Shibboleth at LSE
LSE Library
Internal information for LSE users
The LSE Library is making every effort to make access to its electronic resources as straightforward as possible. The Library is currently implementing a new access method called Shibboleth. Shibboleth will allow LSE staff and students to access the majority of Library electronic resources using their LSE login (network username and password), both on- and off-campus.
What are the benefits of using Shibboleth?
What is the LSE Library doing?
What do publishers think about Shibboleth?
What is Shibboleth?
The Shibboleth technology provides an infrastructure for managing access to protected online services. Shibboleth is based on the idea of allowing an individual access to a resource based on their role rather than their identity. Shibboleth makes use of role-based attributes, details about the user which help establish whether the user should be given access to a protected resource. For example, role attributes for a student could include information about the student's affiliation with the home institution (e.g. a student at LSE), details about the course, study mode, year of study etc.
The implementation of Shibboleth in UK Higher and Further education is supported by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC). Shibboleth replaced Athens as the underlying access method used by UK Higher & Further education institutions in July 2008, as announced by JISC (please see one of their Shibboleth briefing papers).
What are the benefits of using Shibboleth?
These are just some of the benefits:
- No need to remember multiple passwords. In order to get access to a range of restricted resources, users only have to remember one username/password, typically given by the home institution.
- Fine-grained access control. By using user attributes for access control, it is easy to limit access to a particular group of users, such as students on a particular course.
- Highly flexible. Users can access the resource irrespective of their physical location. Shibboleth can be used in a number of different situations, from managing access to internal and external restricted resources to resource sharing.
- Highly scaleable. The Shibboleth trust model allows service providers (e.g. publishers) to trust identity providers (e.g. universities) to assure the users' identity without having to manage a local user database.
- Highly secure. The users' identities are not revealed to the service provider. Suppliers can be confident that only eligible users get access to the resource.
- Standards-based (uses SAML - the Security Assertion Markup Language).
What is the LSE Library doing?
The London School of Economics and Political Science (with the help of a Projects Team based in the Library) was the first institution in the UK to start implementing Shibboleth. The LSE Library has installed Shibboleth software and has been implementing its gradual transition to Shibboleth.
Until 31 July 2008, a large proportion of LSE electronic resources used Athens to provide off-campus access. The Library has now switched to using a combination of direct Shibboleth access and the Shibboleth implementation of EZProxy, as part of its gradual switch from Athens to Shibboleth. The advantage of combing shibbolised EZProxy with direct Shibboleth access is that this provides seamless access experience for users, who only need to use their LSE login to access the majority of LSE Library protected e-resources.
See the Shibbolisation progress at LSE Library at Sept 08 (a pie chart)
More service providers have now joined the UK Access Management Federation and the Library is now moving more resources over to direct Shibboleth access.
If you need any help with accessing LSE Library e-resources, first consult the Passwords information page on the LSE Library website.
What do publishers think about Shibboleth?
Many service providers (e.g. publishers) have already implemented Shibboleth and have joined the UK Access Management Federation, but other need more encouragement and support.
There have been international discussions between academic institutions (coordinated by Internet2, that developed Shibboleth) with the aim of encouraging publishers to adopt Shibboleth as their main Access Management architecture. The JISC Access Management Team has also been doing a lot of work in this area. The LSE Projects Team has been actively participating in these discussions. For over two years the LSE Projects Team (2006-2008) provided direct support to the JISC Access Management Team to help JISC support both UK academic institutions and service providers in their transition to the new Access Management system.
Many major publishers have already implemented the new technology or are strongly supportive of Shibboleth, while others are working towards it.
The UK Access Management Federation for Education & Research - live services list
For more information or to give feedback, please email the LSE Library Projects Team at info@angel.ac.uk .