EZproxy is a web proxy server program extensively used by libraries to give access from outside the library's computer network to restricted-access websites that authenticate users by IP address. In Computer networks a proxy server is a server (a computer system or an application program which services the requests of its clients by forwarding A library is a collection of information sources resources and services and the structure in which it is housed it is organized for use and maintained by a public body an institution A computer network is a group of interconnected Computers. Networks may be classified according to a wide variety of characteristics A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages Authentication (from Greek αυθεντικός real or genuine from authentes author is the act of establishing or confirming something (or someone as An Internet Protocol ( IP) address is a numerical identification ( Logical address) that is assigned to devices participating in a Computer network This allows library patrons at home or elsewhere to log in through their library's EZproxy server and gain access to bibliographic databases and the like to which their library subscribes. A bibliographic or library database is a Database of bibliographic records The subscription business model is a Business model where a customer must pay a subscription price to have access to the product/service
The software was originally written by Chris Zagar in 1999 who founded Useful Utilities LLC to support it. It is inexpensive and well supported to the extent that almost all libraries that provide such access in the United States use it. OCLC announced in January 2008 that it had acquired the product and was hiring Zagar as a full time consultant for a year. The OCLC Online Computer Library Center is according to its website a "nonprofit membership computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purpose [1]
Chris Zagar is a librarian who serves as a systems librarian at the Estrella Mountain Community College, a part of the Maricopa Community Colleges in Arizona. Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC is a community college in Avondale Arizona, USA, serving the West Valley Community since 1990 and at The Maricopa County Community College District, in Maricopa County Arizona, is one of the largest Community college districts in the The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Zagar won the 2006 LITA/Brett Butler Entrepreneurship Award for his work with EZproxy. [2]
EZproxy is a URL-rewriting program[3] that "works by dynamically altering the URLs within the web pages provided by your database vendor. A rewrite engine also known as URL rewriting, is software which modifies a web URL 's appearance The server names within the URLs of these web pages are changed to reflect your EZproxy server instead, causing your users to return to the EZproxy server as they access links on these web pages. The result is a seamless access environment for your users without the need for automatic proxy configuration files. "[4] Previous proxy solutions were complex and difficult to maintain and authentication systems like Shibboleth still far in the future. Shibboleth is an Internet2 Middleware Initiative project that has created an architecture and open-source implementation for Federated [2]
The software is sometimes confused with generic proxy server software designed to control web access. It is sometimes referred to as a "proxy referral" server to distinguish it.
The software has been purchased by more than 2,500 institutions in over 60 countries. [5]
References
- ^ OCLC acquires EZproxy authentication and access software, OCLC, 11 January 2008.
- ^ a b 2006 LITA/Brett Butler Entrepreneurship Award winner announced, Library & Information Technology Association (LITA), March 21, 2006
- ^ EZproxy technical details, OCLC.
- ^ EZproxy authentication and access software at a glance, OCLC.
- ^ EZproxy authentication and access software, OCLC.
External links
- EZproxy authentication and access software, official webpages at OCLC
- The Unofficial EZproxy Self-Support Wiki, The State University of New York at Potsdam
- HKUST page
- QUT page
- VCU page
- USC page
- UWO page
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