Q. Why do I sometimes have to create a personal account with each database even though I use my personal MyTCC login information to access them?

Think of your MyTCC login as a key to letting you into a building or library, but you need a personal account to be able to "check things out" and reserve a study room--the history/record of what you do there. Otherwise, you're just an anonymous visitor browsing the book stacks. 

Most of our databases only know you are a TCC student or employee, not who you are personally (unless you want them to). Your MyTCC login is only a key to our subscription. 

In theory, a personal account (which can be tied to your personal email instead of your TCC Outlook email, which you may, one day, lose access to) in each product we subscribe to can carry over all your personal settings and saved material/folders from that database or site to another institution's version of that database or site. Creating a personal account, which is not mandatory in most cases, allows you to access through another institution that subscribes, should you lose access at TCC. For example, if you're a TCC student who saved content in Ebsco, but you transfer to OSU that also offers Ebsco, your saved history could be retrieved through that institution. 

This kind of access to your settings and folders is not to be confused with, though it is similar to, the following: 

• You can add multiple library cards to the Libby App.
• You need an account with the New York Times before you can activate a pass to our subscription