Author Topic: Library remote access to Ancestry - not much longer  (Read 3783 times)

Offline arthurk

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Library remote access to Ancestry - not much longer
« on: Monday 05 April 21 11:33 BST (UK) »
During the pandemic my local library (Cheshire East) has been allowing members to access the library version of Ancestry from home. However, when I went to use it yesterday I found the following:

Quote
Unfortunately, due to a change in supplier, at home access to Ancestry will not be available after April.
However, you will be able to use it again at your library when we re-open.

You might like to check your own library's site to see if the same will happen there. I'm not sure what is meant by 'supplier', though I see that the link provided by Cheshire East initially goes to a page at ancestrylibrary.proquest.com before redirecting to one at ancestrylibraryedition.co.uk
Researching among others:
Bartle, Bilton, Bingley, Campbell, Craven, Emmott, Harcourt, Hirst, Kellet(t), Kennedy,
Meaburn, Mennile/Meynell, Metcalf(e), Palliser, Robinson, Rutter, Shipley, Stow, Wilkinson

Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline iluleah

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Re: Library remote access to Ancestry - not much longer
« Reply #1 on: Monday 05 April 21 13:23 BST (UK) »
Already happened here, library addition of Ancestry is not available since 2017 claiming "Against the backdrop of ever tighter budgets"
Leicestershire:Chamberlain, Dakin, Wilkinson, Moss, Cook, Welland, Dobson, Roper,Palfreman, Squires, Hames, Goddard, Topliss, Twells,Bacon.
Northamps:Sykes, Harris, Rice,Knowles.
Rutland:Clements, Dalby, Osbourne, Durance, Smith,Christian, Royce, Richardson,Oakham, Dewey,Newbold,Cox,Chamberlaine,Brow, Cooper, Bloodworth,Clarke
Durham/Yorks:Woodend, Watson,Parker, Dowser
Suffolk/Norfolk:Groom, Coleman, Kemp, Barnard, Alden,Blomfield,Smith,Howes,Knight,Kett,Fryston
Lincolnshire:Clements, Woodend

Online rosie99

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Re: Library remote access to Ancestry - not much longer
« Reply #2 on: Monday 05 April 21 13:30 BST (UK) »
Surrey has not had full access during lockdown, just this

Whilst full access to Ancestry is only available in libraries for contractual reasons, you can access records held by the Surrey History Centre from home for free.
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline Nick_Ips

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Re: Library remote access to Ancestry - not much longer
« Reply #3 on: Monday 05 April 21 15:32 BST (UK) »
You might like to check your own library's site to see if the same will happen there.

I had a similar thing with my local library - they continued to say that home access would end on 31 March, long after ProQuest had announced an extension to 30 June 2021.  I had to send them a link to ProQuest's support page before they would believe me.  ;)

https://support.proquest.com/articledetail?id=kA13r0000003VNdCAM

I think it safe to assume that 30 June 2021 will be the final end-date though.  The home access has been a very generous provision and I cannot see it being extended once a kind of normality has returned.

I'm not sure what is meant by 'supplier', though I see that the link provided by Cheshire East initially goes to a page at ancestrylibrary.proquest.com before redirecting to one at ancestrylibraryedition.co.uk

ProQuest are a supplier of access to datasets for libraries and researchers - the library service will have a contract with ProQuest for certain services (e.g. Ancestry) and in turn ProQuest contract with the data owners to provide that service.

As per the link, ProQuest and Ancestry have extended home access to 30th June - so if Cheshire East say their 'supplier' is ending the service before then they are either confused, or talking about a different supplier.

ProQuest's offer is limited to current library card holders, and they do require an access control system to be used to make sure the resource is only used by library members.  Some libraries (like mine) require you to log on to the library site and then use a special link which logs you on to the ProQuest site.  But I believe other libraries use third-party software to authenticate users.

Perhaps Cheshire East are in the latter category and their 'supplier' of a third-party authentication system is what won't work after the end of April?

That said, I just checked the Cheshire East website (not a member and not logged on) and clicked on the Ancestry link and was redirected to an "Ancestryinstitution" site. So an alternative answer might be that Cheshire East are stopping their contract with ProQuest and going direct to Ancestry instead?

I'd ask them - just in case there has been some kind of mix up.


Offline arthurk

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Re: Library remote access to Ancestry - not much longer
« Reply #4 on: Monday 05 April 21 15:53 BST (UK) »
The "Ancestryinstitution" page looks a bit like what the staff use to log in when you're in the library, but for home access you have to log in to your account, and then the link is on the landing page - the same as you do.

As I said, that link appears to go to/via ProQuest, but since Cheshire East is talking about a "change" of supplier, it may be that ProQuest's extension isn't really relevant. In the end I expect it all comes down to the council's spending priorities.
Researching among others:
Bartle, Bilton, Bingley, Campbell, Craven, Emmott, Harcourt, Hirst, Kellet(t), Kennedy,
Meaburn, Mennile/Meynell, Metcalf(e), Palliser, Robinson, Rutter, Shipley, Stow, Wilkinson

Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline Watson

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Re: Library remote access to Ancestry - not much longer
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 06 April 21 11:11 BST (UK) »
Our local library is still providing home access to Ancestry (Library) and I don't think any change has been mentioned.

It is a good idea for lockdown.  It would be nice to see the scope extended a little to include free access to a historical newspaper site.

Offline Nick_Ips

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Re: Library remote access to Ancestry - not much longer
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 28 April 21 15:14 BST (UK) »

Bumping - in case anyone didn't know that free access to Ancestry Library was still available.

In my area we have been told it will run through to the end of June (as per the ProQuest update).

Offline BillyF

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Re: Library remote access to Ancestry - not much longer
« Reply #7 on: Wednesday 28 April 21 15:53 BST (UK) »
I`ve just checked my library account and my books have been renewed by them until 1/06/2021 !! I guess the local library is not opening any time soon.

Access to AncestryLibrary edition is still available with them. I discovered that you can log into your library account then into Ancestry, and continue to use Ancestry even if you accidentally log out of your library account, which I did one day when I had a lot of tabs open!!

Offline Nick_Ips

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Re: Library remote access to Ancestry - not much longer
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 28 April 21 16:21 BST (UK) »
I`ve just checked my library account and my books have been renewed by them until 1/06/2021 !! I guess the local library is not opening any time soon.

Same here, my local library is a community-run one and it appears the council aren't willing/able to make the investment in Covid measures and training and instead will just wait until it is safe to reopen without.

As an aside, I'm working at a polling station for the upcoming local elections and there is a considerable amount of work and expense going in to making them safe(r) for workers and the public. Extending book renewal dates by a long time makes perfect sense when you see what is involved in the alternative.

Access to AncestryLibrary edition is still available with them. I discovered that you can log into your library account then into Ancestry, and continue to use Ancestry even if you accidentally log out of your library account, which I did one day when I had a lot of tabs open!!

Yes, Ancestry/ProQuest only require that someone is confirmed to be a genuine library user in order to log onto their system. The library logon does that verification, but you don't need to stay logged in to the library account to continue the Ancestry session - which is good thing in my area's case as their library account platform automatically logs you off after a short period of no activity. In my experience the Ancestry session does expire after a much longer length of no activity though.