This document summarizes the journey of a library to provide seamless access to electronic resources for on- and off-campus users through integrating Koha, EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS), and OpenAthens. Initially, the library used IP authentication and referring URLs, but saw issues with this approach. The implementation of EDS within Koha helped provide a single search but could not manage all access controls. OpenAthens was then added for centralized single sign-on, with an OAuth2 integration with existing systems like Moodle and Koha's ILS. While challenges remained, the combination of Koha, EDS and OpenAthens through OAuth2 helped achieve the goal of one login for all library

1. Doing Authentication
An Access Journey with
Koha + EDS + OpenAthens

2. Origins
1

3. Pre-Koha
E-Resources
● A few EBSCO
databases
● A few ebooks
(NetLibrary)
● A few online
journal
subscriptions
Access
● IP authentication
on campus
● Referring URL for
off-campus users
Pathways
● On campus
wireless network
● Student & faculty
login to course
registration
system
● Alumni login to
institutional
website

4. Along Came a New Librarian and Koha
E-Resources
● Databases from
EBSCO,
ProjectMUSE, and
Oxford
● Expanded EBSCO
eBook collection
● More online
journal
subscriptions
than print
Access
● IP authentication
on campus
● Referring URL for
off-campus users
Pathways
● On campus
wireless network
● Patron login to
Koha with links
in the OPAC note
field

5. Shortcomings
● OPAC notes are
cumbersome to
maintain*
● Patrons are
performing the same
search in more than
one place
● Not all eResources
support referring URL
authentication

6. IDEA!
What if patrons only had to perform one search in one
place for all our electronic and print collections?

7. EBSCO Discovery Service
2

8. Implementing EDS
● Assigned EBSCO Discovery Specialist walks you
through setup, testing, and final implementation
● Extensive questionnaire
● Catalog customizations are complicated and
critical
● Holdings Management/Full-Text Finder
● Establish syncing (FTP, OAI-PMH, z39.50)
● Options: EDS interface or setup EDS-API in Koha

9. ● Allows users a seamless
search experience
without leaving Koha
● Authenticates access to
search based on IP
address or Koha login
What EDS and the Koha Plugin Can and Cannot Do
● Cannot limit access to
licensed content based
on patron type
● Only authenticates off-
campus access to EBSCO
content

10. Increasing Anxiety on Campus
● Logins are becoming
essential
● Each login is different
● Security is
compromised when
patrons reuse
passwords or do not
change default
passwords
● Confusion on the rise

11. IDEA!
What if patrons only had to login once to one place to
access all resources?
What if students and faculty could use one login for
library resources AND other campus services?

12. OpenAthens & Oauth2
3

13. What is OpenAthens?
● SAML-backed Single Sign-On (SSO) service
● Eduserv product sold and co-supported by EBSCO
● Administrator dashboard to manage resources,
users, and permission sets
● Real-time auditing capability with long-term
usage data collection

14. Implementing OpenAthens
● Similar process as implementing EDS
● Another extensive questionnaire
● Important consideration: Which application will
host your user data?
● Every resource has to be set up, allocated, and
tested
● All URL links have to be replaced with “Athenized”
links

15. Our User Data Conundrum
● No centralized active directory; user information
duplicated by every system
● Option A: OpenAthens becomes the centralized
active directory and gateway for library resources
and all other institutional applications
● Option B: Choose an existing application or service
to feed information to OpenAthens and other
institutional applications

16. Enter Oauth2
● Authorization framework used by Google (and
others)
● More (economical) integrations available than
Shibboleth and SAML
● Oauth2 plugins installed on Moodle and Koha
● OpenAthens documentation available for creating
a Google Oauth2 connector

17. Phase 1 of OpenAthens
● Students, faculty, staff, and alumni who kept their
institutional Google accounts use Google to log in
to Moodle, Koha, and OpenAthens
● Alumni who do not have institutional Google
accounts have OpenAthens accounts and Koha
accounts
● New problem: links from the EDS-API are not
authenticating through OpenAthens

18. Beta Testing OpenAthens Plugin for Koha
● Plugin written for 16.11
● Developed by EBSCO – same team as EDS plugin
● Slow, drawn-out process
● Running on 16.05, needed additional JavaScript
for Koha to release information to OpenAthens
● Plugin sends patron type values not codes
● Works regardless of Koha login method
● Discovery searches in Koha are smoother
● Redirection doesn’t work in only one scenario

19. ULTIMATE GOALS
On- and off-campus access to all library eResources with one
(Koha) login and in one seamless transfer.
Anyone with an active institutional Google account uses the same
login to authenticate into all library resources and services

20. Open Athens + EDS + Koha = 90% to goal
Koha + Oauth2 = 75% to goal
Nearly there!

21. Thanks!
Myka Kennedy Stephens
Seminary Librarian & Assistant Professor
Lancaster Theological Seminary
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Email: mkstephens@lancasterseminary.edu
Facebook: @mykakennedystephens
Blog: www.mission-information.org
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