OpenAthens FAQs

OpenAthens Authentication for Electronic Resources

OpenAthens replaced the Library’s previous e-resource authentication platform, EZProxy, on January 30, 2024.

Due to licensing agreements, access to most Library databases and other electronic resources, such as electronic journals, is restricted to University of Delaware students, faculty, and staff.  Links to licensed electronic resources are in DELCAT, the A-Z Databases list, Research Guides, or elsewhere on the Library website.

The first time you click on such a link, you will be asked to log in via OpenAthens, a platform that provides access to resources through single sign-on (SSO). After you enter your UDelNet ID and password, you will be authenticated as a University of Delaware user and will continue to your selected link.

Frequently Asked Questions

What has changed?

Bookmarks and course links to materials such as articles, ebooks, streaming videos and other online resources accessed via the Library, Museums and Press will need to be reviewed and updated on your syllabus and in Canvas. You may use the OpenAthens Link Generator to convert links so that they work with the OpenAthens sign-in service. This will ensure that library resources are linked and ready for student usage.

Links to materials in DELCAT do not need to be updated.  Only direct links to articles, journals, and other content need to be updated.  If you are pointing to a URL that begins with https://delcat.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01UDEL_INST, no change is needed.

If you are currently pointing to a link that begins with https://library.udel.edu/static/proxy.php?, it will need to be updated with the OpenAthens Link Generator.

Visit our Permalinks guide for more information.  For help, please contact the Collections and Electronic Resources Management team.

How is logging in using OpenAthens different from EZProxy?

If accessing e-resources from the Library web pages, there is little change. The big difference is that by moving to OpenAthens, you will be able to access many resources directly from the publisher/vendor website.  Look for a link to “Sign in through your institution,” or similar wording. With OpenAthens, students, faculty and staff will be required to login to access the library’s resources regardless of whether they are on or off campus.

When you first click on a link to an e-resource from a Library web page, you will see an OpenAthens login box.  Choose the first option, University of Delaware Shibboleth SSO, to log in with your UDelNet ID and password.

Is EZProxy still available?

EZProxy, and links pointing users to it, will work through April 2024.  There are several major e-resource providers, however, that cannot accommodate both EZProxy and OpenAthens simultaneously.  As of January 30, you must use OpenAthens to authenticate into resources on these platforms:

  • Credo
  • Elsevier
  • EBSCO
  • Gale
  • Kanopy
  • OverDrive/Libby
  • PolicyMap
  • ProQuest
  • Swank

Does the change from EZProxy to OpenAthens change who can access e-resources?

Current UD students, staff, faculty and retirees will continue to have remote access e-resources. For non-UD faculty, the process remains the same. Departmental HR liaisons must onboard non-UD faculty as employees, typically as a visiting scholar. Alumni are not eligible to access e-resources remotely.

If you are planning a UD-affliated summer program and would like your participants to have access to e-resources, please contact onlineaccess@udel.libanswers.com.

Can I continue to use the Proxify button?

After the migration to OpenAthens, the current proxify button will no longer work.  Please save the new OpenAthens Bookmarklet to use instead.

Tips for Using OpenAthens

  • Note that it’s still easiest to navigate to e-resources using DELCAT or the A-Z Databases list.  Some resources will not have an option to log in via OpenAthens if you navigate to the site directly.  Resources that do have such an option use different language (such as “Log in via your institution,” or “SSO login,” or “OpenAthens login) and have the login button in different places on their website.
  • If there are options for both “University of Delaware” and “University of Delaware – Library” in a vendor’s dropdown menu, please choose the Library option.
  • Some vendors include a prompt for single-sign on on the main page of the resource, while others will not prompt you to log in until you attempt to view an article.

Troubleshooting

  • Latest versions of supported browsers work best.
  • Clearing your Internet cache and cookies sometimes solves anomalous problems.
  • If you contact the Library for help, please indicate the date and time of the problem, what you were trying to access, the error you received and at what point in the process, and the browser and version that you were using.

If You Are a Community Library User

Due to license restrictions, Library users not affiliated with the University of Delaware are not allowed remote access to licensed Library resources. You may use these electronic resources, but only in the Library.  To initiate a guest session, please visit the A-Z Databases page and click the “Log In as Public User” button.  The guest session always needs to be initiated from that page, even if you are viewing materials from DELCAT, such as e-books and e-journal articles, and not a database.