Month: October 2008

Athens authentication ‘network failure’ error message

Fay Harrison

We’re getting reports of intermittent problems when users are trying to logon to eResources using their Athens credentials. In particular, users are getting the following error messages:

Temporary network failure

….which after repeated attempts to re-enter their ID and password is followed by…

No return URL

If the user goes back to eSearch to start again, when they next try to access the eResource then no Athens prompt is presented and they are automatically taken straight in to the service. This suggests that the original Athens authentication attempt was successful, but had given the user an incorrect response message.

We’ve reported this to Athens, and we’ll give you a further update when we get confirmation of a fix. In the meantime, Athens authenticated services are still accessible, but users are likely to be confused by the misleading error messages.

Academia Portal Surveyors’ Channel

Keely Donald

We’d received reports that some users were experiencing problems trying to launch videos on the Surveyors’ Channel (accessed via Academia Portal), in particular getting error message “Sorry, that section of the video is not available to 7-Day Trial users”. After checking with in2itive, the service providers, it appeared that some users had been incorrectly assigned a status of ‘Trial User’ which had caused the access restriction. In2itive, have now fixed the problem and assigned the status of ‘Full User’ for all existing and for any newly created accounts. For information, authentication is via Athens.

Academia Portal – changes in access and content

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

The resource previously described in eSearch as ‘Academia Portal – Einstein Network’ service has been updated. The access URL has been revised to resolve to a new interface – although authentication is still by Athens username and password on-campus and off-campus, as before. The resource name has been shortened to ‘Academia Portal’ (although eSearch ‘Find a database’ title searches for ‘Einstein’ will still retrieve the resource).

The Einstein Network has ceased operations, and eServices are in liaison with providers NBS and in2itive to identify which video materials that were previously available to NTU staff and students are no longer being provided. In the meantime, some multimedia content listed as available within the Academia Portal may be inaccessible. A further update will be provided once the new content situation has been clarified.

Mergent Online – temporary increase in number of simultaneous accesses

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

The Mergent Online business database service has agreed to a request from LLR to temporarily extend the number of simultaneous user licences permitted under our subscription to 20 (up from LLR’s usual allocation of seven simultaneous accesses) to support a seminar training programme. This extension will remain in place until the end of our current subscription on 31 December 2008. Information in eSearch has been updated accordingly.

FORS (Forensic Science Service): temporary access arrangements

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

Access to the FORS database is normally direct on-campus and by university domain, username and password off-campus. Following a recent upgrade to the FORS web site, this method of access is temporarily unavailable. FORS’ technicians hope to be able to reinstate normal access arrangements shortly, but in the meantime the following update has been added to the FORS access page in eSearch:

24 October 2008: The FORS service is experiencing temporary authentication problems following an update to their website. If you are challenged to enter a Login to WebSPIRS username and password, please contact Liaison Librarian Ian Rogers to request the temporary username and password details.

Spon’s Price book collection updated

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

The collection of Spon’s Price books available in electronic format through eSearch has been updated as follows:

  • Architects’ and Builders’ Price Book (2009, 134th edition)
  • Civil Engineering and Highway Works Price Book (2009, 23rd edition)
  • External Works and Landscape Price Book (2009, 28th edition)
  • Mechanical and Electrical Services Price Book (2009, 40th edition)

Access remains by university domain, username and password on-campus. Access off-campus is not available, due to licencing restrictions.

eSearch to RefWorks export – now possible to export multiple records

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

An enhancement to the way that the export of records from eSearch to RefWorks is handled has now gone live. It is now possible to export multiple records from eSearch into RefWorks at the same time (rather than simply exporting individual records), using the functionality of the eSearch eShelf. The wiki guide to using the eSearch to RefWorks export has been updated to include the new feature.

Croner online services: a further delay

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

Further to the update of 13 October, detailed liaison is continuing with the technical staff at Croner to establish authenticated access to the new online Croner materials which replaced LLR’s now-withdrawn networked CD-ROM Croner titles. At present, LLR is unable to provide institution wide access to these online materials. It is hoped to have a resolution for these continuing access problems very shortly.