Online Access Changes

This page provides information on changes to how Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary faculty, students, and staff will access library resources.

1. General Questions and Answers
2. Linking to Library Resources
3. Merging Existing Accounts

Our old method of allowing access to library resources was to use a proxy server that used a special prefix to the beginning of the URL.  Our new system will sometimes use a similar system, but not always.  Fortunately, we have several tools to help update links, so you don't really have to remember or even really understand how they work to use them!

View Link Update Tools

Identifying old links
Most old links will not immediately stop working when we launch our new access system, but they will break within a few weeks.  There are two main clues to identify an old link.

1. Old links will begin with the old prefix
   
   https://apts.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/
    
2. Old links will have the domain of our old proxy sever and your resource will appear at the beginning with hyphens.
   
   https://search-credoreference-com.apts.idm.oclc.org/

New Link Structure
Some new links will have a redirector prefix, and others will not.  You will not need to know which is which because our link update tools will create the correct link for you.

Non-Redirector Example (Atla Database on the EBSCOhost platform):
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=sso&profile=ehost&defaultdb=lsdar&custid=s1183243

Redirector Example (Academic Video Online):
https://go.openathens.net/redirector/austinseminary.edu?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvideo.alexanderstreet.com%2Fchannel%2Facademic-video-online

One of the benefits of this new system is that some publisher platforms will automatically log you in, which will eliminate the need for you to have a separate personal account to perform certain actions, such as downloading an e-book for offline reading.

Because of this change, you will need to take actions to export, migrate or merge any existing EBSCO persona or Proquest Ebook Central Accounts.

EBSCO Personal Accounts - The first time you log in to an EBSCO resource after we go live you will be prompted to merge any accounts you have that use your seminary email address.  Instructions are available at https://connect.ebsco.com/s/article/How-to-Merge-PUA-Accounts?language=en_US

Proquest Ebook Central Accounts - Library staff will reach out to you directly and ask if you would like your account migrated.  This will need to be performed by ProQuest.