Remote Access Troubleshooting - Dakota County Minnesota

If you are having problems accessing any of the library-funded Research Tools from outside the library, please review the tips below.

Problem: At the website of a particular Research Tool (such as ReferenceUSA or NewsBank) you encounter a login screen or an error message denying you access.
Explanation

Your computer, computer network, or Internet service provider use some kind of firewall or other security or privacy mechanism. If you entered your library barcode and PIN and then were directed to another website that asks you to login again or gives you an error message, you may need to temporarily disable, or selectively disable, your Internet security software or firewall. See Security Software Settings for Remote Access.
Or, you are trying to go directly to the website of the Research Tool (such as referenceusa.com). The Research Tools are restricted resources to which the library subscribes. Therefore, you must access them from the library's Research Tools page and be authenticated as a registered library patron.

Problem: After selecting one of the Research Tools, you are taken to a mostly blank page that has boxes for entering your library card number and PIN but no other information or graphics. If you enter these numbers and press the ENTER key, nothing happens.
Explanation: This may be due to settings in your Internet browser (e.g., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Opera). Make sure that you have Javascript enabled in your browser settings. If enabling Javascript does not help, try using a different browser or a newer version of the same browser.
Error Message (after entering your library barcode and PIN)
"Sorry, your identification is not recognized. Please try again, or contact the library for assistance."
Explanation

You made an error entering the library card number or PIN (Personal Identification Number). Be sure to type your entire 14-digit library barcode without any spaces. Your library PIN must be a 4-digit number. If you don't know what your PIN is, try using the last four digits of your telephone number. If that fails, please stop at any Dakota County Library with your card and some other identification to have your PIN set.
Or, your library card is not registered with Dakota County Library. Stop at any Dakota County Library with your card and other identification to get it registered.

Error Message (after entering your library barcode and PIN)

Explanation

Your place of residence is outside the area for which the particular Research Tools is available.
Access to specific resources is dependent on your place of residence, as indicated by the following abbreviations in the list of resources:

ELM (Electronic Library for Minnesota) = available to residents of Minnesota
MELSA (Metropolitan Library Service Agency) = available to residents of the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area
DCL = available to residents of Dakota County (excluding South St. Paul)

Error Message (either after clicking on a specific Research Tool or after entering your library barcode and PIN)
"Time out on reply from service."
"Unable to establish connection..." or similar error messages
Explanation
There is a temporary problem with the library's Remote Patron Authentication (RPA) server. If this happens, please wait a few minutes and try again.

Please contact the library for further assistance.