Hennepin County Library: How to Use Online Databases

The Minneapolis Public Library purchases subscriptions to a wide variety of online databases for your use as a cardholder at the Minneapolis Public Library. All of these databases can be used from any "Internet + Catalog" or "Catalog Only" workstation inside the Library.

Some of these databases are available to our users over the Internet. To use these databases from outside the Library--using a computer at your home, work, school, or elsewhere--you will need a Minneapolis Public Library card, or a card from a Minnesota library that you have registered in our system.

In order to use our online databases from a remote location, you will need to go through our proxy server. The proxy server does two things:

It allows you access by making your request to use the database appear as though it is coming from inside the Library
It confirms that you are a Minneapolis Public Library registered borrower

Once you click on the link to the database, you will be prompted for your name, your library card number, and your PIN number.

The screen should look like this:

(screenshot of proxy screen)

This screen is our catalog system confirming that you are a Minneapolis Public Library user. Once you have put in your info and clicked "Continue", you will be taken to the database.

Note that the login will be good for several minutes. If you leave one database and enter another, you might not be prompted for your user info again. But if you are asked for your name, card number and PIN again, just re-enter it and you should be able to continue without a problem.

How can I get a PIN number if I don't have one yet, or if I've forgotten it?

More Questions and Answers

I can access most of your databases, but not the specific one I want.

Most of these databases are services purchased for you by the Minneapolis Public Library, not services that the Library maintains. If only one database is not responding, there may be a problem with that database. Please alert us at askus@mplib.org so we can look into the situation.

Do I have to accept cookies to use the databases?

Our proxy server does not require the use of cookies, but many of the individual databases do. If you have trouble accessing a specific database, try checking in your browser to see if you are accepting cookies. If you are not, you may want to consider changing the setting to accept cookies while you are using the databases, then changing it back again when you're finished. (Our experience is that the information that the databases store in a cookie is only useful for one session--if you delete cookies after you're finished searching, you shouldn't hurt anything.)

I'm a metro-area resident, but I don't have a Minneapolis Library Card. Can I use the databases?

You can, if you register your metro-area or greater Minnesota library card at the Minneapolis Public Library.

How can I register my card?

Several other metro-area libraries offer online databases to their users, including Hennepin County Library, Anoka County Library, Ramsey County Library, and St. Paul Public Library.

My Internet service is preventing me from getting to the databases for some reason

Historically, this has been an issue with America Online users. We have an alternative -- you can still use the original proxy method with our server. This method is more complicated, but some people find it to be more reliable.

I still can't get to the databases.

Please contact us if you notice a problem other than the ones described above, or if you've followed directions and the system still doesn't seem to be working. E-mail us at askus@mplib.org and we'll look into the situation.

Return to Online Databases by Subject

Return to the Alphabetical List of Online Databases

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