Library - Resources Off Campus

Dialing directly to the MSU campus network

Dialing directly to the MSU server provides full access to the licensed Internet databases listed on the MSU Library databases web page. NOTE: Students in the Residence Halls and persons using their own ISP must use the Virtual Private Network or Proxy Server. (see Connecting via an ISP below). Here are some useful documents to help you set up your connection to the MSU dialin server:

• Dial-in Server Information Guide for MSU(How to set up your computer to dial in to the MSU network, including phone numbers, and PPP setup information)
• User-ID Information Page (How to check your userid, change your password, alias, or preferred e-mail address)

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Connecting via an Internet Service Provider (ISP) using the Virtual Private Network (VPN) or Proxy Server

To access many of the web databases available through the MSU Library website from outside the campus network (i.e., using your own Internet Service Provider or if you are in the MSU Residence Halls), you may use the Proxy Server or you can setup your computer to use the Virtual Private Network. Access to licensed databases is limited to current MSU students and faculty. Once connected to the VPN or Proxy Server, there is full access to the databases listed on the MSU Library databases access page

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Electronic Resources Availability

Some electronic resources on the MSU Library website are available to anyone without identification. Others are licensed and may only be used by current MSU students and faculty. Some that are available to everyone include:

Library Catalogs:

• MnPals The PALS online catalog is freely available.
• Traverse des Sioux Library System(library catalog for the Public Libraries in the region): This is a regional library cooperative of 42 public libraries in the nine counties of southcentral Minnesota: Blue Earth , Brown, Faribault, LeSueur, Martin, Nicollet, Sibley, Waseca, and Watonwan.
• MnCAT (University of Minnesota catalog)
• Academic Libraries in Minnesota
• Public Libraries in Minnesota
• RLIN Combined catalog of holdings of hundreds of major research and academic libraries
• Library of Congress Catalog U.S. National Library
• Library of Congress Gateway to other Catalogs Many different research collections
• LibWeb Directory of library Web sites from more than 90 countries

Many other Databases:

Most databases available via the Library (such as FirstSearch, JSTOR, Lexis-Nexis, Encyclopedia Britannica, or the databases available via MnPALS) are licensed for use only by current MSU students and faculty. However, the following are available to any web user:

• MEDLINE (indexes/abstracts)
• NCJRS - National Criminal Justice Reference Service
• American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library (Library of Congress)