[Library Network] Conditions of Use and Licensing Restrictions for E-Resource
Prohibited Actions When Using Electronic Resources
Mass Downloading Strictly Prohibited
- Automated operations or bulk downloads using programs
- Rapid consecutive clicks (prohibited even manually)
- Access via browser prefetch functions
- Copying, redistribution, or use beyond personal purposes
Cases of Unintentional "Excessive Access"
Cases where actions are considered "attacks" by system specifications are increasing, even without malicious intent.
Multiple people in a lab divided download tasks manually. Since the access source (university IP) was the same, it was detected as concentrated access in a short period.
Clicking through HTML abstracts and full texts one after another. Even without opening PDFs, the request frequency to the server was considered "downloading".
The "auto-import PDF" setting in reference management software was ON, causing repeated mass access in the background.
A book fell on the keyboard, holding down the F5 key (refresh). Hundreds of accesses were recorded in just a few minutes.
Essential! Settings Review Checklist
Reference Management Software (Turn OFF Auto-DL)
Prevent unintended background communication.
| Paperpile | Settings > Storage & Sync OFF "Automatically download PDFs" |
|---|---|
| EndNote Click Mendeley | Disable the extension or uncheck "Automatically add PDFs" in settings. |
| Zotero | Do not run "Find PDF" on multiple selections. Turn OFF Connector proxy settings when off-campus. |
| ReadCube | Do not use "LOCATE PDF" on multiple selections. |
Web Browser (Turn OFF Prefetch)
"Page loading speed improvement" features access sites in the background.
| EEdge | Settings > Cookies and site data OFF "Preload pages for..." |
|---|---|
| CChrome | Settings > Performance OFF "Preload pages" |
| SSafari | Preferences > Search OFF "Preload Top Hit in..." |
| FFirefox | about:config > network.prefetch-next false Change value to "false" |
Generative AI & Data Mining
* Uploading content to cloud-based generative AI may constitute copyright infringement.
Strict Account Management
"Lending your ID to others" or "using someone else's ID" is prohibited under Kyoto University's Information System Usage Regulations.
Posters & Flyers
[Solved] American Chemical Society（ACS） e-journals is rejected
The issue has been resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience. (April 22, 2026)
Kyoto University has been blocked from accessing content on ACS website. We are investigating the cause and ask for your patience until service is restored.
[Solved] Technical Issues with the E-Journal/Database Authentication System
The issue has been resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience. (March 9, 2026)
We are experiencing a technical issue with our E-Journal/Database Authentication System (As of March 8, 2026, 10:00 AM). When attempting to access electronic resources, the error message "EZproxy is currently unavailable. Please contact your system administrator for assistance" is displayed, and resources cannot be accessed.
We apologize for the inconvenience and ask for your patience while we work to restore service.
[University Library Electronic Resources Team]
[Library Network] Conditions of Use and Licensing Restrictions for E-Resource
Prohibited Actions When Using Electronic Resources
Mass Downloading Strictly Prohibited
- Automated operations or bulk downloads using programs
- Rapid consecutive clicks (prohibited even manually)
- Access via browser prefetch functions
- Copying, redistribution, or use beyond personal purposes
Cases of Unintentional "Excessive Access"
Cases where actions are considered "attacks" by system specifications are increasing, even without malicious intent.
Multiple people in a lab divided download tasks manually. Since the access source (university IP) was the same, it was detected as concentrated access in a short period.
Clicking through HTML abstracts and full texts one after another. Even without opening PDFs, the request frequency to the server was considered "downloading".
The "auto-import PDF" setting in reference management software was ON, causing repeated mass access in the background.
A book fell on the keyboard, holding down the F5 key (refresh). Hundreds of accesses were recorded in just a few minutes.
Essential! Settings Review Checklist
Reference Management Software (Turn OFF Auto-DL)
Prevent unintended background communication.
| Paperpile | Settings > Storage & Sync OFF "Automatically download PDFs" |
|---|---|
| EndNote Click Mendeley |
Disable the extension or uncheck "Automatically add PDFs" in settings. |
| Zotero | Do not run "Find PDF" on multiple selections. Turn OFF Connector proxy settings when off-campus. |
| ReadCube | Do not use "LOCATE PDF" on multiple selections. |
Web Browser (Turn OFF Prefetch)
"Page loading speed improvement" features access sites in the background.
| EEdge | Settings > Cookies and site data OFF "Preload pages for..." |
|---|---|
| CChrome | Settings > Performance OFF "Preload pages" |
| SSafari | Preferences > Search OFF "Preload Top Hit in..." |
| FFirefox | about:config > network.prefetch-next false Change value to "false" |
Generative AI & Data Mining
* Uploading content to cloud-based generative AI may constitute copyright infringement.
Strict Account Management
"Lending your ID to others" or "using someone else's ID" is prohibited under Kyoto University's Information System Usage Regulations.
Posters & Flyers
[Important] Introduction of Multi-Factor Authentication for E-Journal and Database Access
*Multi-factor authentication has been introduced. Please refer to the explanation below when using it. (2026.2.19).
*Added a note that short-term IDs are not subject to multi-factor authentication (no one-time password required) (2025.12.25).
Starting Thursday, February 19, 2026, as part of our security enhancement measures, we will introduce the university's multi-factor authentication (at our university, "two-factor authentication" combining two elements) operated by the Institute for Information Management and Communication for access to electronic journals and databases.
There will be no major changes to the procedure itself, but the login screen flow and input fields will change. This is the same as logging into student email (KUMOI) or faculty/staff email (KUMail).
With the introduction of multi-factor authentication, in addition to your ECS-ID/SPS-ID and password, you will need to enter a "one-time password" generated by your smartphone or an authentication app.
*Access with a short-term ID is not subject to multi-factor authentication (no one-time password is required).
1. Overview of Changes
In addition to conventional ID and password authentication, we will require a second factor (one-time password) for identity verification, thereby improving the security level.
This will reduce the risk of unauthorized use due to leakage of IDs and passwords.
| Before Change (Current) | ECS-ID or SPS-ID + Password |
|---|---|
| After Change (From February 19, 2026) |
1. ECS-ID or SPS-ID + Password 2. One-Time Password (6-digit or 8-digit number) *If you use a short-term ID, a one-time password is not required. |
2. How to Use After Multi-Factor Authentication Introduction
The basic flow of "clicking the bookmarklet to authenticate" remains unchanged.
Connection Procedure
*Please enter the code from an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator, a browser extension, or an email notification.
3. Advance Preparation Required
To use multi-factor authentication, you need to complete the university-wide multi-factor authentication setup in advance.
If you have not yet completed the setup, please refer to the following manual.
Multi-Factor Authentication Getting Started Manual (Institute for Information Management and Communication)
https://u.kyoto-u.jp/mfa-start-en
[Contact]
Main Library, Electronic Resources Team
https://www.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/form/14106?lang=en
[Solved] IEEE Xplore Access Problems
Currently, when accessing "IEEE Xplore" through the E-Journal and Database Authentication System, an error (code 418) occurs and the service is unavailable.
We apologize for the inconvenience. The provider is currently working on the issue. Please wait until the service is restored.
[Library Network] Conditions of Use and Licensing Restrictions for E-Resource
Prohibited use of electronic resources
Use of electronic resources including databases, e-journals and e-books
subscribed by Kyoto University is subject to copyright laws and licence
agreements.
The licences generally prohibit the following uses:
- Systematic and programmatic download
- Usage beyond the private purpose
- Reproducing and distributing
Violation of the licence agreements may result in the suspension of access to e-resources for the whole University. Please be aware that access may also be blocked on a per-user basis due to the authentication system.
Note on text and data mining and generative AI
- In some cases, special permission from the publisher or a separate agreement may be required to use electronic resources for text and data mining or for training generative AI. If you plan to use resources for such purposes, please contact "Question about E-Journals/Databases" in advance.
- Please note that uploading electronic resource content to cloud-based services, such as generative AI, machine translation, etc., may constitute a breach of contract and copyright infringement.
Automatic Download Features of Reference Management Tools and Browser Preloading Functions
Recently, there have been cases of unintentional mass downloading/mass access caused by the automatic download function of literature management software/plug-ins or the link preview function of web browsers.
These functions repeatedly access links within a page in the background. As a result, the user may be unaware that he or she is causing a mass download/access. Please do not use these functions as they may induce a malfunction of the e-journal/database authentication system.
For information about settings in each literature management software and web browser,
[Attention!] Regarding Bulk Access to Electronic Resources Due to Automatic Download Features of Reference Management Tools and Browser Preloading Functions
Flyers
- Electronic Journal "Excessive Access" Recent Case: It happens without any intention!!（PDF）[Flier]
Related Pages
- E-Journals & E-Books List
- Flyer: E-Journals : Access and Use Restrictions (PDF) [English] [Chinese] [Korean] [Japanese]
- How to use e-resources
- Authentication System Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
[Kyoto University Library Network]
Posted: 2025/12/01
[Solved] IEEE Xplore Access Problems
The issue has been resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience. (11/11/2025)
We are currently experiencing issues accessing IEEE Xplore.
We apologize for the inconvenience. The provider is working to resolve the issue. Please wait until service is restored.
[Library Network] Conditions of Use and Licensing Restrictions for E-Resource
Prohibited use of electronic resources
Use of electronic resources including databases, e-journals and e-books
subscribed by Kyoto University is subject to copyright laws and licence
agreements.
The licences generally prohibit the following uses:
- Systematic and programmatic download
- Usage beyond the private purpose
- Reproducing and distributing
Violation of the licence agreements may result in the suspension of access to e-resources for the whole University. Please be aware that access may also be blocked on a per-user basis due to the authentication system.
Note on text and data mining and generative AI
- In some cases, special permission from the publisher or a separate agreement may be required to use electronic resources for text and data mining or for training generative AI. If you plan to use resources for such purposes, please contact "Question about E-Journals/Databases" in advance.
- Please note that uploading electronic resource content to cloud-based services, such as generative AI, machine translation, etc., may constitute a breach of contract and copyright infringement.
Automatic Download Features of Reference Management Tools and Browser Preloading Functions
Recently, there have been cases of unintentional mass downloading/mass access caused by the automatic download function of literature management software/plug-ins or the link preview function of web browsers.
These functions repeatedly access links within a page in the background. As a result, the user may be unaware that he or she is causing a mass download/access. Please do not use these functions as they may induce a malfunction of the e-journal/database authentication system.
For information about settings in each literature management software and web browser,
[Attention!] Regarding Bulk Access to Electronic Resources Due to Automatic Download Features of Reference Management Tools and Browser Preloading Functions
Flyers
- Electronic Journal "Excessive Access" Recent Case: It happens without any intention!!（PDF）[Flier]
Related Pages
- E-Journals & E-Books List
- Flyer: E-Journals : Access and Use Restrictions (PDF) [English] [Chinese] [Korean] [Japanese]
- How to use e-resources
- Authentication System Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
[Kyoto University Library Network]
Posted: 2025/08/04
Maintenance: IEEE Xplore (Jul. 12)
Due to system maintenance, IEEE Xplore will be temporarily unavailable during the following period.
We appreciate your support and patience.
Date: Jul. 12 20:00 - Jul. 13 00:00, 2025 (JST)
Suspended service: IEEE Xplore
[E-Resources team, Kyoto University Main Library]