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Faculty Guide to eResources

Your go-to guide for all things electronic.

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CONTACT THE LIBRARIES FOR HELP

If you continue to have problems accessing any of the library's electronic resources, contact us. Please be as SPECIFIC as possible when reporting problems by email.

  • Which database were you trying to use?
  • What browser are you using? (example, Internet Explorer 5.5)
  • Was there an error message? What did it say?
  • What kind of operating system are you using? (example, Windows 7, Mac)
  • Did you follow any of the above recommendations to solve the problem?

Troubleshooting tips

The troubleshooting tips below will assist you with some of the scenarios that can arise when attempting to access UC Library resources from both on and off campus.

Common Problems With Library Off Campus Access (Proxy)

BROWSER

  • Minimum browser requirements: please use current versions of Microsoft's Internet Explorer , Mozilla's Firefox, Google's Chrome, or Apple's Safari. Some users have found that problems with one browser are not present with another browser.

BROWSER SETTINGS

  • Cookies: Set your browser to accept cookies. Check your browser's Help file for instructions on how to modify your settings.
  • JavaScript: Set your browser to enable JavaScript.
  • Pop Up Blockers: Turn off.
  • After reconfiguring your computer, you may need to clear the cache (delete cookies), history, and temporary files.

SECURITY CERTIFICATE WARNINGS

When trying to access certain databases or online tools (Academic Search Complete, RefWorks, etc.) off-campus, your web browser may display one of the Security Certificate warnings shown below. This problem is caused by a discrepancy between the University's authentication system and the database's security system.

If you encounter one of the errors messages below, please do the following.

  • Internet Explorer: There is a problem with this website's security certificate
    • Click "Continue to this website"
  • Firefox: This Connection is Untrusted
    • Click "Add an Exception" 
  • Chrome: Your connection is not private
    • Click "Advanced" and then "Proceed to uc.idm.oclc.org"
  • Safari: Safari can't verify the identity of the website
    • Click "Continue"

MORE TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS

  • "Maximum users exceeded." A few of our databases only allow a limited number of simultaneous users at one time. If you get a message stating this and are blocked from access, wait a few minutes and try again.
  • "400 Error: Bad Request": This usually indicates that either the URL is malformed or the cookies are too long and the receiving server cannot interpret it.  Check to make sure the URL is correct and consider deleting browser cookies.
  • "This page can't be displayed": This may be a firewall issue,  Check browser for a firewall.
  • "Access denied or paywall encountered": The UC Libraries may not subscribe to all publications that a publishe offers on a site or all years of that particular journal.  You can check our holdings in the library catalog.
  • Do NOT bookmark or set favorites for internal database pages, such as search results or specific articles, they will not work.

 

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PO Box 210033 Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0033

Phone: 513-556-1424

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