Distant Students
Students in the distance education have, as much as possible, the same access to library services and resources that students in Iowa City have. Distance does present some extra challenges, though. Here are some tips to help you take the best advantage of all the library has to offer. Links open in new window.
- Article DeliveryEven when articles are not available online, we can scan and deliver them electronically.
- Book DeliveryUse the Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery office to get library books sent to you. We pay shipping to you, you pay shipping back to us.
- Distance Education LibrarianGet help with research, access to library services or troubleshooting problems from Dan the Librarian.
Off-Campus Access
Look below for some tips and techniques to make off-campus access to library resources work more smoothly. Any student accessing library services from off-campus needs to prove that they are University of Iowa students by using their HawkID and password. It does not matter if you take classes in North Hall or are sitting in Iowa City's Ped Mall, in Des Moines or Kuala Lumpur.
The sidebar to the left gives additional information for students registered through the U of Iowa's Distance Education Department, including those taking classes through our remote sites in Des Moines, Ottumwa, Sioux City, the Quad Cities or elsewhere.
Online Journal Articles
We have access to online journal articles from many sources using a variety of technologies and there are lots of ways things can go wrong. You're always welcome to contact me or other librarians for help troubleshooting access problems. Links open in new window.
- How do I get this article?Some publishers make their articles available online in some databases and not others. Some are not available at all. Here's how you can get your article whether it's online or not.
- Which database should I use?Strategies for selecting the best tool to find the right articles for you.
- Should I pay for articles?If you search for articles using a search engine such as Google or Google Scholar, publishers won't know that you should have access to their material through the library. Search Google Scholar through the Libraries for access to all our online content.
RefWorks
Links open in new window.
- Group CodeTo create an University of Iowa RefWorks account from off-campus, you may be asked for a Group Code that shows you're eligable to use the University of Iowa's RefWorks subscription.
- Security CertificateYou might get an error message that RefWorks does not recognize our Security Ceretificate. This is a known problem between our proxy server (the thing that asks your name and hawkid) and RefWork's security filter. Although it sounds scary, it is safe to proceed.
Dan the Librarian
877-807-9587 (toll-free)
lib-disted@uiowa.edu