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Your library can use the LINCCWeb automatic login feature for the convenience of your staff and patrons in accessing electronic resources. The automatic login is achieved through the use of a "cookie." Following are frequently asked questions about the automatic login feature and cookies.
- What is LINCCWeb automatic login?
- How is the feature managed?
- What LINCCWeb resources does the automatic login feature affect?
- Why should my library allow automatic login on its public workstations?
- Does LINCCWeb automatic login need to be set on every workstation?
- Can I log in more than once with a single Borrower ID?
- Who is allowed to set LINCCWeb automatic login?
- What about privacy?
- Does use of LINCCWeb automatic login affect any database licensing agreements?
- How do I access the Automatic Login Maintenance page?
- How do I activate and manage the LINCCWeb automatic login feature?
- Is LINCCWeb automatic login permanent? How long does it remain active?
- Does my library have to use this feature?
What is LINCCWeb automatic login?
LINCCWeb’s automatic login feature provides fast and easy access to your library’s online resources. Library staff activate and manage the automatic login feature for their local workstations. Once activated, the automatic login feature remains active until changed or removed. The feature allows the library’s publicly accessible workstations to be ready and waiting for patrons when they sit down at the computer.
How is the feature managed?
The automatic login feature is managed using "cookies." A cookie is a piece of information – typically about a user’s preferences – that is generated by a Web server and stored on the user’s computer. When the user accesses the server, the cookie allows the server to recognize that particular user.
What LINCCWeb resources does the automatic login feature affect?
Automatic login will work with both the new LINCCWeb database portal and the old Electronic Resources page. It will not affect My Account or the Request feature in the online catalog.
Why should my library allow automatic login on its public workstations?
LINCCWeb automatic login provides you and your patrons several advantages:
- It allows CCLA to provide increased security for LINCCWeb’s electronic databases by allowing only one session per ID.
- The cookie simulates a "continuous connection," providing for increased convenience by eliminating the need for patrons to enter their borrower IDs each time they sit down at the computer.
Does LINCCWeb automatic login need to be set on every workstation?
This feature must be activated separately on each workstation that your library wishes to automatically login. In addition, the feature can be activated in only one Web browser present on the machine (i.e. either Netscape or Internet Explorer but not both). To activate the automatic login feature, see the instructions above.
Can I log in more than once with a single Borrower ID?
No, each computer must be logged in using a different Borrower ID. CCLA has set up a sample "dummy" ID for each college campus. Library staff may use that as a template to create additional "dummy" Borrower IDs, which can then be used to set up the automatic login feature. Contact the CCLA Service Desk for more information about these "dummy" IDs.
Who is allowed to set LINCCWeb automatic login?
While any faculty or staff ID can be used, we strongly recommend that for publicly accessible workstations, staff use only the "dummy" IDs to set up an automatic login. This is due to the fact that, when the LINCCWeb multi-database portal is accessed, the patron's account name displays on the screen. For the "dummy" IDs, we have modified the account so that only the college/campus name displays, but if a regular faculty or staff ID is used, the patron name will display.
If a student or other patron attempts to set or change the automatic login feature, he or she will be refused by the system.
What about privacy? Will library staff borrower IDs or SSNs be saved when activating or renewing automatic login feature?
Using "dummy" IDs to set up automatic logins will not compromise patron privacy, since there is no way to uncover an ID number or any other personally identifiable information from the workstation. Remember that if you use a regular staff or faculty ID, the patron name will display on the screen; however, even in that case, there is no way to retrieve additional personal information from the system.
The system does remember that a particular ID has been used to login, which is why problems will occur if the same ID is used to login to multiple workstations. Also as a result of this, patrons using a workstation with an automatic login will be able to see any deliberately saved searches of other patrons using the same workstation. However, as long as a "dummy" ID has been used, absolutely no personally identifiable information is displayed at anytime.
Does use of LINCCWeb automatic login affect any database licensing agreements?
Before establishing the automatic login feature, CCLA worked with each database vendor to ensure that the process does not breach the vendors’ licensing restrictions for CCLA-provided databases. Most vendors are amenable to providing this type of access to walk-in patrons, and in fact many license agreements will have such a provision in them already. If you are unsure whether your local licenses allow such access, check with your individual vendors.
How do I access the Automatic Login Maintenance page?
A link to the Automatic Login Maintenance page is available directly from LINCCWeb multi-database portal, from the old Electronic Resources page, and also from the Library Staff Resources page of CCLA’s Web site.
How do I activate and manage the LINCCWeb automatic login feature?
Activating and managing your library’s LINCCWeb automatic login feature takes just moments to do.
To activate the automatic login feature:
- Access the Automatic Login Maintenance page
- Enter the Borrower ID and PIN
- Select the length of time for which the automatic login is to remain active
- Click "Create"
- Click "Confirm"
- Click "Exit" when prompted, for final confirmation.
To renew the automatic login feature:
- Access the Automatic Login Maintenance page
- Enter the Borrower ID and PIN
- Select the length of time for which the automatic login is to remain active
- Click "Renew."
To remove the automatic login feature:
- Access the Automatic Login Maintenance page
- Enter the Borrower ID and PIN
- Click "Remove."
Is LINCCWeb automatic login permanent? How long does it remain active?
No, LINCCWeb automatic login is not permanent. You may set up the automatic login to remain active for 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, or a year. Once the automatic login feature is set, a message will be displayed identifying the college the computer will be logged in as and the automatic login expiration.
- Example: This machine will login as Tallahassee Community College until Friday, August 09, 2002.
Does my library have to use this feature?
No. The activation of the automatic login feature is a voluntary decision to be made at each individual library. The library may choose not to use the automatic login, or may choose to activate it only on selected computers. At any time after activation, the library may choose to remove the automatic login. In those cases, users would continue to login to the electronic resources page individually, in the traditional manner.
Page updated: 20 May 2004
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