Using the KTHB proxy

Accessing journals from outside KTH can be difficult, but thankfully, KTHB has a proxy that you can go through from wherever you are. You simply login to the KTH web and access journals (and other resources) through the KTHB website.

The trick

More convenient than going through the KTHB website to use the proxy is to invoke it directly, which you can do using a JavaScript bookmarklet! Here is what you need to do:

• Drag this bookmark, KTHBproxy, to your browser's toolbar.

This rewards you with a single-click jump through paywalls. Whenever you are looking at a paper at a journal site which might be accessible via KTHB, click the bookmark and let it take you through the KTHB access control system. If you are already logged in to the KTH web site, you are right away directed to the content you want.

Take a look at the JavaScript, it is simply asking KTHB for a redirect of the URL you are at:

javascript:(function() {window.location = 'http://focus.lib.kth.se/login?url=' + window.location})()
  

Trick history

Aymeric Fouquier d'Herouel taught me a URL-based trick which I turned into a conventient bookmarklet. This served me and colleagues for several years, until KTHB updated its access system.

Szilárd Páll was one of these users, and he kindly shared an update to the trick (the one shown above) after consultation with the KTHB tech support. This update is likely to survive longer due to following KTHB recommendations!