I'm getting an odd error message when I try to log into Libraries resources. How can I fix it?

Sometimes you can run into problems logging into NC State resources, including library subscriptions and your library account, if you've visited lots of services that require a Shibboleth login. You'll know you're in this situation if you see errors in your web browser like "HTTP 400" or "Bad Request" when you try to access things that require a Shibboleth login. This problem is a limitation of how Shibboleth works, but OIT is aware of it and there's a straightforward fix.

If you get a "Bad request" browser error when you try to log into a Shibboleth resource, visit https://go.ncsu.edu/cookiemonster. This page will automatically refresh your Shibboleth cookies to prevent problems with logging in. It shouldn't have any other effect on your browser history or logins -- you won't even need to log into Shibboleth again.

Now, log into your library account to ensure that everything is in working order. If you haven't logged into a Libraries resource in a while, you may be asked to "Choose your home organization". At this step, you should choose "NC State Unity Users" if you have an active Unity ID (primarily for current students, staff, and faculty), or "NC State Library Patrons" if you have another affiliation with the university (including Friends of the Libraries members, Centennial Campus affiliates, and members of other institutions with NC State borrowing privileges). 

(If you've logged into a Libraries resource recently, you may not be prompted to answer this question if you indicated that the system should remember your choice from last time.)

If you follow the above steps, and make the correct choice in the "Select your home organization" screen, and you still have problems logging in, there may be an issue with your account. Please Ask Us and we'll be happy to look into what might be going on.