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How do I set up authentication from our library website to FirstSearch?

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Objective
  • Patrons will be able to authenticate from a library's website to FirstSearch without logging in.
Applies to
  • FirstSearch
Steps

Follow these steps to allow patrons to authenticate to FirstSearch directly from your library's website. 

  1. Go to FirstSearch Admin > Authentication/Access > IP-Address Recognition and add the library's website IP address.
  2. Add this URL to your library's webpage:  https://firstsearch.oclc.org/fsipreferer.
  3. If you would like to create a direct link to a database using this structure, please use this URL structurehttps://firstsearch.oclc.org/fsipreferer&dbname=WorldCat&screen=basic 
    OR
    https://firstsearch.oclc.org/fsipreferer&dbname=WorldCat&screen=advanced
  4. You can determine database name by visiting the FirstSearch databases list. 
  5. Select the database you would like to create a link to and click on Database details > DATABASE NAME.  This is the database name you will enter in the dbname= section of the link above.

Note:  If IP authentication fails, or is not an option, try using the username and password for authenticated linking.  However, only do this if the link is being securely hosted.  Replace the bolded AUTHORIZATION and PASSWORD values in the URL example below with your unique nine digit FirstSearch authorization and password.

Example:

https://firstsearch.oclc.org/WebZ/FSLogin?sessionid=0&autho=AUTHORIZATION&password=PASSWORD
Additional information

More information can be found in Create IP address recognition links to FirstSearch.

Page ID
11937