Off-Campus Access to Library Resources
Only current Caltech students, faculty, and staff have remote-access privileges to Caltech-licensed library resources.
JPL staff: please contact the JPL Library (library@jpl.nasa.gov) for available options.
Caltech staff at JPL: Our proxy server will not work for you at JPL. You will need to use VPN.
You are a remote user if your IP address falls outside the range 131.215.*.*. This includes Caltech offices at CSO, IPAC, LIGO, OVRO, and Palomar.
Step 1: Obtain an up-to-date access.caltech account.
- Click here for comprehensive information on access.caltech accounts.
- Please contact IMSS if you have forgotten your access.caltech username, password, or both.
- If you have not used your access.caltech account recently, update your account.
Step 2: Use links on the library web pages.
- Links on the library web pages (including links found in the library catalog and those on the Find E-Journals page) are proxied. When clicking on a proxied link for the first time in the session, remote users are prompted for their access.caltech username and password. One successful login establishes access to most Caltech-licensed resources.
- Links not obtained from the library web pages are, most likely, not proxied. Therefore, always start on library webpages when working remotely.
Step 3 (Optional): Establish a VPN Account.
- Click here for information about VPN accounts and installation of VPN software.
- Use the “Caltech-Tunnel All” option.
- VPN slows down connections to all IP addresses. For most library resources, proxied links are the preferred method.
Step 4 (Optional): Install the Caltech Library Proxy bookmarklet.
- The Caltech Library Proxy bookmarklet lets you easily reload the current page via the library proxy to see if we have access. Works with any browser.
Step 5 (Optional): Install LibX.
- LibX is a browser plugin that can be used to apply the proxy to the current webpage. If you regularly access journals from google scholar or other search engines, LibX will help you gain access to our subscriptions.
Step 6 (Optional): Configure Google Scholar.
- If you use Google Scholar, you can configure it to have the Caltech Connect links appear off-campus by changing your Scholar Preferences.
- Scroll down to the "Library Links" section. Type Caltech in the search box and click on "Find Library". Check the box to the left of "California Institute of Technology - Caltech Connect" and then click the "Save Preferences" button.
Step 7 (Optional): Configure ADS
- If you use the Astrophysical Data System, it's worth setting your preferences so that Caltech Connect links appear in your search results. You can do this by signing in to your account at ADS.
- Select "User Account Update" and then "Library Links Settings". Use the drop down menu to select "California Institute of Technology" as your library link server. Once you've saved your settings, the Caltech Connect button will display in your search results
