The library's licensed databases available through TCC Libraries, VCCS (Virginia Community College System), and VIVA (The Virtual Library of Virginia) require that we control access and restrict it to faculty, staff, and students affiliated with TCC. This is accomplished by using a proxy server for off-campus access to these databases that include articles, books, and videos. To engage the off-campus proxy server, the URL that connects the user to the vendor's database must be modified to include the proxy server information.
When you copy a URL for a specific article, book or video from a library database, in many cases, that URL must also be modified if students are to access this material from off-campus. URLs are modified by adding a proxy prefix. Adding this proxy prefix will cause the proxy server to prompt off-campus users to login with their My TCC login (if need be) and grant these users access to online library materials. The following is the proxy prefix for the VCCS proxy server:
http://eztcc.vccs.edu:2048/login?url=
Instructions for the individual database included in this guide will indicate whether or not a proxy prefix should be included with the URL.
If you click on any database link from the library's web site from off-campus, you will get a Virginia's Community Colleges login screen first. Login with your MyTCC (Canvas) username and password. You will then be brought to the database search screen to search for your articles or eBooks.
Accessing databases, articles or eBooks from within Canvas:
After you log into Canvas from off-campus and click on a link to any database, article, or eBook, you should be brought directly to the database, article or eBook.
You should NOT be prompted with a Virginia's Community Colleges login screen. If you are prompted with a Virginia's Community College login screen, login again with your MyTCC username and password.
For more information, see the VCCS Off-Campus Access to Library Databases web page.