HKUST Library Services

Almost all electronic resources are available for remote access, including the Library Catalog, databases, electronic journals and electronic books.

When you are using a remote computer that is not part of the campus network, and select a link to a resource on a Library web page or in the Library Catalog, the connection will be routed through a "rewriting" proxy server, which will ask you for your ITSC username and password. Once you enter those, the server will connect you to the subscription resources, and act as a "gateway" for the rest of your session. The proxy server is called EZProxy.

After logging in, you may get a security warning about "redirecting to a connection that is not secure". Simply click "Yes" or "OK" to continue. The proxy server uses a Secure Socket Layer (SSL); it never sends your username or password to the subscription resource.

In order to access from a remote computer:

• Your computer must have an Internet connection
• You can use any web browser on any operating system
• The browser must be set to accept "cookies", which are used by the EZProxy server, and many of the subscription resources
• A valid ITSC username and password

Due to licensing restrictions, Project and Guest accounts; Shared accounts; and those for non-credit based self-financing programs cannot use this service.

If you want to share a document with other HKUST users who may access the document off-campus, try adding http://ezproxy.ust.hk/login?url= to the beginning of the link's URL.

For example, you are linking to an article in the EBSCOhost database. The record may have a "Persistent link to this record", such as
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=24940779&site=ehost-live

Change that to :
http://ezproxy.ust.hk/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=24940779&site=ehost-live

This link should work from both on and off campus. This method will not work for all databases and resources, as some links are not persistent - they may contain a session identifier or some other non-permanent value - but it is the best first step. To build a more consistent and reliable link for sharing, follow the steps in the Guide to Durable Links.

Technical Problems

Certain features or links in databases may not work when you use EZProxy. Various database vendors use a variety of programming methods on their database web sites. Some of these methods can make it hard for EZProxy to keep passing information between you and the site. Sometimes the problem may be at the vendor's side, sometimes it is your browser's settings that might be preventing certain functionality.

For technical assistance, note the name of the resource and the features you were trying to access, and contact Library Systems at lbsystem@ust.hk.

Other Questions

For non-technical questions such as how to search in a database, contact a reference librarian at 2358-6760 or email lbref@ust.hk.