Electronic resources help
Information about accessing and using electronic resources
This page is intended to gather together all the information about accessing and using the Library's electronic resources in as simple a way as possible.
Print Detailed Guide
All the information in this page (except 'Athens extra click' screenshots) and more is in our detailed guide,
Accessing Library Resources from off campus: a beginner's guide (PDF, 3.3MB). Save or print a copy and keep it with you.
Contents
General rule for accessing e-resources
The general rule for accessing all electronic resources is that you need to log into UDo first. The procedure follows.
Screenshots (PDF, 649kb) are available.
- Log into UDo, by entering your username and password at the prompt
- Scroll down the home page to the 'Quick links' section
- Click on the "Library" link
- This takes you through to the homepage of the Library website. You can access the catalogue from there or click on 'Subject Resources' for a list of subjects and then resources specific to a subject
- Alternatively click on 'Digital Library' to access all the electronic resources - this is the best route to ejournals. Click on "Electronic journals A-Z", the second link down in the left column, to search for electronic journal titles.
Accessing and using different types of e-resources
The Library has some online tutorials available. Here are those we most recommend for new students. You will need your UDo account to open them.
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Basic Search and Reservations using Prism (tutorial)
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Requesting Books by Post for Off-Campus Students (tutorial)
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Renewing Library Books Online (tutorial)
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Introduction to Journals and EJournals, (tutorial)
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Accessing EJournals (tutorial)
For more tutorials and guides please visit the Library's tutorials page and the guides page.
If you are asked to pay or 'log in'...
If you have found a resource, e.g. a journal article, through the Library's 'Digital Library' pages but are then asked to pay or log in to read the item you should look for an "Athens Login" or similar link to click on. We call this the 'Athens extra click'.
Athens extra click
This is the term we use to describe a procedure you often have to follow when accessing materials off-campus.
For full-text access to several resources, you need to follow the General Rule above AND THEN make (an) extra click(s) on an 'Athens' link elsewhere on the page.
Some of these 'Athens extra click' links can be hard to find. Accordingly we have gathered together screenshots of the links below.
If you are still asked to pay for an item after following the 'Athens extra click' procedure, it may be that the Library has not subscribed to that item on students' behalf. We can confirm that if you contact us with the item details.
Extra usernames and passwords required
A few resources require you to enter extra usernames and /or passwords. Our IT colleagues are working hard to display this information as soon as you click onto the resource, but if you should need it the full password list is available.
Other access problems
If you have tried the above procedures (Athens extra click or extra usernames) and you are still having difficulties, there are a number of possibilities. It may be that the library does not subscribe to the item or there may be a technical problem.
For further help:
- For advice and help in searching, or to check subscriptions, please contact us.
- For problems with passwords, contact the IT Helpdesk on (01332) 591208