On Fri, 3 Nov 2000, Rosalind Pan wrote:
> My new query is, is there a UK library who has purchased and is using
> the Web Access Management module, as we are interested in taking a look
> at how this works exactly and how we may or may not find it helpful with
> our distance learners and remote users.
At Bangor we have purchased WAM and are about to launch a revised version
of the database menu indicating those databases which can be accessed from
outside the campus. We have opted for WAM so that we don't have to rely
on our computing staff to manage remote access.
When it was installed we were told that two-hours of training was included
in the purchase price and that an Innovative trainer would contact us.
No one has actually contacted us but the instructions in the manual and on
the CSDirect web pages have been sufficient to set things up.
We've spent a lot of time checking which databases allow remote access
according to the licensing agreements. We have been pleasantly surprised
to find so many of them allow remote access. We are still checking which
electronic journals can be accessed remotely, though I don't think we have
the staff resources to mark individual titles which allow remote access.
If there is a choice between Athens authentication and IP checking, we
have always opted for IP checking. In some cases remote users will be
asked for their Athens username and password as well but this is no
different from accessing the same databases from within the campus.
Remote users are only asked once for their barcode and PIN per session
and can seamlessly move from databases to full text of electronic journals
if they are both included in the forward table.
Before publicising the facility widely we gave instructions to a few users
who have asked about remote access. We've found that these people tend to
be infrequent or non-users of the library and many of them don't have a
PIN and some of them have library cards with an old and invalid barcode.
So we are having to revise our instructions to cater for these users.
As someone has said on the main INNOPAC list there are other ways to
achieve what WAM can do, but this is certainly an easy option. We are
yet to find out whether our average users will find it difficult to
configure their browsers.
Mieko
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Mieko Yamaguchi [log in to unmask]
Technical Services Manager/System Coordinator +44 (0)1248 382970
Main Library, University of Wales Bangor, UK +44 (0)1248 382979 (Fax)
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