Like other fee-based online services, IRIS is designed to be used from or through computers at subscribing institutions.

We do not enable commercial Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for IRIS access. This means that you cannot use IRIS directly through your personal Internet Service Provider (you can, however, access IRIS through a proxy server at a subscribing institution; see below). Attempts to search IRIS through your personal Internet account will almost certainly result in an "access denied..." message.

There are two ways to access IRIS from off site:

1. Dial into your institution's server computer. Your computing or network services office can provide the server computer's telephone number. Once you have connected to the Internet through your institution's server computer, you should be able to use IRIS normally.

2. Point your Web browser to a proxy Web server at your institution or use your institution's Virtual Private Networking (VPN) client. A proxy server will ask you for your personal network ID and password that have been assigned to you by your institution. If you log on through a proxy server or VPN, it will enable you to connect to IRIS (and other proprietary online resources) just as if you were working from an on-site computer. To find specific information about your institutions VPN software or proxy server, try contacting your library.

If you have questions about accessing IRIS from home, on the road, or off site, please contact us at:

The Illinois Researcher Information Service (IRIS)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
128 Observatory
901 South Mathews Avenue
Urbana, Illinois 61801

Telephone: (217) 333-9893
Fax: (217) 333-7011
E-mail