Electronic Resources @ North Platte Public Library

Remote Patron Authentication (RPA) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Ask a question by emailing library@ci.north-platte.ne.us.  Due to the quantity, nature and type of requests handled by library technical staff, a reply may be delayed by up to 2 weeks.

Question Index:

1.  Why is it asking me for a username and password once I already enter my barcode?

2.  Why do I have to enter all those numbers below my barcode?

3.  I use Norton Security Products, how do I setup my browser to accept referring URLs?

4.  I use McAfee Security Products, how do I setup my browser to accept referring URLs?

Why is it asking me for a username and password once I already enter my barcode?

If you have a personal firewall installed, you may have to disable it for RPA to work properly.  RPA uses session cookies and referring URLs to determine that you are authorized to view resources.   If you are not using Internet Explorer or Netscape as your browser, the browser may be incapable of handling session cookies. 

Why do I have to enter all those numbers below my barcode?

Your barcode number is required to be an exact length for verification, this is just one of the many ways we can verify that your account exists in our patron database.  There are other features of the barcode number including an institution code and check digit that make it more difficult to "guess" a correct barcode.

Norton Security Products

When you choose to block referrer fields, information about the page you are currently viewing is not sent to the next Web server. Please be aware that some Web pages require referrer information before allowing you to view their page. If you wish to allow referrer information for all web sites, Symantec Authorized Technical Support suggests that you allow referrer information globally. Please follow the steps below:

1. Open Norton Internet Security (NIS) 2005.
2. Double-click Privacy Control, and then click Advanced.
3. On the top left hand side, click Defaults (make sure it is highlighted).
4. On the Global Settings tab, under the Information about visited sites section, uncheck Use default settings.
5. Click Permit.
6. Click OK to close the Options window.

If you want to allow referrer information to pass to a particular Web page, you must create a rule for it.

1. Open Norton Internet Security or Norton Personal Firewall.
2. Do one of the following.
   • In Norton Internet Security or Norton Personal Firewall 2003: Click Options > Internet Security, and then click the Web Content tab.
   • In Norton Internet Security or Norton Personal Firewall 2004 or newer: Double-click Privacy Control, and then click Advanced.
3. In the bottom of the Advanced window, click Add Site.
4. In the New Site/Domain box, type the name of the site that you want to receive the referrer information, and click OK.
   The site name appears in the left frame of the Options window.
   • For example, Heritage Quest's domain is: heritagequestonline.com
5. Click the name of the new site.
6. On the Global Settings tab, under the Information about visited sites section, uncheck Use default settings.
7. Click Permit.
8. Click OK to close the Options window.

References:

• Passing referrer information to specific Web pages in Norton Internet Security and Norton Personal Firewall
• Dictionary of Norton Internet Security and Norton Personal Firewall terms

McAfee Security Products

References:

• How do I allow cookies for specific websites through privacy service?
• Dictionary of Norton Internet Security and Norton Personal Firewall terms

^© 2003 North Platte Public Library

Contact us by email: library@ci.north-platte.ne.us.

This page was last updated on Wednesday, January 11, 2006.

Portions of material used to describe the databases was provided by the Nebraska Library Commission and HeritageQuest Online..