JISC

Federating the Next Generation Federated Access, the Library Experience 1

Abstract

“University of Birmingham implemented support for federated access during Spring and Summer 2008 in response to the timeline for termination of subsidised Athens funding. The implementation focussed on moving wholesale to Shibboleth authentication; implementing WAYFLess linking and single sign on to eLibrary services where possible. Over a year on, this session sets out to describe the work involved within the library Serials team in moving this large set of resources to Shibboleth authentication and integrating this new authentication method with our existing framework and systems. The session will also describe learning points and challenges of this implementation, some of which remain today. Finally, a set of next steps and improvements will be highlighted in order to move forward in providing a fully functional service.”

Presenter

Sarah Pearson

“Since 2005, Sarah has been the E-Resources & Serials Coordinator in Library Services at the University of Birmingham. She manages the acquisition of e-resources, print journals, e-journals and journal big deals. Her team also supports access to e-content by administering the link resolver knowledgebases; managing e-resource authentication including set-up of Shibboleth authentication with service providers; and end-user support. This has involved working closely with colleagues in IT Services responsible for managing the Shibboleth IdP, the proxy server and the Metalib and SFX resource discovery systems. University of Birmingham integrates a variety of authentication methods including Shibboleth, IP authentication and EZProxy to provide seamless access to e-resources and e-journal platforms from both on- and off-campus. “

Abstract

Federated Access, the Library Experience 2

The Library Experience: Close co-operation between librarians and technical colleagues is vital to the successful migration of library service authentication to Shibboleth. Nottingham Trent University (NTU) recognised the importance of this collaborative approach from the outset, and have continued to leverage its advantages throughout the implementation of Shibboleth based authentication. This session will briefly outline the nature of the technical infrastructure put in place at NTU and explain the approach taken by Libraries and Learning Resources (LLR) to to Shibboleth implementation - including migration workflows; user education and support; and WAYF and WAYFLess URL management. It will also explore some of the key implementation challenges that LLR has faced - including the mapping of Athens and Shibboleth PUIDs; inconsistent terminology on the provider and publisher sides; and the necessity to maintain a hybrid environment in which authentication workarounds persist.

Presenters

Richard Cross

Richard Cross is one of two eServices Managers within Libraries and Learning Resources (LLR) at Nottingham Trent University and has particular responsibility for resource discovery. He is the application manager for the MetaLib, SFX and Digitool resource discovery applications and works closely with colleagues in the Serials and eResources team to secure and manage appropriate access to electronic subscription resources. In close co-operation with colleagues in Information Systems he has been responsible for the technical aspects of LLR's migration to Shibboleth based authentication, Richard has liaised with publishers and providers over service delivery issues; and has also authored support materials and delivered Shibboleth user training for library colleagues. 

Francis Lowry

"Francis is a Strategic Architect within Information Systems at Nottingham Trent university. He is responsible for ensuring that university systems are integrated and that all solutions are aligned to the university's strategy. He has worked at NTU for over 10 years in various roles including Systems Administration, Database Administration, Help desk and development and has been involved with the majority of the university's information systems. He has worked on various JISC projects over the recent years, focusing primarily on implementing Shibboleth and how it can be used within an educational environment to promote shared service offerings across multiple organisations."