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Database Workarounds During Proxy Transition: About

Beginning some time in October 2023, the library's databases will be moving from a locally hosted EZProxy instance to an OCLC-hosted EZProxy service recently contracted for California Community College libraries that participate in the LSP.

What's Happening

Server Transition

Beginning some time in October 2023, the library's databases will be moving from a locally hosted EZProxy instance to an OCLC-hosted EZProxy service, which was recently contracted for California Community College libraries that participate in the Library Services Platform (LSP).

What will Continue to Work

The link to OneSearch and links to OneSearch records will continue to work through the transition.  

What will Stop Working

The old proxy will continue to work through December 31st, 2023. As of January 1, 2024: 

  • any direct links to specific databases embedded in any of your learning content will stop working
  • any permalinks to specific resources from library databases embedded in your learning content or that students have saved, such as articles or eBooks, will stop working.

What to Do

During Transition

  • Use the workarounds provided in the Resources box. 

After Transition

  • You will need to replace links to specific databases and permalinks to content within databases that you are using in courses with the new links/permalinks.
  • Embed codes to streaming films may need to be adjusted, as well.
  • Instructions for how to find the articles/eBooks/streaming videos again is in the How to Re-Find Articles/eBooks if Links are Broken tab in the Resources box. 

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting 

What to Do

As always, if you or your students are having issues accessing databases, send an email to refdesk@mccd.edu with: 

  • the name of the database in question 

  • a screenshot that includes the URL in the address bar & the notification/error message that appears 

  • the name of the web browser used to access the database 

Resources

  • Rather than linking individual databases, you can link the Library's A-Z Databases page and ask that students drill down to the specific database(s) you'd like for them to use.
  • Though there are many pathways to find databases, the faculty librarians generally teach students how to find databases by clicking on the Explore Database link on the library website, which opens the A-Z Databases page.
  • The following is a video used in the library's Finding & Select Databases tutorial that you and your students may find helpful. 

"Finding Merced College Library Databases" (4:51) by Lindsay Davis is licensed under CC BY 3.0

  • Use an Accessibility Checker in your browser to determine if the link is broken.
  • As long as you have the titles of the items, you can find them again, but this means you will need to:
    • revisit the database where you initially found the item through the A-Z Databases page
    • run a search for the title of the item in the database
  • If you can't remember which database you used:
    • head to the OneSearch library catalog
    • run a search for the title of the item without any colons if the item title includes them
    • the record for your item will include either the PDF and/or link to the item 
    • the permalink included in the OneSearch record will be stable through this transition, so you can opt to use this link
      • to access the actual content, you will need to
        • click on the permalink to the OneSearch record
        • scroll down to find the View Online heading
        • click on the hyperlinked name of the database listed in this section
        • after logging into the Portal, the content will open
  • If an item in OneSearch will not open, which sometimes happens specifically with EBSCOhost content:
    • copy/paste the title of the item
    • note the name of the database OneSearch directs to
    • click out of the OneSearch record
    • click on the A-Z Databases link at the top of the OneSearch interface
    • from the list, find the database OneSearch listed
    • click on the name of the database
    • copy/paste the title of the item into the database's search box
    • run the search
    • the item should appear at the top of your results
  • The following video is used in the library's Using OneSearch tutorial that you and your students may find helpful. 

"Accessing EBSCO Articles Through OneSearch" by Lindsay Davis is licensed under CC BY 3.0