ATHENS accounts to be phased out by end of July 2011
Wednesday 27 July 2011
A reminder that all ATHENS accounts (for off-campus access to many of the Library’s online databases) will be phased out by the end of July 2011.
From 1 August 2011, you will use your University Username and Password (the same as you would use to access your University e-mail), for off-campus access to those databases which formerly used ATHENS.
The majority of Athens-authenticated databases already use this new method of off-campus access.
Like many other Universities, we are moving towards a single sign-on environment.
Please note:
- if you usually login from off-campus through your MyAthens account, you will have noticed databases disappearing from the list of available resources
- you will NOT lose access to any of these databases – you will simply log into them, using your University account details, in future. This is only a change in the off-campus access method used
- by 31 July, you will access all these databases, and more, via the following:
the Quick Links to Databases menu on this page (this menu will list all the databases, soon)
SAULCAT, the Library catalogue
and the E-Journals pages also link to individual e-journals (which are also listed in SAULCAT)
- off-campus access method details are being altered on these pages, and in SAULCAT, as they happen, but if you’re not sure of the current off-campus access method to use, please check the A-Z Databases page
- in future, if you are off-campus, you will use the login link on the database you want to access, which should say either : UK Federation WAYF / Institutional Login / Login via your Home Institution / Shibboleth login. You will select 'University of St Andrews' from the list of institutions, and enter your University account details to access the database
- the other databases which didn’t use ATHENS for off-campus access, will also use your University account details for access, in future. These changes are being phased in more gradually.
- there will be no change with on-campus access – access should continue to be seamless, with no need for a username or password, on-campus, for most databases
- you will continue to see ATHENS logins on many e-resources, but these are no longer relevant to you, and you should ignore them. (Some Universities will continue to use ATHENS)
Earlier blog posts describing the phasing out of ATHENS accounts, are at:
Please also note:
* a separate e-mail has been sent to RefWorks account holders, with instructions about transferring across from an ATHENS login to the new method
* several new databases are in the process of being bought and details will be added to the e-Resources blog and the pages mentioned above, when we have access
* do consider using SEEKER, the Library’s new search service, which allows you to do a single search across most of the Library's e-resources, including ATLAReligion, Econlit, Emerald, Historical Abstracts, JSTOR, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, ScienceDirect, Web of Knowledge, and many more. Search results can be limited to those which you have access to. SEEKER is searchable from the Library Home page, and can be accessed from off-campus, using your University account details
After 31 July
It is possible that you may encounter some temporary access issues, due to the complexity and volume of the changes that have been made, so please report them, if so, and allow us time to get them resolved
If you have any questions about any aspect of this e-mail, please get in touch.
Jean Young
Electronic Resources Librarian