Because of restrictive licensing agreements, people previously accessing
the databases offered through the libraries' web site had to use either
a computer on the UT campus or use a University provided enhanced remote
access account. This was necessary to restrict access to licensed users
"There are probably 25 people using the databases at any given moment,"
said Bill Britten, head of library systems.
The licensing agreements are structured for each database and restrict
the number of users allowed to use each database. Some of the databases
are very expensive.
Now, new authentication software allows off-campus users to identify
themselves and search databases remotely. This means students who use companies
like America Online or Microsoft Network as their Internet providers can
access the databases.
"We have received requests continuously over the past year, from
students living off-campus, to be given access to the databases," Britten
This is how it works: From the libraries' home
page users click on "Databases." A screen comes up that explains
authentication. Users then log-in using their ph username and password.
UT assigns a ph username to each student. The ph username is the first
two letters of the month the user was born in, the last two digits of the
year the user was born in and the last four digits of the user's student
identification number. For example, a user born in February 1980 with 562-96-2398
as his student identification number would use fe802398 as his ph username.
Once authenticated, users will not be stopped again when switching between
databases. The authentication remains in effect until users log off of their
A few of the older Web browsers will not be able to utilize the authentication
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