[Web4lib] Validating different patron groups for databases/ebooks

[Mark Allan]

I have a authentication puzzle for all of you -

How does your campus  - Library in particular - provide different kinds of access to online resources depending  upon different patron classification  types?  The major groups that I am referring to are students/faculty, alumni, and the public. I am in particular interested in "one-click" log-in for our students. (This may be a technical term, please consider it in its broadest, non-technical sense.) However, I will even take "two-click" for campus users if its free!  If you currently do it or it can be cheaply done with a new configuration, script, or software features, I would love to hear it!

We link to our databases currently through our campus-wide portal.  Folk have to login to the portal.  However, currently, people must login a second time to EZ Proxy, as once a student has been given access to databases, we are told that once they become alumni it is impossible to take away the database access while leaving them their same account/user name. (if you have a Sungard Luminus Portal and know differently, please tell us!)

Compounding this is that our on campus students also have to log in to the campus network before they get to the Portal.  That's three logins!

Our University has/will have a variety of different tools for accessing various online resources.  We have an Ex Libris (formerly Endeavor) Voyager catalog/ILS, a Sungard Luminus campus-wide portal, and are implementing the Enterprise edition of Blackboard.  We also utilize Serials Solutions A-Z list for electronic journal access, and have purchased the Serials Solutions MARC records for accessing said journals through the catalog. We have the campus wide network, and utilize EZ Proxy for authentication.

How can we most efficiently (and cost effectively) provide and restrict access to different patron groups? I would prefer to do it without additional software, but am also interested in hearing about any other solutions you may be aware of (Shibboleth, perhaps, and others?)

I have cross-posted to web4lib and libref- I, apologize for any inconvenience.



Thanks for your suggestions and input!


Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mark Allan
Head, Reference Unit
Porter Henderson Library<http://www.angelo.edu/services/library/>
Angelo State University<http://www.angelo.edu/>
ASU Station #11013
San Angelo, Texas 76909-1013
(325) 942-2511
(325) 942-2198 (FAX)
mark.allan at angelo.edu<mailto:mark.allan at angelo.edu>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The things you own ... end up owning you. - Fight Club ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Any opinions given above do not necessarily reflect those of the Porter Henderson Library, Angelo State University, the Texas Tech University System, the state of Texas...