Earlham Libraries Home: Facilities and Services: Off-Campus Connection Help

Need help connecting?

Trouble Connecting from Off-Campus?

There are many potential causes of problems you may have connecting to library subscription information resources, such as journal databases like JSTOR or ATLA, or online encyclopedias like Encyclopedia of Religion. Many problems are actually due to your particular local computing context. We would like to help you as quickly as possible, so please answer the following questions before contacting us for assistance.

Are you trying to connect to our information resources through the Earlham Libraries web site?
- Please do so or the connection will not work!
Are you using your Earlham- or Bethany-issued Zimbra username or password when trying to connect (e.g. username = quakejo NOT quakejo@earlham.edu)?
- Please do so or the connection will not work!

Also, please note the following:

The information resource you tried may be experiencing technical problems beyond the control of Earlham. Are you able to connect to a different information resource listed at the Earlham Libraries web site?
- If you answered YES to this question, please try the information resource again later. If it still does not work, Earlham users should report the problem to the Information Technology Services (ITS) "HelpDesk". Seminary users can also report the problem to Seminary Computing Services at support@scs.earlham.edu. Before doing so, please read question #1 below and make any necessary changes.
- If you answered NO to this question, please read the following questions and accompanying remarks for possible self-help. These questions are admittedly technical, but the accompanying remarks should make clear why they are necessary to reach a solution.

1. Is your browser set to work with our proxy server?

We use a proxy server to enable you to connect to resources which require limiting use to current students, faculty, and staff of Earlham and Bethany.

Your browser must be set to allow Cookies and JavaScript must be enabled.

If you are having problems with one browser, please also try a different browser. We occasionally get reports of something that doesn't work in Chrome working in Firefox, or vice versa. If you are getting the same errors on multiple browsers, continue to work through this list.

If taking these steps does not resolve the problem, see questions #2 OR #3 below.

2. Are you trying to access our information resources from outside your home?

Schools, companies and other organizations often control access to the Internet via such software as firewalls, content filters, and/or web caches. If you are having a difficult time accessing Earlham's information resources from outside your home, contact your company, school, or organization's technical support staff and ask if they use such software.

If your company, school, or organization's technical support staff cannot resolve the problem, Earlham users should contact the "ITS "HelpDesk". Seminary users can also report the problem to Seminary Computing Services at support@scs.earlham.edu.

3. Are you trying to access our information resources from your home or from a personal mobile device?

When residential or mobile connectivity is first established, certain browser settings get configured according to your Internet service provider's preferences. You must disable this setting in order to use the Earlham proxy server. You might need to contact your Internet service provider's technical support staff and explain that you are attempting to connect to a proxy server.

Personal firewalls and/or virus protection software can prevent access to our proxy server. If you suspect this is a problem, you might need to check your software vendor support site.