The CPAN config allows you to establish your own lib in your home file space (or anyplace you can write to). After which you can simply "use lib("path_to_your_cpan_libs") at the top of your perl code. So yes, that is the route that I go when I can't install to the system lib location for Perl. Another method with detail is described here ->

The easiest way to get what you want is to

$>perl -MCPAN -e sh

then

cpan> o conf init

Details here->

hope that helps....