Silverplatter and OvidSP databases – and Shibboleth login

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

The Silverplatter platform (which provided access to several of LLR’s subscription databases) is being withdrawn at the end of June 2009, so all the databases on the platform are being migrated to OvidSP. (Previously some of the databases were available on both Silverplatter and OvidSP).

In parallel with the migration away from Silverplatter, Shibboleth authentication has been enabled for all databases on OvidSP:

  • BIOSIS Previews
  • CAB Abstracts
  • Geography (also known as Elsevier Geography)
  • ICONDA

All links in eSearch have been updated accordingly, and a guide to Shibboleth authentication on OvidSP has been added to the eServices Support wiki.

Remote searching for Geography and ICONDA is not currently enabled on OvidSP, but it is hoped that it will be possible to reinstate this shortly.

LLR also have access to a small number of eBooks in the Books@Ovid collection (as part of the JISC eBook Observatory Project). Links to those titles in the Library Catalogue will be updated to make use of Shibboleth authentication shortly (in the meantime it will still be possible to use an Athens username and password to access those titles).

LION (Literature Online) – Shibboleth enabled

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

Off-campus access to the LION (Literature Online) service is now by university username and password (using Shibboleth). The three LION databases listed in eSearch are:

  • ABELL (Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature)
  • LION (Literature Online)
  • MLA International Bibliography

A guide to Shibboleth authentication on LION has been added to the eServices Support wiki.

Delegated Centres Access to Emerald

John Harral

It’s been reported that we have still having access issues to Emerald via the Delegated Centres home page, even after our temporary fix had been put into place last week.

We regret that you can only log in to Emerald via Athens, by copying and pasting the following URL into an Internet Explorer address box (http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/athenslogin.jsp), or by clicking the Athens/Institution login link on the Emerald website.

Please feel free to use the above URL to access Emerald.

Further updates will follow, Emerald hope to have this problem corrected in the next 7 to 10 days.

Delegated Centres Access to Emerald

John Harral

The link from the our Delegated Centres web page to Emerald has now been updated, and access restored.

Emerald have reported that they are implementing a fix for this problem which will be launched early next week .

eServices will continue to monitor the situation

Delegated Centres Access to Emerald

John Harral

Currently there is a problem with access to Emerald via the libraries Delegated Centres web page. This has been reported to Emerald, and they have confirmed that the problem lies at their end.
Their IT department are working on this, and expect to implement a fix early next week.
As a temporary work around they have issued us with a direct Athens login link:

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/athenslogin.jsp

I’ve requested that the current link from the Delegated Centres page be updated with the link above as a matter of urgency.
In the meantime either, click on the link or copy and paste it into your address bar, then enter your Athens Username and Password.

Please note: This direct URL worked fine in Internet Explorer, but you receive a security warning in Firefox. Therefore, it’s advisable to use Internet Explorer until this problem is resolved.

We will continue to work with Emerald for a speedy resolution to this problem

Westlaw – off-campus access restored

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

The Westlaw off-campus access problems reported on Friday were resolved shortly afterwards and access to the service from off-campus (using a university username and password) is now working normally once again

SciFinder Scholar – new web version accessible

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

The new web-based version of the SciFinder Scholar service is now accessible through eSearch. An individual registration process is required to use SciFinder Scholar online, which includes setting a username and password for future access. All links in eSearch have been updated accordingly – including a link to a guide to the registration process. An additional prompt in eSearch makes clear that: it is essential to (a) click on the link in eSearch to register to use the service; and (b) register an @ntu.ac.uk email address.

Westlaw – off-campus access problems

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

Off-campus access to Westlaw (using a university username and password) is currently unavailable. Westlaw is experiencing technical problems which are affecting both Shibboleth and Athens based authentication for all UK academic sites. Their technicians are aware of the issue and working on a resolution. A further update will be provided once access has been restored.

SciFinder Scholar – interruption and migration of the service

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

The SciFinder Scholar service – which is currently accessed through a locally installed software client – is currently unavailable. Access to a new web based version of the service (which does not require a software installation) will be enabled in eSearch shortly. Full documentation on how to register to use the service will also be provided.

IRep – scheduled service interruption Monday 18 May 2009

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

The IRep will be briefly unavailable, to enable the deployment of a service pack upgrade, on Monday 18 May 2009. Throughout the remainder of the day, records and full-text objects in the IRep may be temporarily unavailable while a large scale reload and reindexing of the data held in the Research and Scholarly Collection takes place. A notice, advising customers of the expected interruption in service, has been added to the IRep home page

RefWorks – Harvard LLR output style updated

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

A revised version of the default RefWorks output style [Harvard LLR (May 2009)] has today been made available to all NTU staff and students. A guide, outlining the changes introduced in the revision and documenting a workaround for the management of page numbers (and other notations) within an in-text citation, has been added to the eServices Support wiki.

JISCmail – Shibboleth authentication available

Head of Discovery and Digital Futures

Shibboleth authentication is now available for the JISCmail service – a service primarily used by academic, professional and research staff (and not a resource listed in eSearch). A guide to managing a JISCmail account using a university username and password has been added to the eServices Support wiki.