Access | Browser | Cookies | Cache | Database Display | Firewall 

We have implemented an application called Remote Patron Authentication (RPA) to allow students, faculty and staff with a valid library ID (usually called "patron barcode") to access William C. Jason Library-Learning Center licensed resources. If you are not on campus, the RPA server acts as an intermediary between your computer and the resource you want to use. RPA verifies the patron barcode number and last name against the patron database files of  DSU's Horizon library system.  

You must have a compatible browser. The following browsers and versions have been tested for consistency:  

• Internet Explorer: 5.0 or higher up 
• Netscape 4.x or higher
• Or another browser capable of interpreting JavaScript.

The AOL browser should work, but it hasn't been very reliable.

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Frequently Asked RPA Questions (FAQs)

1. I entered my ID number but cannot get into any of the databases. I get a message "Sorry, Your identification is not recognized." Why?

• Make sure you entered in your patron ID number with no spaces or hyphens and last name.  Contact the Library Circulation Desk (302) 857-6191 to verify the status of your ID.  If you are certain that you are using the correct ID number, but are still unable to access the databases, then you probably need to clear your temporary internet files and delete the cookies on your hard drive.
• Sometimes, if too many people are using a database at the same time, there will be a login screen instead of automatic access to the database. 

2. What kind of browser do I need to be able to use the electronic resources from home?

• Internet Explorer: 5 or higher
• Netscape 4.x or higher
• or another browser capable of interpreting JavaScript.

• If your computer will not connect to certain databases, try using Netscape Communicator 4.78 instead of Internet Explorer. Netscape 4.78 is a free product available from Netscape's Web site.
• If you have newly installed IE versions 5.5 or 6.0, your computer does not support JavaScript. Download and install Java Virtual Machine first. If you upgraded to these versions, there should be no problems with JavaScript.

3. Cookies must be enable. How do I enable them?
If your Cookies settings are disabled, you will not be able to access your online subscription.  Make sure that your browser is set to accept cookies and that it can execute JavaScript's.   Software such as RealDownload or ad-blocking software can also interfere with Remote Access.

• Netscape 4.x for Windows: choose Edit, Preferences, Advanced. Under the "Cookies" heading, make sure that the first option, "Accept all cookies" is selected. Once it's selected, click the "OK" button.
• Internet Explorer 5.x: choose Tools, Internet Options, and Security. Click on the "Custom Level" button. A new window should pop up. Scroll down through the list of options until you reach a main section titled "Cookies". Make sure the "Enable" option is selected under the "Allow cookies that are stored on your computer" and the "Allow per-session cookies (not stored)" sections. Once this option has been selected, click the "OK" button to return to the Internet Options window. Then click the "OK" button again to save your settings and return to Internet Explorer.
• Internet Explorer 4.x for Windows: choose View, Internet Options, click on the "Advanced" tab and scroll down through the list of options until you reach a section titled "Cookies". Make sure the "Always accept cookies" option is selected. Once this option has been selected, click the "OK" button.
• To check that cookies are enabled in Netscape, you need to go to the Edit pull-down menu and choose "Preferences." When the "Preferences" window appears, click on the "Advanced" category on the left side of the window. On the right side of the Advanced window a choice other than "disable cookies" must be selected.
• If cookies are enabled, but Remote Patron Authentication still doesn't work, try deleting all cookies and then trying again. 

For other browsers or versions please use your browser's "Help" menu.

4. How to delete cookies from my computer?  If you are using Netscape Navigator/Communicator or Microsoft's Internet Explorer as your Internet browser.

• To delete cookies in Netscape, you have to go to the Netscape program folder itself and look for a text file called cookies.txt, and then delete it (in Navigator version 4.08, Netscape installs into a folder called Netscape. Inside that folder, there are two folders named "communicator" and "users". Inside the users folder there's a separate folder for each user. You'll find a "cookies.txt" file inside each user's folder. To delete the cookies, delete that file.
  
• In Internet Explorer, choose the Help pull-down menu, choose "help contents and index" and type in "cookies" in the search box. This will bring up a help topic called 'What you need to know about cookies" which will explain what cookies are, and how to check the settings in Internet Explorer. Basically, for Internet Explorer you need to go to the Tools pull-down menu, choose "Options", and select the Security tab. You could have different settings for Internet sites, Trusted Sites and Restricted sites, but start with the settings for Internet Sites: Click on "Internet Sites" in the white box to highlight it, then underneath click on the "custom level" button. This will open a new window with many options in it. Scroll down past all the active-X options until you come to the choices for cookies -a choice other than "disabled" must be selected. If necessary, make sure cookies are enabled on the other two security zones (trusted and restricted).
• *** PLEASE NOTE:  If you are using the built-in Internet browser in America Online or another ISP, we suggest that you download and use a separate copy of Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator or another browser.

5. How do I clear my cache or memory?
Web browsers store files in memory, or "cache," and over time this cache can get overburdened. Sometimes clearing the browser's cache will solve the problem you are experiencing. Clearing the cache forces the browser to actually re-visit the server and get a fresh copy of a particular web page, rather than using the cached copy.

• Here's how to clear your cache for some of the top browsers: (Note: To find the version number of your browser, click on "Help" at the top of your screen, then select "About.").
  Internet Explorer - Go to Tools and select Internet Options. Click on General tab. Under "Temporary Internet Files", click on Delete Files button .
• Netscape - Go to Edit and select Preferences. Open Advanced. Click Cache. Click Clear Memory Cache button on the left side of the screen.
• AOL 4.0/5.0 for Windows: choose My AOL, and WWW. Under "Temporary Internet Files" click on "Delete Files", O.K. Under "History" click on "Clear History", Yes, O.K.

6. What do I do if a database does not display?

• Check the Security level in your browser. Reset this level to low.
  Explorer - Go to Tools and select Internet Options. Click on Security tab. Follow the instructions on the screen.
• Netscape - Check the Privacy level in your browser. Reset this level to low.
• Explorer 6+ - Go to Tools and select Internet Options. Click on Privacy tab. Follow the instructions on the screen.
  
• Netscape - These web pages require the use of JavaScript. Users running Windows XP and the IE 6.0 and higher browsers will encounter "Internal Server Error" messages when attempting to load screens that contain JavaScript functions (such as the Search Menu screen) unless the Java plug in is downloaded, installed and enabled on their system. The plug-in can be downloaded for free from Java support at Sun Microsystems
  
• Netscape - Go to the Edit menu and select Preferences. On the left under "Category" select Advanced. Check "Enable JavaScript" and "Accept all cookies".

• Internet Explorer 5.x - Go to the Tools menu and select Internet Options. Click on the Security tab. Select the Internet icon at the top. Set the security Low. Next choose the Advanced tab. Enable Java.

When you have finished using the service, you should click on the gray "finished" button in the left-hand frame. If you try to immediately use the service again, you may also need to "refresh" or "reload" the login page for it to work properly. If your ID is not accepted after you have already used it once, click on the yellow "cancel" button and start over.

6a.  I cannot access databases using AOL.  You may need to install a full version of Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator 4.x or higher.

• Users should also make sure that Java is able to run on their computer.
• (Check under Internet Options or Preferences in your browser menu.)
• Follow these instructions if you suspect this is the problem:
  -- Open your AOL or other internet connection as usual
  -- Minimize (shrink) the AOL window
  -- Open Internet Explorer or Netscape (version 4.x or higher)
  -- Use this browser to go to the Electronic Resources page and log in to the desired database

6b. If you are using a MAC.

• Make sure cookies and java are enabled.
• To enable cookies in Internet Explorer for Macintosh - Go to Edit/Preferences, Click Receiving files then Cookies. Set When Receiving Cookies to Never Ask or Ask for Each Site. Finally, click OK to save.
• If you have I.E. 5.0 just need to put the Java Virtual Machine on their browsers. 
• I.E. 5.0 and 6.0 as well as Netscape 6.x does not install JVM unless you ask for it at install time.
• I.E. 6.0 fresh installs need to go to the SUN site to get the JVM. The AOL I.E. is not Java enabled and so they will need to use the full I.E. version.

7. The maximum number of users has temporarily been reached'. It may be minutes or hours before the database again becomes available." You see this message when the maximum number of users are logged in to the database. For this reason, it's very important that you click the Logout button when you are finished use a database. This frees the database for the next user. 8. Why can I access the databases from home, but not from work? You may be connecting from work or somewhere that is behind a firewall (network security). Please contact your system administrator. (If you have a firewall at home and are having problems, make sure all "firewall" software is turned off.)