Answered By: Paul Streby
Last Updated: Feb 13, 2023     Views: 2791

If you're off campus and can't open an article you sent yourself or downloaded to a drive, the problem might be that the proxy string is missing from the address to the article. If this is the case, you're typically prompted to log in within the database (which won't accept your UM-Flint username/password), or are asked to pay for access to the article. The proxy string looks like this:

  • https://libproxy.umflint.edu/login?url=

When an article or database has the proxy string attached, it looks something like one of these:

  • https://libproxy.umflint.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com
  • https://www.degruyter.com.libproxy.umflint.edu/view/j/chem
  • https://www-sciencedirect-com.libproxy.umflint.edu/science/article/pii/S0895981116300840

The proxy string routes you through the Thompson Library's EZProxy server, so that you can access articles from off campus just as you would from on campus. If "libproxy" is missing from the address, you'll need to add the EZProxy string.

1) You can copy/paste the proxy string to the beginning of the URL and follow the resulting link:

2) You can use the EZProxy bookmarklet, which makes it easy to route your access requests through the EZProxy server. The bookmarklet will probably save you time and effort in the long run.

If you try to access a Thompson Library resource, and get this error message:

To allow https://www.madmagazine.com/ to be used in a starting point URL, your EZproxy administrator must first authorize the hostname of this URL in the config.txt file.

Within this database's section of config.txt, either the following line must be added:

Host www.madmagazine.com

or, alternatively, a RedirectSafe for this host or domain may be appropriate.

After editing config.txt, the EZproxy server must be restarted to make changes take effect.

Please copy/paste this information and email it to pgstreby@umich.edu.

Special note for users at Hurley Medical Center: The Hurley firewall may block you from accessing UM-Flint resources. You should be able to retrieve the items from home or other locations, or by using LabAnywhere.