Access Lab 2020: Switching from EzProxy to OpenAthens
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Chicago State University transitioned from EZProxy to OpenAthens for its library system, prompted by the loss of expertise after the webmaster left and ongoing financial issues. The switch aimed to improve permissions management, user statistics, and integrate campus authentication while learning about attribute limitations and privacy concerns during implementation. Future plans include establishing a taskforce for OpenAthens and aligning data collection with student demographics to enhance library usage insights.
Access Lab 2020: Switching from EzProxy to OpenAthens
- 1. Library case study: Switching from EzProxy to OpenAthens: How and why one small urban university’s library elected to make the change and what it learned Prof. Joanna Kolendo, e-resources & reference librarian Presented: Access Lab 2020 ‘Simplifying the future together’ Thursday 19 March 2020 at 14:00
- 2. Chicago State University Chicago State University is a public, urban institution of higher learning located on the south side of Chicago. • Governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by the Governor of Illinois. • Consists of five colleges—Health Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, and Pharmacy. • Serves minority, nontraditional, and first generation students; in 2018, 68% of students were African-American. • Offers 36 undergraduate and 25 graduate and professional degree-granting programs. • Has a Division of Continuing Education and Nontraditional Degree Programs. • Declared financial exigency & experienced financial issues, as has the state. • Currently is heavily investing in online programs. Estimated CSU population: Students 3,000 Faculty and Staff 300
- 3. Chicago State University: Gwendolyn Brooks Library In October 2015, the webmaster, who was responsible for the Ezproxy server, left the University. • No one new would be hired for the position, as the position was eliminated. • The e-resources librarian and systems librarian are now responsible for the system. • With the loss of the webmaster, there was a loss of expertise, and this lack of expertise causes issues with quick fixes and updates. Money from the webmaster position made it possible for a new system to be investigated.
- 4. OpenAthens EZproxy Having specific accounts allows library to set permissions, run stats Proxy IP can’t identify users – can’t set permissions or run user statistics Cloud hosted, with easy library setup/maintenance Requires maintaining an intricate server – hard to do Unique identifiers integrate into local SSO systems SSO systems are personal – IP addresses Ongoing subscription ensures updates Consider the human cost of using EZproxy Rick Rybak, EBSCO, 12/12/2016 OpenAthens: Selling Points: the WHY
- 5. Questions before be opted in? • New resources (Kanopy) • Old resources (use the system) • March 2018, connecting OpenAthens to our campus’ authentication system, Shibboleth version 2.5.2, which was in production at the time • Pricing
- 6. How & specific CSU issues/problems • CSU Team: • Joanna Kolendo, (e-resources librarian; will be responsible for OpenAthens in the future) • Martin Kong, (system librarian, responsible for Ezproxy and Voyager and Alma/Primo implementation) • Reginald Granjean, (ITD Infrastructure Network Engineer)(connector support; the only Shibboleth engineer) • EBSCO Implementation Project Manager, Chris Shatswell (10/2019)
- 7. How & specific CSU issues/problems • Form • Connector • & Test Accounts • Resource Template (11/9/18) • 120 databases; 304 individual e-journals
- 8. • Attributes • What attributes are available? • Where do they come from? How & specific CSU issues/problems: Things Learned Banner Shibboleth OpenAthens Reports • CSU does not transfer much information to Shibboleth. • Thus, attributes sent to OpenAthens are minimal.
- 9. Attributes Values How & specific CSU issues/problems: Things Learned
- 10. • IT assistance with setup & changes to server How & specific CSU issues/problems: Major changes cause interruption
- 11. • Alma/Primo (change over) • Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI) decision to subsidize governing libraries subscription to OpenAthens. How & specific CSU issues/problems: Major changes cause interruption
- 12. What GB Library learned: The Future • Set up all resources to work with OpenAthens (a few individual e- journals left) • Set up an implementation Taskforce for OpenAthens along with Primo/Alma (June 2020) • The system librarian will work with the Banner engineer to obtain more attributes to feed to OpenAthens • Deal with privacy issues with data collection • Hope to correlate library utilization through the following attributes: • Total # of credits • Status: Grad/undergrad/professional programs • Grade range/GPA range • Major/minor • International • Online • Age range • Gender
Editor's Notes
- #3: https://www.csu.edu/IER/documents/FactBook2018.pdf