Off Grounds Use of Library Databases

The Libraries provide two types of Web resources:

E-books, images and other databases created by the Libraries. These are either out of copyright or were created at the University and are generally freely available to all.
E-books, e-journals, images and other databases that are covered by copyright. The Libraries license their use for the University and the contracts generally restrict use to students, faculty and staff of the University. See access policy information if you're not sure about your user status.

These licensed databases can normally be used only from computers on Grounds, but there are several workarounds to allow use from home or while travelling.

Use of a proxy account.
ITC maintains a proxy server that provides access to selected Web resources. Setting up to use it is a two step process: register with ITC for a proxy account, then configure your Web browser for proxy use. ITC provides specific instructions for common Web browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.) and there is a video tutorial available.
UVaAnywhere
ITC provides a "virtual private network" that puts your computer temporarily on the UVA network. Register with ITC to put a certificate on your computer, then download and install the network software.
UVaAnywhere-Lite
Like UVaAnywhere, this requires a personal certificate, but no additional software download is needed. Problems have been reported with a few specific resources.

Each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages.

Proxy can provide good access to the licensed Web resources. It's easy to set up and has little effect on the speed of your Web browsing, but problems can happen when connecting to particular databases and performance may vary from one Web browser to another.

UVaAnywhere is available for PCs running Windows or Linux, and for Macintosh computers running OS X or later. Once it's set up, UVA Anywhere provides reliable, fast access with none of the database-specific problems seen with proxy. It also works with non-Web resources, so that EndNote users can connect off Grounds as easily as on. Setup is somewhat more complicated than for proxy and requires downloading software. There can be problems with software firewalls and with some Internet service providers, including AOL.

UVaAnywhere-Lite is easier and faster to install than the full version. Note though that ITC recommends it only for use with Web resources, not for e-mail, Home Directory, etc.

Using Library Databases off Grounds

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