This webinar presents an introduction to authentication and authorization for the academic librarian. Authentication and authorization are key concepts related to access to library licensed resources; however, they are often conflated with each other and misunderstood. Cody Hanson and Sunshine Carter will share an overview of the different technologies for authentication and authorization, including SAML/Shibboleth, proxies, CASA, etc., and highlight privacy implications. Attendees will also hear suggestions for better understanding their own local environment and how authentication and authorization operates at their institutions. The webinar is accompanied by the publication of a white paper on the same topics, which is available from the project website.

This work was undertaken as a component of the Mellon-supported Licensing Privacy project, which aims to improve how licensing terms are leveraged by academic libraries to advocate for patron privacy. The goal is to effect change in third-party platform practices in order to bring them into alignment with library values of privacy, confidentiality, and respect for user control over their usage data. Additional information about the Licensing Privacy project is available online at: https://publish.illinois.edu/licensingprivacy/.

Presenters: Cody Hanson and Sunshine Carter, University of Minnesota
Facilitator: Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign