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World Book Online Technical Help

Overview

Thank you for your subscription to World Book Online!
This guide is designed to help you with questions you may have with your subscribed products. Please share this information with anyone that is involved with getting your patrons connected to World Book, including the technical department at your institution.

The following subjects are covered in this guide:

  • Common Issues
  • Testing Your Access
  • Advanced Configurations
  • Home Access
  • Customer Identifiers
  • System Requirements

World Book Online is hosted by one of the largest Internet service providers in North America. The network continually strives to maintain over 400% availability above peak bandwidth, to ensure customer access even under the heaviest online traffic.

However the availability of World Book Online is dependant on more than the hosting environment provided by World Book’s systems. There are several other factors that can affect availability including:

  • The customer’s subscription to World Book Online should be in good standing, with active subscriptions on the customer account for the user to access.
  • The account should be pre-configured for user access, including the choice of authentication type and access information supplied by the customer, including ID Password, IP number, Referring URL and/or Library Card number. If no access information has been provided for the account, please contact Customer Service.
  • The user’s computer must meet the minimum requirements of the supported browsers listed in the Help file in each World Book Online product. Please consult the browser’s home website for a list of these minimum requirements.
  • The browser being used to access World Book Online must have the required settings which will allow access. These include setting the browser to use JavaScript as well as setting the Security and Privacy settings sufficiently so that they will not block access to the site.
  • All of the network connections between the user and World Book’s systems must be functioning properly, including connections provided by the customer’s ISP and third party network providers.
  • The local network provided at the user’s location must be able to support the user requests without congestion by supplying sufficient bandwidth for the number of simultaneous requests at that location.
  • Access at the user’s location may be secured by a firewall on the local network or by security software on the local computer. The network firewall and security software must allow user access to all of the URLs required for normal functions within World Book Online. See Advanced Configurations below for a list of these URLs.


Common Issues

  • System Status - Consult the Uptime Reports page to check for system availability messages. This page is maintained regularly and will display the current system status. If there are issues within the World Book hosting environment, it will be noted in the uptime report:

    • World Book Online Uptime Reports

  • Subscription Status - The customer’s account should be in good standing with current subscriptions to World Book Online products to allow user access. The account administrator can check the account’s standing by accessing their account information online:

    • My Account

    After logging in, the Administrator can verify the account’s standing by referring to the Manage Account page and checking the dates for the subscribed products. If the subscriptions have expired, please contact your World Book Sales Representative.

  • Account Authentication Settings - The customer’s account authentication must be pre-configured for their users to access World Book Online. The account administrator can check the authentication settings by accessing the My Account site.

    • My Account

    After logging in to My Account, click on Authentication and then select the authentication type that has been pre-configured. These include: IP Address, ID Password, Referring URL and Library Card number.

    If the Administrator has not provided access information to Customer Service or if the authentication types displayed in My Account are incorrect, Customer Service should be consulted so that these may be configured.

  • Browser Privacy and Security Settings - For the user to connect, the browser settings must allow sufficient rights to reach World Book Online domain. Check the browser’s Security and Privacy settings to ensure they are not set too high for normal web access. Consult your browser’s Help file for more information regarding Security and Privacy settings.

    • World Book recommends that Security and Privacy be set to Medium.

  • Browser JavaScript - The browser settings should allow JavaScript to run. JavaScript is required for the functioning of World Book Online. If the browser’s use of JavaScript is turned off, access to World Book Online will be impeded. Consult your browser’s Help file for more information regarding JavaScript settings.

    • World Book Online requires JavaScript to be set to Enabled.

  • Minimum Requirements - World Book Online supports standard browsers used by more than 99% of its patrons. Supported browsers are recommended and are listed in the World Book Help file of each online product, and at the end of this guide.

    • The browser’s minimum requirements must be met in order for the browser to function normally, including the speed and memory of the user’s computer. For a list of the Minimum Requirements, consult your browser’s Help file or the browser manufacturer’s website.

  • Public IP Addresses - If your institution has chosen IP address as an authentication method, a public IP is required. A public IP is an address that is accessible through the public Internet via DNS.

    • Private IP addresses are commonly used within an institution’s internal network. Private IPs cannot be used to access World Book directly, but rather the public IP must be provided instead.

    The following are private IPs and their ranges which should not be supplied to Customer Service for access to World Book:

    010.000.000.000  to  010.255.255.255
    172.016.000.000  to  172.031.255.255
    192.168.000.000  to  192.168.255.255
    169.254.000.000  to  169.254.255.255

Testing Your Access

If a user accessing World Book Online is experiencing slowness or other issues relating to access by subscribed users, there are several tests that can be conducted in order to help identify the source of the issue. Below are steps which can be taken in this process:

  1. Welcome Message - The Super Homepage contains a Welcome Message in the upper right corner, indicating the name of the institution on the account that is being accessed.

    2. Check the Welcome Message by logging in to World Book Online. If the Super Homepage is not displayed by default, it may be accessed by clicking the link “Switch to another World Book Site” found near the bottom of each webpage.

    When accessing World Book Online, users should utilize the custom URL for their institution’s account. This URL will be in the format:

    //www.worldbookonline.com/?subacct=XXXXX

    where XXXXX would be replaced by your institution’s World Book account number.

    If the Welcome Message displayed is not that of your institution, or if there are questions regarding the use of the custom URL, contact Customer Service.

  2. Internet Access - The user’s location should provide access to the public Internet, so that the user may reach World Book Online.

    3. Test the Internet connection by accessing an unauthenticated page on World Book Online such as the World Book Training site:

    //www.worldbookonline.com/training

    A successful page load of an unauthenticated page on World Book Online indicates that Internet access for the user is functioning normally.

    If the user cannot reach an unauthenticated page of World Book Online, consult your institution’s technical department to have the Internet access checked.

  3. World Book Test - If you are unable to enter World Book Online, use the following URL to test the network access:

    4. //www.worldbookonline.com/test

    Copy and paste all of the information on the test results page and send this to wboltech@worldbook.com along with a description of the issue and your contact information.

  4. My Access - If you are able to enter World Book Online and would like to see which account you are accessing it through and it's authentication details, run the network test from a computer that would be used to access World Book Online.

    5. Once tested, scroll down to the very bottom of the test page to World Book Web Access Details.

    Copy and paste all of the information regarding your access and send this to wboltech@worldbook.com along with a description of the issue and your contact information.

Advanced Configurations

The following technical specifications are for advanced users and IT professionals. Please consult with your technical department regarding the following tests and configurations:

  1. Security - If the local computer accessing World Book Online is running security software or if the local network has a firewall, the settings of these should be checked. World Book Online requires that access to the following URLs be allowed in firewalls and security software:

    2. //www.worldbookonline.com
    http://worldbook.planetasaber.com
    //www.google-analytics.com
    http://www.edgate.com
    //www.adobe.com
    www.media.worldbookonline.com

    Consult with your institution’s technical department for more information regarding security software and firewall settings.

  2. Traceroute - A test may be conducted to determine the route taken by packets across an IP network. This test is called a traceroute. This can be used to analyze the network route taken by the user request when accessing World Book.

    3. A traceroute may be conducted from the user’s computer to World Book Online by making a traceroute to //www.worldbookonline.com. After conducting a traceroute to World Book, send the results to wboltech@worldbook.com along with your contact information and a description of the issue.

    Additionally, a traceroute may be conducted by World Book to the user’s network. For this test, your institution’s public IP address should be supplied to Customer Service.

    World Book recommends that customers consult with their technical department when conducting traceroutes or providing their network’s IP information.

    WINDOWS: Open the command line by going to Start>Run then entering CMD EXE. In the command line enter TRACERT WWW.WORLDBOOKONLINE.COM to run the traceroute.

    MACINTOSH: Open the Termimal by going to Applications>Terminal then entering traceroute //www.worldbookonline.com in the terminal window.

  3. EZ Proxy - Customers accessing the public Internet through EZproxy should place the following entry into the ezproxy.cfg file on their EZproxy server:

    4. Title   World Book Online
    URL   http://www.worldbookonline.com
    Domain   worldbookonline.com

    If World Book Hispánica Saber: Gran Enciclopedia Hispánica has been subscribed, an additional line is required in the ezproxy.cfg file:

    DJ  worldbook.planetsaber.com

  4. Federated Search - World Book offers a federated search API using the RSS 2.0 XML standard. Currently the federated search API has been integrated with popular software packages from federated search vendors including Follett, Book Systems, Inc, and Serial Solutions.

    5. If your institution is currently using a federated search, World Book recommends that you contact your federated search vendor and request that they integrate the World Book federated search API for all of your World Book products.

  5. Key/Salt one click authentication - Key/Salt one click authentication may also be used for additional security when authenticating accounts. Authentication codes are available by request for any institutions or learning management systems that require them.

Home Access

Referring URL - Home Access Made Easy

The benefits of using Referring URL for home access are that it is easy to implement and even easier for users to remotely access World Book Online.

Requirements:

The requirements for Referring URL authentication are:

  • Place a link to World Book on a webpage on your site
  • Secure the webpage so non-subscribers cannot access it
  • The webpage must have a static URL
  • Send the URL to Customer Service to be included in the World Book database

Once the requirements above have been implemented, the link will begin working immediately. Users will not need to remember any passwords or web addresses for World Book. They will go to your site, log in, and click the link. It’s that easy.

Definitions:

  1. Link to World Book - the link to World Book Online should be: //www.worldbookonline.com

    This html code may be cut and pasted into your secure webpage:

    <a href="//www.worldbookonline.com">World Book Online</a>

  2. Secure Webpage - the page on your site, where the link to World Book is placed, must be secure. That is, it must not be accessible to non-subscribers. Every account has a limited number of licenses. If non-subscribers are accessing World Book on your account, then they may be preventing access by your authorized users.
  3. Static URL - the webpage on your site, where the link to World Book is placed, must have a static URL. Every visit to that page should have the same web address. If the address changes with each visit, for instance if there are session variables, the Referring URL link will not function.

    4. Here is an example of a static URL that will work with Referring URL:

    http://www.mywebsite.edu/reference/online-resources.html

    A dynamic URL that changes with each visit might look like this:

    http://www.mywebsite.edu/reference/default.php?id=1154443575

    If the last number, or any part of the address changes with each visit to the page, or after logging out and logging back in, then the URL is Dynamic. Dynamic addresses will not work with Referring URL access. A static URL is required, where the address does not change.

  4. Send the URL to Customer Service - once the link to World Book is placed on the secure webpage of your site, send the static URL to Customer Service by email. The email address is sub.questions@worldbook.com. A login and password to your site should also be provided so that we may test the functionality and make sure the link is working properly.


Best Practices:

Here are some tips on getting the Referring URL link up and running:

  • Framed Pages - if your website uses frames, the address in the browser’s address bar may not be the actual address of the frame where the World Book link is, so you will want to double check the address of the framed page. Using your mouse, right click on the webpage close to where the link to World Book has been placed. A dialog box from the web browser will display. Choose “Properties” (Internet Explorer) or “View Page Info” (Mozilla, Firefox). This will show the actual page address of the frame. This is the URL to send to World Book.
  • Popups, Redirects, New Browsers - although using a popup, redirecting to a separate page, or opening a new browser may work when the Referring URL is clicked, this functionality is not recommended due to the increased complexity of the implementation. Many browsers have popup blockers that will interfere and redirects or opening a new browser can change the URL which the Referring URL uses. A standard link to //www.worldbookonline.com is recommended.
  • Navigation Bar Links - placing a Referring URL link in a navigation bar is generally not compatible with Referring URL. This is because the page URL will change from page to page, while Referring URL requires a single, static address. Placing the Referring URL link in the body of the page is recommended.
  • Maintenance - if the address for the page changes, where the Referring URL link is placed, send us the new address as soon as possible. Changing the page address will cause the Referring URL link to stop working.
  • Home Use - If a Referring URL is accessed from within an institution, it will not be logged as in-house. The referring URL link should only be used outside the institution, so that the usage is logged in the Usage Reports as Remote Use.


Web Graphics

Linking to World Book Online

The Web Graphics feature provides an easy to use method to access World Book Online. These graphics will provide a weblink from your website to World Book Online products to which you have subscribed.

The Web Graphic includes an icon for the World Book product of your choice and the link to the product all in one. Just cut and paste the embed code into your webpage and the graphic and link will work automatically.

To access the Web Graphics page:

  1. Go to World Book My Account: //www.worldbookonline.com/myaccount
  2. Log in with your Administrator ID (your email address) and password.
  3. On the Dashboard page, see the Downloads section and click on Web Graphics.

The Web Graphics page provides graphics which link directly to each online product offered by World Book, as well as a main World Book Online graphic, which links to the Super Homepage.

To place a Web Graphic on your institution’s webpage:

  1. Choose the graphic of your choice from the Web Graphics page.
  2. Below the graphic is an embed code, copy the code in the box.
  3. Find the place in your website’s html page where you would like the Web Graphic to appear.
  4. Paste the embed code and save the html page to your website.
  5. The World Book Online Graphic will now appear automatically.

Best Practices:

  • Every graphic’s embed tag is customized to your account, so don’t share these tags with other institutions or post your Web Graphics where users of other institutions might access them. The Web Graphics provide a convenient link to World Book Online and will let us know that the user clicking on the graphic is from your institution.
  • The Web Graphics provide a link, but do not log the user into World Book Online. The graphics are designed to work with the authentication method that your World Book account is already using.
  • The Web Graphics may be posted on your public webpage or may be posted behind your institution’s own login. They will also work with intranet pages if your intranet has access to the Internet.


Customer Identifiers

World Book Online provides many features which are customized to your account. These are called “Localizations.” Localization features may be set manually in you’re my Account administrator control panel or can be invoked automatically by accessing your subscription with a Customer Identifier. Additionally, Usage Reports can be provided specific to your institution, if your account has been previously configured for usage collection and the patrons access World Book Online with a Customer Identifier.

Customer Identifier Definitions:

Localization:  Any feature which is customized to the user’s account.

These include:

  • Account Name - the account name can be displayed on the login page.
  • Welcome Message - found at the top of the Super Homepage.
  • Resource Guides - can be set to your geographical location.
  • Newspapers, Magazines, and Newsfeeds - can be localized to your geographical location.

Usage Reporting:  Statistical monthly tabulation of the patron usage of World Book Online. Usage reports detail estimated hits, sessions, searches and content views. Reports are available with an administrator’s login to My Account. Use of a Customer Identifier is required to accurately log usage.

Customer Identifier:  Any method of identifying the user’s account, location and method of access for the purpose of providing Localization and Usage Reporting.

These include:

  • URL based CID (customer identifier number where the account number is appended to the URL)
    Example: //www.worldbookonline.com/?subacct=12345
  • Username and Password (where the login is unique to an institution and is not shared with others)
  • IP Address (where an IP is unique to an institution and is not shared with others)
  • Referring URL Link (where the referrer is unique to an institution and is not shared with others)

URL Based CID

The URL based CID is the preferred method of identification. Anywhere a patron may receive instruction or linking for World Book Online, the URL based CID should be used.

Why use the CID URL?

  • Accounts whose consortium’s are using proxy servers, may be obscuring your patron’s identity. Use the CID URL to identify your patrons.
  • Usage Reporting accuracy is dependant on correctly identifying your patrons are accessing with your account’s prescription.
  • Localized features and content is only possible if your patrons are identified.

The following methods are provided by World Book for URL Based CID identification:

  • The Thank You message sent to the account administrator upon activating the subscription contains the URL based CID for your account. Copy and paste this URL in all communications, web links and areas where your patrons will have access to World Book Online.
  • The Web Graphics contain the CID URLs for your account. Log in to the My Account site with your administrator’s login and copy and paste the web code provided on the Web Graphics page into your institution’s own website. Your patrons which click on the graphics for access to World Book Online will use the CID URL automatically.

Username and Password

Username and password is perhaps the most commonly used method of authentication. If your login is unique to your institution, it may also be used to identify the patrons who are accessing from your institution.

  • World Book encourages all administrators to contact Customer Service to set up a unique login for their institution.
  • The Desktop Icon may be used in conjunction with username and password to identify your users. Please see the section above regarding Desktop Icons.

IP Authentication

IP authentication may be used for both authentication and identification, if your institution has IPs that are unique to your institution and are not shared with others. If your institution is part of a consortium or if there is a known proxy server in your network, please consult with your technical department.

  • World Book encourages all administrators to contact Customer Service to set up a unique IP for their institution.
  • The Desktop Icon may be used in conjunction with IP addresses to identify your users. Please see the section above regarding Desktop Icons.

Referring URL

Referring URL may be used for both authentication and identification, if your institution has a webpage that is unique to your institution and is not shared with others.

  • Referring URL is appropriate for linking users at home from your institution’s website to World Book Online. Your website must have its own authentication method such as username and password to prevent unauthorized users on the Intenet from accessing your subscription.
  • As long as the Referring URL link is used only by users from your institution, it may be used successfully as a method of identification.


System Requirements

Browsers:

Explorer Icon Chrome
Explorer Icon Internet Explorer
Version 11.0 and higher
Firefox Icon Mozilla Firefox
Version 17.0 and higher
Safari Icon Safari
Version 6.0 and higher

Following Plug-ins are needed to use site

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Java Runtime
  • Shockwave flash

For full accessibility, please add the following sites to your network white list:

  • //www.google-analytics.com/ga.js
  • https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.11.0/jquery.min.js
  • http://fonts.gstatic.com/
  • //media.worldbookonline.com

Mobile Devices Supported

  • Safari Browser on iPhone
  • Android browser on Android
  • Internet Explorer on Windows phone
  • Internet Explorer on Blackberry

Following setting should be enabled

  • Cookies should be enabled
  • Javascript should be enabled
  • Security level in the browser should be medium or lower (should not be high)


Questions? Contact World Book Online Support:

USA: 1-800-338-8382
Canada: 1-800-837-5365
Email: wboltech@worldbook.com

Last updated: 11-4-2015