Using Electronic Resources

How it works

Most electronic resources can be accessed from the Penn Library website through PennKey authentication. However, in cases where you go directly to a publisher's site without having logged in ("proxied") as a Penn user, you will not be recognized as having access. For these cases, the EZproxy Browser Bookmarklet will allow you to log in without first going back to the Penn Library web site. A bookmarklet is like a browser extension but more lightweight and can be used on any browser that supports bookmarks,  including mobile browsers. 

Once added you will see UPenn Proxy in your menu bar. Click on UPenn Proxy and the proxy prefix is added to the URL and the work, if Penn has access, will be accessible. 

Add the bookmarklet as described below (Installing the Bookmarklet) or manually add the Penn Proxy prefix to the front of the URL. 

• If you have the publisher's URL

Add the proxy prefix https://proxy.library.upenn.edu/login?url= before the publisher provided URL.

Examples:
https://proxy.library.upenn.edu/login?&url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797614524581
https://proxy.library.upenn.edu/login?&url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/41302872

• Linking to a DOI (Digital Object Identifier)

A Digital Object Identifier or DOI is a persistent identifier used to identify unique objects.

Enter https://proxy.library.upenn.edu/login?url= followed by http://dx.doi.org/ before the DOI.

Example:

https://proxy.library.upenn.edu/login?&url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0161956X.2011.579001

Installing the EZproxy bookmarklet varies depending on the browser used. In general, add the EZproxy link to an always visible Bookmarks or Favorites Toolbar, usually by dragging it into the toolbar. Below are specific instructions for some of the more popular browsers. 

  Firefox

• From the View menu, choose "Toolbars" and "Bookmarks Toolbar" and "Always"
• Right-click on this block EZproxy and select the "Bookmark This Link" or drag the link to your Bookmarks Toolbar

  Chrome

• From the View menu, choose "Always Show Bookmarks Bar"
• Drag this block EZproxy to your bookmarks toolbar.

  Safari

• From the View menu choose "Show Favorites Bar"
• Drag this block EZproxy into your Favorites Bar

 Edge

• From the View menu choose "Always Show Favorites Bar"
• Drag this block EZproxy into your Favorites Bar

Internet Explorer

• Right-click on this block EZproxy and select the "Add to Favorites" 

Mobile devices (phones and tablets)

The easy way

Install the bookmarklet on your computer browser and then sync your bookmarks from your computer browser with the mobile version of the browser on your mobile device. This works for both Apple and Android mobile devices and most major browsers. 

The less easy way

Apple iOS devices

• Select and copy this JavaScript code javascript:void(location.href=%22https://proxy.library.upenn.edu/login?url=%22+location.href)

• Open web browser on your device to any page and make a bookmark (it doesn't matter which one because the name and content will be edited). To make a bookmark tap the share icon    on the page and choose "Add to Bookmarks". 
• Edit the bookmark by tapping the bookmark icon  and then Edit . From the Edit view, find the bookmark you made and tap the right arrow to edit  
• Edit the name of the bookmark to EZ Proxy (or whatever works to describe the bookmark for you) and then paste the JavaScript code into the web address space (delete web address first). Choose Done and Done to complete the process.
• The next time you're browsing a Penn-provided resource on your mobile device off-campus, simply click or tap the Proxy bookmark you created to sign in for Penn-provided access to that resource.

Android devices  

• Create a bookmark named "UPenn EZproxy" (or name of your choice) following all the steps described for iOS devices.
• For non-Chrome Android mobile browsers: click or tap the Proxy bookmark you created to sign in for Penn-provided access to the resource. 
• for Chrome mobile browser: start typing the name of the bookmark in the address bar of the browser (e.g., start typing "UPenn EZProxy" if that is what you named it), then select the bookmark when it appears in the drop down menu to run it.