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.

The Problem:

You are asked to pay for, give a password for or are otherwise unable to get access to something you think you should have through the UI Libraries.

The Context:

Access to journal subscriptions, research databases, e-books and anything else the UI Libraries licenses or pays for is provided through IP (Internet Protocol) Authentication. Our vendors know that any request coming from UI's range of Internet address can use our subscriptions. On the UI Libraries website and in our catalog, all links to resources we pay for include a trigger that will ask for your HawkID and password if you are off-campus and route your request through the UI Internet range.

One advantage to this system is that you do not need to remember user credentials or passwords to the thousands of resources available through the Libraries. One disadvantage is that you might somehow bypass our links.

Some Solutions:

Many Off-Campus access problems can be solved by using links on the UI Libraries website rather than going directly to an online resource. The links below give solutions for more specific problems.

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.