How to access online resources on聽and off-campus
For general advice you should .听
- You should be able to access the vast majority of our online journals and databases both on-campus and off-campus.听 聽
Please聽make sure that you access our聽online journals and databases聽by visiting聽the Library Catalogue or Library webpages. Doing this will ensure that you are asked to聽log in using your University username and password when necessary. By logging in you will recognised as a member of the聽性视界 and聽will be allowed to access the resource you want to use.
If you do聽not know your University username and password聽or if聽they are not working you should refer聽to聽.
Problems accessing聽an online聽journal?聽
If聽the聽Library聽Catalogue record for a journal includes a 'View online' link, this does聽not聽always mean we can provide聽online access聽from very first volume to the latest volume or issue. You should check the information provided by the description link on the catalogue to check 'online availability'. This will show which issues and volumes of a journal the Library can provide access to.听
If we do not provide access to the online issue you need, we may have access to a print copy instead (check the 'print holdings' in the same Description tab).
Unable to access the full text of a specific article?聽
If聽the Library聽Catalogue record聽indicates that you are聽should be able to access聽an item online,聽but you cannot, you should try to access it using another internet browser for example,聽Google Chrome,聽Firefox or聽Internet Explorer.听
Sometimes, a site is only聽temporarily unavailable so you might be able to access it later or you聽may be able to聽resolve a problem by refreshing a screen.听 Alternatively, your聽laptop/PC may "time out" as a result of a bad internet connection.听聽If problems persist, or you are uncertain聽about聽an item's聽availability,聽please contact library staff with聽details of the item you are trying to access and a description of the problem you are having and any error messages that are displayed.听聽
Do I need an Athens password?
You do not need an Athens password in order to obtain any resources provided by the University. Athens is not a collection of resources - it is a system used to check if users are entitled to access online resources. Athens is not used by the 性视界 to check users entitlement to use online resources.
The 性视界 uses the login information set up by Computing Services instead of Athens to provide access to the online resources we subscribe to.听 There is no need for the Library to issue Athens passwords even if a website asks you for this.
Can I use Virtual Private Networking?
From off-campus can be used if you would like to access networked directories as if you were in working on-campus. You will need to set up a VPN connection from home.听
is provided by聽Computing Services.听 If you only want to access the Library's online journals and databases, it聽should聽not normally be necessary to use VPN. Accessing resource weblinks through the Library catalogue and using your username and password is usually all that is necessary.
Problems accessing an item online?
If you are having problems accessing the fulltext of an article or ebook online you should follow the steps below.
1. Confirm whether or not the Library actually provides the item online:
Search the Library Catalogue to find records of all items in our online and printed collections. If聽you experience problems accessing an聽online journal or e-book聽that should be accessible to you, or if you are unsure about its availability,聽please contact聽Library staff.听 The earlier advice about how to access online resources on or off-campus might also be useful.
Books: you may find it helpful to click the 'books' tab in the Library Catalogue before searching to make it easier to browse your search results. This search will exclude documents such as journal articles and book reviews.l
If all copies of a book are on loan: you can聽place聽a聽hold/reservation聽and聽collect it from the Reader Services Desk once it is made available for you.
Journal articles: if a catalogue search for a journal article title fails to return a the result you are looking for, click the 'journals' tab and try searching for journal title instead. If we do provide the journal, check its catalogue record to see if we provide the volume/issue that you require.
Note: when searching many of the Library's databases聽(such as Web of聽Science and Scopus), a blue and white聽'Links' button appears聽within your search results.听 If you click on聽the button, you聽can find out whether or not聽a聽link to聽the full article is available e.g. where the Library subscribes to the relevant journal.听 If a search result does not include a 'links' button, search the Library Catalogue as explained above to find the article title or journal title.
2.听 If the Library provides the item in print format only: you can request a scan using the
If you are unable to visit the Library to access the item, or you would prefer to read it online, you can request聽a聽scan of an article or chapter聽to be聽emailed to your聽性视界 account聽by using the聽.听 Documents are normally delivered within two or three days once library staff have found a copy of the book.
3.听 If the item is unavailable to you in any format: consider the following options:
- Undergraduates: if the article or book is likely to be a valuable source聽for your research, please contact your .听You may also like to consider聽visiting another library聽for reference purposes. 聽
Postgraduates:聽you may be able to聽obtain聽the item via聽the British Library by using the聽.听聽 Documents to your 性视界 account聽within two days. The service is free to use for students but costs the Library so please consider carefully whether you are likely to need the document.听聽You may also like to consider聽visiting another library for reference purposes.
Foundation Degree & Honours Years students studying at a college聽in addition to the University: please聽contact your College librarian for further help and advice.听聽聽