[WEB4LIB] Re: Impact of statewide database deals?

[Richard L. Goerwitz III]

Jerry Kuntz wrote:
> 
> In New York State, remote access authentication methods are
> negotiated between the vendors and the separate library systems
> that register for access.

This is interesting.  Let me play the adversary for a moment -

Frankly, that sounds like no remote access solution at all.  NY
has constituent institutions negotiating authentication and author-
ization with each vendor, which isn't exactly efficient or con-
sistent.  And each one has to negotiate remote access on its own,
necessitating more individual negotiations with each vendor and/or
individual and possibly redundant deployments of remote-access
solutions like regular and reverse/rewriting proxy servers (some-
thing many libraries don't have the systems people to support, and
that those who have the systems people will now have to do redun-
dantly).

I'd be interested in hearing how you feel about this setup - and
if I've misunderstood what's going on, please correct me, or add
any details you think might interest those of us out here who are
grappling with these same issues!

-- 

Richard Goerwitz                               richard at Goerwitz.COM
tel: 401 438 8978