home > reference & research > help with connecting to library databases
If you are a registered Hennepin County Library user who cannot access certain databases from home, the Public Help Desk suggests trying the following:
- Make sure you are connecting via the Library website, not a bookmark. You must connect via the website to be properly validated.
- Many of our databases set a cookie on your PC once they connect from our home page, and use that cookie to validate the user throughout the remainder of the session. Some patrons have found that in order to access library databases from home, they must temporarily enable cookies via their browser. Even if cookies have been enabled via your browser software, security software on your computer (Norton, firewalls, pop-up blockers, etc.) may be overriding your browser settings.
- You may have old HCL cookies on your computer that are filling in an old barcode number from an old library card. To clear any HCL cookies from your computer, go to: http://www.hclib.org/cookiecutter.cfm.
- Your browser history, or cache, may be taking you to an old HCL website address.
To clear this history in Internet Explorer:
- Click on Tools.
- Choose "Internet Options".
- Click on the "Clear History" button. (if prompted, click "Yes")
- Click the OK button.
- Still in "Internet Options", click on delete Files, then click the OK button. This will delete your temporary internet files.
- If none of the above works, call the Library's Public Help Desk at 612-543-8750 or e-mail.
