OpenAthens Goes Live!

 

The Library's implementation of OpenAthens will officially go live on 29 August 2024. OpenAthens is an access management platform. It acts as a broker between online publishing platforms and JCU's identity management system (SSO) to ensure you have access to JCU Library's subscription resources wherever you are. On 29 August, it will become our default access method for all Library subscription resources.

Whilst you shouldn't notice any changes to the way you access resources, you may notice more functionality in some of the platforms you access. For example, you may have access to personalisation features not previously accessible because you will be recognised as an individual rather than a generic JCU user.

Additionally if you locate a resource not using one of our discovery tools (say through a post on social media or a Google Search) and you see a 'Sign in via institution' or Sign in via OpenAthens' link/button, then James Cook University Library (OpenAthens) will appear as an option (if the Library has a subscription).

For two decades we've used EZproxy to provide access to resources however OpenAthens is cloud-based and more robust in terms of global access, performance, and uptime, which only benefits our end users, you.

There may be brief period during the transition where we will need to configure our discovery tools to use OpenAthens instead of EZproxy - particularly Readings, One Search, Find It @ JCU Library, Browzine/LibKey, Library Guides and the A-Z of databases. After this there will be a further transition time where we update our supporting documents and work on some of the trickier links to get them operational using OpenAthens. Rest assured though, there shouldn't be any interruption to access as EZproxy and OpenAthens methods work concurrently we don't anticipate any major inconvenience to users.

We are developing Library Guide with more information and FAQs and information on saving data stored in user accounts available certain databases (like ProQuest eBook Central).