet is another method of accessing services on the internet. Telnet connections can be made from a graphical web browser, such as Netscape or Internet Explorer, but you must first have installed a telnet program on your computer. The following Library services is available via telnet:
  • Library catalogue in character-based form
    • access to the catalogue is available to everyone
    • data retrieval program DRAT (telnet)


Not Available over the Internet

A number of the Library's electronic products are not available over the Internet. Some are available on standalone or networked workstations within MacKimmie or the branch libraries. Other CD-ROM or floppy disk products can circulate to users, who can use them either at home or on a workstation in MacKimmie Library.


Help

1. To obtain the telnet software, or to get help with communication software settings:

2. Once your computer is set up
  • For help in connecting to the various electronic library services
  • When you are able to connect to the Library products, for help with using the electronic library services check:



Gilbert Bede
Public Services Systems Librarian
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