Troubleshooting Articles and Databases: Library Access & Proxy Prepend

Sometimes you may want to share a link to library accessible materials. To ensure the person who clicks the link is directed to sign in, and avoid paying for the materials, you'll first need to add the library prepend to the link. The library prepend is:

 https://library2.lib.usu.edu/eval_dist/url856.php?url=

You'll need to add this string before the URL to the resource you want to share. For example, for linking to content in the IBIS World Database you'll need to add the above link before the IBIS World Database URL as shown below: 

https://library2.lib.usu.edu/eval_dist/url856.php?url=http://www.ibisworld.com

To ensure seamless access to materials provided by USU Libraries we suggest accessing content directly through the library website. If you start your research through the library, the publishers we subscribe to will see that you are associated with the university once you sign in. If you go directly to those same publishers through Google or another method, the publishers wont be able to tell you are associated with the university and they will likely request payment for articles and ebooks. 

Lean Library is a browser add on that will prompt you to sign in to access content the library provides access to. With Lean Library you can skip the library website and look for content in Google, Bing, or any other search interface. For more information on Lean Library, please see the dedicated Lean Library LibGuide.

Current students, faculty, and staff can access our electronic resources to find information for their work and studies. Other patrons can access the majority of our electronic resources from inside the library at our public terminals. Sometimes the lines between current students, faculty, and staff can be a bit hazy. Here are some common questions about what makes someone a current student, faculty, and staff. 

Students who are currently attending classes can access our electronic resources, but what about summer break? Or the summer before starting at USU? This is where things can get a bit confusing. Students who were enrolled in Spring Semester and are enrolled in Fall Semester should be able to access our electronic resources as normal. Same goes for students enrolled in Summer Semester courses. Students who have been accepted to USU but did not attend classes in Spring Semester are unable to access electronic resources until the beginning of Fall Semester. This includes students who previously attended classes at USU but decided not to take classes over the previous semester. 

In short, students who are taking just a summer break can access electronic resources, but new students or students taking an extended break have to wait until the semester they are attending begins. 

Concurrent Enrollment Students: 

Concurrent Enrollment students have A#s and can access USU resources, including databases provided by the Library. A common problem that comes up is that a student's high school term does not match USU's terms, and so access may be lost in some cases. To fix this, students should ask their classroom teachers to contact Concurrent Enrollment at concurrent@usu.edu with the request to add access for the student(s); it is helpful if the teacher provides class section information or a CRN.

Faculty and Staff currently employed for USU can access our electronic resources. If you are working for an third party entity that is partnered with USU, and not USU itself, you cannot access electronic resources. This includes employees of Space Dynamics Lab, who may work closely with the university but are not university employees. 

Contingent and visiting faculty often cannot access electronic resources until the semester they are employed for begins. This can change depending on how their department codes their start date. 

As any member of the local community, these patrons can access electronic resources from the public terminals inside the library.