Submitted by dboozer on
Printer-friendly version

We've received this question in the past and are providing an answer on the KIN24x7 Provider Site itself for future reference.

The KIN24x7 Provider Site at http://provider.knowitnow.org actually serves two purposes:

  1. To provide resources specifically to those institutions participating in the service as answerers.
  2. To provide information about the service to interested parties inside and outside of Ohio (including the KIN24x7 answerers).

Having pages for public consumption necessitates the need, by definition, to make some pages publicly accessible (i.e., no login required). These pages include:

The site's primary purpose -- to provide resources specifically to KIN24x7 answerers -- in turn necessitates making some of the pages of the site accessible only by logging in. These include:

Some of these pages require logins due to their proprietary nature (e.g., database access information). Others require logins due to their content being potentially sensitive (e.g., transcripts and survey comments). The Pathfinders require logins for two primary reasons. First, logging in encourages participation as this is necessary to edit existing content or to add a new Pathfinder. Second, the Pathfinders are meant to be a benefit for KIN24x7 librarians and to provide individual professional development. Librarians outside the KIN24x7 network can access this information if they join and contribute to the work of the service including contributing to the Pathfinder Project.

We are in the process of re-assessing which pages of the Provider site should have password-protection and aim to balance accessibility, security, and privacy.

In summary, if you are a staff member of a KIN24x7-answering institution, it is always best to login to the Provider site and remain logged in. This provides you with the maximum amount of content to which you are fully entitled to access. If you do not have an account for the site, simply click "Create New Account" and we will activate it usually within the same day. Please use a recognizable email address connected with a KIN24x7-answering library. An email with @"your library's domain name" or @knowitnow.org is best.