What exactly is INSPIRE?
INSPIRE is Indiana's Virtual Library on the Internet. INSPIRE is a collection of
commercial databases and other information resources that can be accessed by Indiana
residents using any computer equipped with an Indiana Internet connection and a Web browser such
as Netscape or Internet Explorer.
Why call it INSPIRE?
INSPIRE stands for INdiana
SPectrum of
Information
REsources.
What kind of information is available on INSPIRE?
Anything that you might find in a magazine or journal plus Websites, pamphlets, images,
almanacs, library catalogs, and more.
Who can access INSPIRE?
INSPIRE can be accessed by Indiana residents who have Internet access at school, home, in their
library or at their place of business. Residents of other states may have
similar services available to them.
How much will INSPIRE cost me?
INSPIRE is currently provided at no cost to all residents of Indiana as a service of the State and libraries of
Indiana.
Who is paying for INSPIRE?
The INSPIRE databases are funded by various means including INCOLSA member support, grant, and INCOLSA funds.
A one-time grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. enabled us to pay for the SiteSearch software and its subsequent
development, and LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) funding is used for administration costs such as
staff, accommodation, equipment etc.
How do I access INSPIRE?
Point your Web Browser to http://www.inspire.net
How do you know if an INSPIRE user is in Indiana? I thought the Internet was World-Wide?
Generally, computers connected to the Internet can be identified by their unique Internet
Protocol (IP) Address. (The IP address is allocated by the server through which you
connect to the Internet.) We have gathered IP addresses from local Internet service
providers, colleges, libraries, K-12 schools and businesses so we can authenticate users
who connect to the Internet within the state of Indiana.
I use America Online and I cannot access the INSPIRE site from my home computer, why not?
If you use any Internet Service Provider (ISP) that serves areas outside Indiana (such as
AOL, CompuServe and Prodigy), you will need to apply for an INSPIRE Password.
My local ISP is in Indiana and I still cannot get access to INSPIRE from home. Why not?
We may need to update our authorization files with details of your ISP. Please email the
name, address and telephone number of your ISP to support@INSPIRE.net or apply for an INSPIRE Password.
What is INSPIREsearch?
The INSPIREsearch FAQ should help answer this question.
How do I get support if I have a problem?
You can contact INSPIRE support staff in the following ways:
By Telephone at our Indiana toll-free number: 1-877-5-INSPIRE (1-877-546-7747)
Telephone support is available Monday to Friday, (except Public
Holidays) 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Indianapolis time.
By Email at support@INSPIRE.net
Please include a detailed description of the problem and the exact wording of any error
message you may have seen. Emails will normally be answered within 24 hours of receipt.
By Fax at 1-317-328-2380
Please place the words INSPIRE SUPPORT clearly at the top of your fax.
You should include a detailed description of the problem, the exact wording of any error
message you may have seen and also a daytime telephone number at which you can be reached.
Your enquiry will normally be answered within 24 hours of receipt.
Vendor Support
For EBSCOhost Interface support call 800-758-5995 or email eptech@epnet.com
For Biography Resource Center, Informe! & LitFinder support call 800-877-4253, email gale.technicalsupport@thomson.com, or use their online form.
For WorldCat support call 800-733-1899 x132 or email services@incolsa.net
How current is the information in INSPIRE?
Many databases are updated on a daily basis and the currency of data varies by journal,
although some articles are actually available ahead of general publication.
What commercial databases are available on INSPIRE?
Click here for a detailed description of the databases.
Do you provide access to ALL the contents of these journals?
INSPIRE provides cover to cover indexing and abstracts of all articles that appear in
every periodical with the exception of some newspapers. Only letters to the editor,
advertisements and some images are excluded.
Will you offer access to more commercial products in the future?
The content of INSPIRE will be under review constantly and new products and services may
be offered here in the future, subject to our level of funding.
Why is the INSPIRE site so slow sometimes?
There are a number of reasons why INSPIRE may occasionally seem slow. At certain peak
times during the day and early evening, the Internet itself may be running slowly due to
the number of people online.
If you are using a PC that has a slow modem connection or not enough system resources
(memory, processor speed etc.), then this could also make INSPIRE appear sluggish.
Please check our system requirements.
Can I find genealogy material on INSPIRE?
The Indiana Links include resources on the Internet that may help
with a genealogy search, but the INSPIRE databases are not a good resource for genealogy materials.
We are using a firewall [filter, etc.] to limit Internet access.
What URLs do I need to allow in order to search the INSPIRE databases?
Here are the sites you will need to allow. The exact format you will use in entering them will depend on your firewall or filter.
inspire.net
inspirekids.net
epnet.com
ebscohost.com
galegroup.com
webfeat.org
litfinder.com
How do I cite INSPIRE materials for the paper I am writing?
When a specific style of citation is not required for online references, the following styles may serve.
EBSCOhost Guide to Citing Electronic Resources
How to Cite InfoTrac and GaleNet Sources
Citing information from Lit Finder
Additional sites for citation styles
Citing Electronic Resources
Brief Guide to Citing Government Publications
Using Chicago Style to Cite and Document Sources
Why do I get a "You are not authorized" "403:Forbidden" "We have been unable to validate the information provided" error or a login page at *.webfeat.org when trying to search the INSPIRE databases?
These errors are related to our verification procedure for determining Indiana residency. You may be able to get around the errors by pointing your Web browser to http://login.inspire.net to access the INSPIRE databases with your INSPIRE password. We have determined at least one program, Norton Personal Firewall(NPF)/Norton Internet Security(NIS), causes some of these errors. To fix this problem you can disable NPF/NIS long enough to select the database link that is causing the error and then re-enable NPF/NIS. This will set a cookie on your computer that should prevent the error in the future. If the error persists you can adjust the following settings.
If you are running version 8 of Norton Personal Firewall
1. Open Norton Personal Firewall
2. Under Privacy Control
3. Click on Configure
4. Click on Advanced
5. On the Global Settings tab under Scripts
6. Click on Permit
OR
1. Follow steps 1-5 above
2. Click on Add Site in the Lower Left
3. Add webfeat.org
4. inspire.net will appear in the list on the left
5. Click on it
6. Uncheck the Use Default Settings box to the right under Scripts
7. Check the Permit Radio Button
Repeat these steps for inspire.net, ebscohost.com and epnet.com.
If you are running Norton Internet Security you may need to use the following instructions.
1. Open Norton Internet Security 2005.
2. Click on privacy control.
3. Click on configure.
4. Click on advanced.
5. Click on add site.
6. Enter in the name of the trusted site. (webfeat.org)
7. Click on ok.
8. Click on the name of the trusted site in the panel on the left.
9. On the right, uncheck all the boxes under the Global settings tab.
10. Choose permit for all the radio buttons.
11. Under the User Settings tab, uncheck all the boxes.
12. Choose permit for all the radio buttons.
13. Click ok and log back into the resource want to access via INSPIRE.
Repeat these steps for inspire.net, ebscohost.com and epnet.com.
If you encounter this error and are not running NPF please send an email to support@INSPIRE.net
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