When you open databases, articles, e-books, and other library resources from off-campus, you should be asked to log in as an AACC user to gain access.
If you don't receive this prompt or the login page doesn't say "AACC" on it, it's likely that the link you're using is not directing you through AACC's authentication server. This happens sometimes if you've copied a link to a resource while on campus, then tried to get back to it later. You may also run into this problem if you search for a database on Google rather than accessing it through the library's website. Links to databases or items within databases must include the AACC Library's proxy prefix – this is the part of a URL that will tell the database that you need to log in through our library.
To get to a database homepage:
If you just want to get into a database to search, make sure to access it via a research guide or the library's databases list.
To open a specific item:
If you've already found an article, video, or other item, but the link you saved on campus isn't working, there may be an easy fix. Try copying the proxy prefix – https://ezproxy.aacc.edu/login?url= – and pasting it to the front of the URL before trying to open the page.
For instance, if you have a URL that looks like this:
Copy the proxy prefix above and paste it to the beginning of that URL, so that it looks like this:
The highlighted portion of the URL will direct you to our authentication page where you can log in with your MyAACC information or library card number. Once you've done that, the document will open.
How can I avoid this problem?
First, don't copy links to database content from your browser's address bar. Instead, when you find something you want to save or revisit later, look on the page for something labeled "permalink" or "document URL." These links are more stable and, in many databases, will include our proxy prefix. Also, databases often provide built-in tools to email links and/or full articles to yourself, which are an easy way to keep track of sources that might be helpful. (Note that you're not required to use your college e-mail for this.)
Unfortunately, some database vendors don't consistently include our proxy prefix even in their stable links, so you may want to bookmark this FAQ for future reference!
If you're still having trouble:
Contact a library staff member!