EZproxy: access library databases from home
Many library databases are available through licenses. The owner of the database (website) wants to make sure you are a student or employee of Tilburg University, before giving access to the content. This authentication based on your affiliation status while on campus is automatic. Access to databases from other locations is taken care of by EZproxy.
Access via EZproxy
To access a database via EZproxy, you have to use the title link in our list of All databases A to Z. (This is always the best way to access databases anyway, since this page always has the correct links and information about databases.) All databases that show an 'E' in the Access column are available via EZproxy.
If you access a database off-campus then you will have to log in via Single Sign-On if you were not logged in yet.
How it works
EZproxy uses proxying technology. Data is not send directly from your browser to the website (e.g. ScienceDirect), but is rerouted via a server of our EZproxy supplier, OCLC. This way the owner of the site recognizes you as a Tilburg University student or employee, giving you access to all our licensed content on the site.
You can check and see whether you are on a site using EZproxy by looking at the URL. The domain name of an EZproxy site ends in tilburguniversity.idm.oclc.org
Regarding the sharing of EZproxy links
If you share an EZproxy URL that contains the tilburguniversity.idm.oclc.org text, anyone clicking that link will need to login to access the content. This can be a problem if you want to share the link with someone outside of Tilburg University. You can add a bookmarklet to your browser bookmarks or favorites toolbar to convert the EZproxy URL to a normal URL.
- Go to this page and follow the instructions.
- When you visit an EZproxy site and you want to share the URL of the page you are on, click the bookmarklet link in your toolbar.
- The bookmarklet will show you a cleaned up URL that you can copy and share.
(This bookmarklet is experimental, if you notice any issues please mail Richard Broekman at r.j.h.a.broekman@tilburguniversity.edu).
Privacy
When you use EZproxy, your name is not shared with the owner of the site you visit. The system only registers your affiliation with Tilburg University. In cases of abuse, Tilburg University is able to find out who was connected at specific times. The only data that is transferred via EZproxy is when you access a site using the special EZproxy link. Data sent to any other sites you visit, like Canvas or Gmail, does not go via the proxy.
EZproxy and the Library Access browser extension
Install the Library Access browser extension to access EZproxy databases without having to use our list of databases. This is particularly useful whenever you visit a site that Tilburg University subscribes to, without using the special EZproxy link.