Proxy Server Debuts at GW

Last fall The George Washington University began testing a proxy server to facilitate access to electronic resources by University faculty, staff and students. Proxy server technology has been successfully implemented at many colleges and universities around the country.

The proxy server allows your computer to be recognized as a GW computer when connecting to the Himmelfarb Library resources. From any off campus location, "looking" like a GW computer permits access to our on-campus resources including full text electronic journals like the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, Annals of Thoracic Surgery and Heart and databases like Clinical Textbooks, Harrison's Online and Scientific American Medicine. Users access these resources by clicking on the on-campus links.

The proxy server has been available for several months now. Many faculty, staff and students have participated in the initial testing of the proxy server. The reports have been uniformly positive. Comments like "I use the proxy server on an almost daily basis. It is essential to my teaching and other activities because I am off campus" and "The proxy server is invaluable. I use it everyday" are examples of the responses Himmelfarb Library received during a recent user survey. If you would like to add your comments to the survey, please email them to Patricia Wilson at mlbphw@gwumc.edu. Names will be kept confidential We are sending these responses to the team that has been developing and supporting the proxy server test to let them know just how much their work is valued.