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Was your RAS question answered
on this page? If not, send your RAS question to RAS
User Support at ras@library.tmc.edu.
How can I get a HAM-TMC Library card?
You can get a HAM-TMC Library card by applying at the Circulation
Desk on the first floor of the HAM-TMC Library. For more information
on who can get a card--or to download an application form--see
Library Privileges.
How come I can access some electronic
resources but not others?
There are several reasons you might be able to access some electronic
resources (journals, books, databases) but not others:
- The electronic resource you cannot access may be
temporarily down. If twenty-four hours have passed and you
are still unable to access a specific resource, send a message
to heic@library.tmc.edu.
- It is possible that the electronic resource you cannot
access is one for which the HAM-TMC Library does not have
a subscription. (See How can I tell
what electronic resources HAM-TMC Library subscribes to?)
- The electronic resource you cannot access may require
a password in addition to RAS. The prime examples of this
are the MD Consult journals, which require you to register
and assign yourself a username and password. More
information about MD Consult.
- The electronic resources you can access are unrestricted
resources that you can access with or without RAS.
- Unrestricted Ejournals: To determine if access
to an electronic journal is unrestricted, look it up on
the HAM-TMC Library's EJournals
Remote
Access
Webpage. Each unrestricted ejournal on the Ejournals
Webpage has a blue Free tag next to its title.
- Unrestricted Databases: The About
Databases Webpage will tell you if access to a database
is unrestricted or not.
- Unrestricted Ebooks: To determine if access to
an ebook is unrestricted or not, look it up on the HAM-TMC
Library's Electronic Books Webpage.
Each unrestricted ebook on the Electronic Books Webpage
has a blue Free tag next to its title.
When I try to login to RAS, I
get the message "Authentication Unsuccessful." Why?
If you get this message, there is a problem with your userid
and password. Make sure that you are using the userid and password
the HAM-TMC Library sent you when you registered for RAS. Userids
and passwords are case sensitive, and you must type them in
exactly. If you continue to get the "Authentication Unsuccessful"
message, please contact RAS User Support at ras@library.tmc.edu.
How can I get help using RAS?
The HAM-TMC Library offers a one-hour class called Navigating
Full-Text Journals. Taking this class will help you
learn to use RAS and access ejournals. For more information,
or to register for this class, see Library
Classes.
You may also get help with RAS by:
- Sending an email to RAS User Support at ras@library.tmc.edu.
- Calling 713.799.7124.
- Asking for RAS help at the Reference Desk on the first
floor of the library.
Why does RAS exist and how does it work?
When a library purchases a subscription to an electronic resource
(journal, book, or database), the publisher requires the library
to restrict access so that only the library's authorized clientele
can access that resource. At HAM-TMC Library, we do this (in
most cases) by limiting access to Texas
Medical Center IP addresses. While this makes it possible
for most of the HAM-TMC Library's clients to access electronic
resources from their offices at TMC, it doesn't cover every
situation. RAS exists so that library cardholders who are at
home, on the road, or working from offices that do not have
TMC IP addresses can access electronic resources.
RAS uses proxy-server technology to restrict access. When HAM-TMC
Library cardholders register
for RAS, their names are added to the database of RAS
users and they are issued userids and passwords. When you
login to RAS and then configure
your browser to use a proxy server, RAS makes it appear
as if you are using a computer with a Texas Medical Center IP
address. This then allows you to access the electronic resources
to which the HAM-TMC Library has subscriptions.
How long can I use RAS at one time?
When you login to RAS, you can use it for 60 minutes. However,
when RAS times out you can simply login again and continue using
it. The reason RAS times out is to prevent someone from staying
logged in all the time and possibly denying access to other
users.
How can I tell if I am properly connected
to RAS?
After you login and configure
your browser, you can tell if you are properly connected
to RAS by going to Yahoo!'s Traceroute page at net.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/trace.sh.
If, when you get to Traceroute, you get the message:
You are connecting from 128.249.140.6.
you are properly connected to RAS and will be able to access
the HAM-TMC Library's electronic resources (journals, books,
and databases). If you see some other number when you get to
Traceroute, you are not properly connected to RAS.
On the electronic journals page, what
do the symbols next to the titles of the ejournals mean?
The colored symbols next to the titles of ejournals provide
information on access. Click
here for a complete explanation.
How can I tell what electronic resources
HAM-TMC Library subscribes to?
- Electronic Journals (Catalog): You can search a
specific journal title in the library Web
Catalog to see if the HAM-TMC Library has an online
subscription. The best way to search a journal title is to
click the Browse option, enter the journal's title
in the search box, and then click the Periodical Title
button. If there is an electronic subscription for the journal
you searched, just after the journal's title you will see
the word online in parentheses. When you click the
View button next to the journal's title, you will see
the words Electronic access: followed by a clickable
link to the ejournal. Please note that the Web Catalog lists
of holdings of six Houston-area medical libraries: if you
do not see the letters TMC as part of the clickable
link, HAM-TMC does not have an electronic subscription to
the journal.
- Electronic Journals (Webpage): As an alternative
to the Web catalog, you can look on the EJournals list.
Remote
Access
Webpage to see if the HAM-TMC Library has an online subscription
to a journal. The Ejournals Webpage also lists unrestricted-access
ejournals that are not listed in the library Catalog.
- Electronic Databases: Look on the Databases
Webpages to see if HAM-TMC Library subscribes to an electronic
database.
- Electronic Books: You can search a specific book
title in the library Web
Catalog to see if the HAM-TMC Library has an online
subscription. You can also look on the Electronic
Books Webpage to see if the HAM-TMC Library has an
online subscription to a book
How come I'm being asked for a password
when I try to access an electronic resource?
There are several reason you might be asked for a password
when you try to access an electronic resource (journal, book,
or database):
When I try to access an electronic
resource, it says the library's subscription has expired. Why?
There are several reasons you might get this message when you
try to access an electronic resource (journal, book, or database):
Do I need to use RAS from my TMC
office?
Probably not. Most computers with Texas
Medical Center IP addresses can access the HAM-TMC Library's
electronic resources (journals, books, and databases) without
using RAS. However, some computers in the TMC have Internet
protocol (IP) addresses that fall outside of the IP ranges that
the HAM-TMC Library provides to electronic publishers. In such
cases, RAS is the solution.
Why is RAS so complicated?
The Library's RAS is based on industry-standard proxy-server
technology and so is no more complicated than similar systems
in use elsewhere. If you feel frustrated when trying to use
RAS, our best advice is to print out the online
instructions and follow them closely. You may also email
RAS User Support at ras@library.tmc.edu
or call 713.799.7124 for RAS assistance.
Another thing that makes RAS seem complicated (but has nothing
to do with RAS technology per se) is the fact that the
HAM-TMC Library's electronic journals are the property of dozens
of different publishers, none of whom does business in exactly
the same way. While the HAM-TMC Library would rather not deal
with publishers who require passwords in addition to IP access,
in many cases there is no other option. While there is not much
HAM-TMC Library can do about publishers and their quirks, we
are committed to providing the best RAS service possible and
to the continued improvement of this service.
How come I am able to use RAS from
some locations but not others?
In the interest of computer security, some institutions (businesses,
schools, hospitals, Internet service providers, and so on) use
firewalls that prevent the use of proxy servers. Since RAS uses
proxy-server technology, it does not work when such firewalls
are in place. If you suspect that a firewall is preventing you
from accessing RAS, you should contact the systems support office
of the appropriate institution. HAM-TMC Library has no control
over other institutions' use of firewalls.
Why doesn't RAS work with America Online?
America Online does not permit the use of proxy servers. Since
RAS uses proxy-server technology, it does not work with America
Online. If you use America Online and do not wish to switch
to another Internet Service Provider (ISP), we suggest that
you download Netscape
and use a free
ISP on those occasions you wish to access RAS.
Why doesn't RAS work with Internet
Explorer?
Currently, there are compatibility problems between RAS and
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5. Though the Library is working
with both Microsoft and Netscape to resolve these problems,
no solution is in sight. Please use the Netscape browser to
access RAS. The Netscape browser can be downloaded free of charge
at: http://www.netscape.com.
After using RAS, I have trouble
accessing Webpages. Why?
If you do not reconfigure your browser after you finish using
RAS, you will eventually have problems accessing Webpages and
will get the message, "Netscape is unable
to locate the server proxyman.tmc-library.bcm.tmc.edu:8081.
Please check the server name and try again."
To correct this problem, see Reconfigure
Your Browser.
Can I use RAS to access MD Consult?
Cardholders from the HAM-TMC Library's participating
and supporting institutions can use RAS to access MD
Consult. Even with RAS, MD Consult requires users to register
and assign themselves a username and password. More
information about MD Consult.
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