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OpenAthens Login: Overview

UBC Library now uses OpenAthens as a secure login service for digital, licensed resources (books, journals, media, data).

  • A Campus Wide Login (CWL) is required to login to OpenAthens to access materials licensed by the Library at all times, both on and off campus.
    • Note: CWL and Enhanced CWL (Duo) are UBC IT services. For more information, visit the UBC IT CWL website.
  • All current UBC students, staff and faculty will automatically be able to use their CWL to login through OpenAthens. Access options for other authorized users are available and detailed in this guide (Alumni, Guests, etc.).
  • OpenAthens replaces EZproxy and IP based authentication. VPN is not required and will not enable access access to licensed resources.
  • OpenAthens is a “gateway” service which facilitates access to publisher content; it does not include any content of its own.
  • To ensure you are seeing all available search results, please log in to OpenAthens prior to starting your research on the library website. Click "Login" at the top right of any library web page. 

Benefits of OpenAthens to the UBC Community:

  • Allows UBC Library to securely provide single sign-on authentication (using CWL) from the library website and directly from publisher websites.
  • Allows UBC Library to collect important aggregated usage data on digital materials while ensuring privacy for users. This data will help to inform collections decisions ensuring that researchers and learners have the resources they need.
  • Improves compliance for Library-licensed electronic resources.

Note: As UBC Library completes the transition to OpenAthens, a few journals and databases continue to rely upon EZproxy for authentication. Please see below for the current list of EZproxy resources. 

Please see the service update for more information on the OpenAthens implementation.

For ongoing service updates on OpenAthens, please visit the UBC Library e-resources blog.

How does OpenAthens work?

image portraying 4 step login process with OpenAthens: 1. Access Request 2. CWL Authentication 3. Authorization 4. Access Granted

EZproxy Resources

While OpenAthens is UBC Library's primary means of authentication, a few UBC Library e-resources still require EZproxy. Many of these e-resources may be transitioned to OpenAthens over time. To access these e-resources, please use the links below.