[Web4lib] proxy access to online services

[Jon Clarke]

My apologies if this topic has been well discussed on this list, but I'm
seeking current recommendations on how libraries give their patrons remote
access to online services (databases, newspaper archives, etc.).  We would
like our remote users to only be prompted for their patron barcode once per
session, then have automatic access to all our contracted services.  I
assume a typical solution is to have a proxy service hosted on the library's
network; I am interested in possibilities along those lines that are
relatively easy to manage.  I would also like to hear from anyone who is
using a service hosted by a third party (so that traffic does not proxy
through the library's Internet connection). Solutions specific to any ILS
are not possible in our case.

Many thanks in advance for any recommendations/cautions.

Regards,
Jon Clarke
Network Administrator
Black Gold Cooperative Library System
jclarke at blackgold.org