Eresource access FAQs
These FAQs are managed by Digitial Services staff at the University Library. If your question can't be answered below, then please contact the helpdesk at eresources@lib.cam.ac.uk in the first instance.
A University IT account (formerly RAVEN) is a single sign on (SSO) based IT account that allows staff and students to access multiple systems and websites and is administered by University Information Services. It relies on you using a strong and safe password protected by Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Your University account makes your life easier because it:
- authenticates you to access lots of University websites, as well as external websites, documents and research
- is synchronised with other systems, such as the Cambridge Student Information System (CamSIS) and Microsoft 365
Further information can be found here
University IT accounts (formerly RAVEN) are issued to staff and students of the University and others by University Information Services.
Only current staff and students will have automatic access to password controlled licensed electronic services set-up at the point when their account is created.
Additionally, there are three groups of users that can be viewed as staff or students but will need their access to managed manually:
- Visiting academics/students, for which there would need to confirmation from the department or college. The best confirmation is a copy of the formal visitor agreement.
- Retired academic staff that remain academically active within a department post-retirement - for which we would seek confirmation of departmental administration.
- College academic and administrative staff that don't have a joint role within a department. This would also include graduate supervisors employed to supervise students across several colleges.
These groups are managed by Digital Services staff at the University Library and anyone who falls into any of these groups, but doesn’t yet have access, should contact the helpdesk at eresources@lib.cam.ac.uk in the first instance.
All Alumni (including those with MA degrees) of the University, who no longer conduct research, teach or study at Cambridge are not entitled to an account.
Members of private companies who have close links to University departments, employees of the NHS or MRC or any Recognised Non-University Institution without a joint University appointment and visitors to University premises (including libraries) unless designated official visiting status by either a department or college, are also not entitled to access University licensed material. Even those supervising University post graduate students are, under this policy, not entitled to access the same University licenced services that the student can use.
Registration at and admission to Cambridge University Library and affiliated libraries, as a non-University patron, does not include entitlement to have remote access to licensed eresources or to be issued with a University IT account.
It is normal practice to allow retiring staff, who are receiving a University or College pension, to keep their University accounts. Regarding retired members of staff wishing to access eresources, the following statement may apply.
The licence terms under which we are authorising users for access to online resources, still generally excludes retired members of an institution as a group. However, we would extend the definition of "current staff or student" to include a retired member of staff who remains academically active within the department or College and whose use can, therefore, legitimately still be seen as being for University purposes.
To support this, we would need confirmation from the department regarding the ongoing role. This would need to come from HR, HoD's office or Departmental Administrator or college equivalent. In some cases, such information is also provided through the departmental or college library staff.
Section A: What you need
All students, undertaking a Cambridge awarded course and University staff, will be able to access University eresources including ejournals, ebooks and datasets.
NB: If you have a University IT account (formerly RAVEN) and cannot access eresources please contact the helpdesk at eresources@lib.cam.ac.uk in the first instance.
To be able to do this you need:
- A University IT account (formerly called RAVEN). The institute will have applied to have this account setup for you prior to the start of your course/contract.
The login for this will be your CRSid followed by @cam.ac.uk
e.g. ab123@cam.ac.uk
This is followed by the password associated with that account login.
NB: it is important to remember that although the login looks like an email address, it isn’t one. Nor can you substitute this login with an email address i.e. ab123@gmail.com or use login details you use elsewhere i.e. ICE VLE
You will have received an email from the University, at the start of your course, with details on how to activate your account.
Information about this can be found here:
https://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/new-students/student-registration
- To have setup Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
MFA gives you a secondary layer of security, in addition to the login/password details of your University account and is now required when accessing University resources.
This system is part of the Microsoft based suite of desktop/laptop and network software, which is used across the University.
You will find further information about MFA here:
https://help.uis.cam.ac.uk/service/accounts-passwords/multi-factor-authentication/mfa-set-up
NB: It is important to remember, when using MFA, that you are authenticating to University of Cambridge. MFA is quite common now and users might be using it for other services i.e. Facebook logins, other institutional logins - which have their own versions of the Microsoft suite of software.
Section B: Accessing resources
Now you have your account setup, you can start accessing eresources. There are a few ways this can be achieved.
- iDiscover. This is Cambridge University Libraries discovery tool, and it will enable you to locate all physical library resources across Cambridge and give you access to ejournal and ebook titles as well.
NB: If you are having problems logging into iDiscover, with your University account, please be aware that this not actually required when accessing eresources. Simply use the search facility in iDiscover (without logging in at all) and then enter your University credentials (see section A) when prompted to do so by the eresource you are trying to access.
Logging in to iDiscover gives you access to circulation/borrowing services (such as MyLibrary account) and functionality that allows you to request and recall items. It is dependent on you having an active patron account on the UL’s library management system – ALMA.
Please contact reader registrations at the UL by emailing registration@lib.cam.ac.uk, for further information regarding patron accounts, if you find you need to visit the libraries to access physical stock.
- Eresources@cambridge This is the primary webpage for accessing all Cambridge eresources including ejournals, ebooks, databases, newspapers, search tools and browser extensions such as LibKey Nomad or Lean Library.
If you don't want to have to think about whether you are on or off campus or whether you are on a library website, we strongly recommend you install either the Lean Library or LibKey Nomad browser extensions.
These tools have been specially designed and are subscribed to by Cambridge University Libraries, so that you can automatically re-route your links through the EZproxy service.
Once installed you will only be required to make a single login for each new browser session.
- Directly accessing a resource. If you know we are subscribing to a particular resource, you can also access this direct via a web search.
To do this you might have to follow the institutional route to access it.
When you follow the link, for the resource you are wishing to access, if a University login page doesn't first appear, a login will be required. You will need to find and click on a login link that will be identified by one of the following:
• Shibboleth login
• Login via your home institution
• Institutional login
• UK Federation
• UK Federation management
a. Click on the Shibboleth/Institutional Login link.
b. Under the "please choose your institution's location” section click the down arrow and select UK Access Federation Management or UK Federation and click Go.
c. From the list that appears select University of Cambridge as your institution.
d. The normal University account login process will then start, and you should enter your normal login credentials including MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) please see here if you require further information.
You can also contact the UIS helpdesk if you need further support.
e. You will be returned to the resource start page and the words Logged in via University of Cambridge will now appear at the top right-hand side of the screen.
You are now ready to use the resource.
Section C: Helpdesks
Helpdesks: Cambridge University Library
For all eresource access issues please contact:
eresources@lib.cam.ac.uk
NB: If you see the message "File missing: docs/deny.htm" contact the helpdesk above in the first instance
You can also test that your University IT account's access to eresources is working with this Eresource Test page
NB: There are times when accounts can be compromised and if your access has been suspended, the above test page will tell you.
Helpdesk: University Information Services (UIS)
The main UIS helpdesk is here:
https://help.uis.cam.ac.uk/contact-us
You will find support for all services managed by UIS plus a range of helpdesks supporting services across the University.
Your University IT account will only allow access to eresources the University is paying for and has a current license for. The eresources@cambridge website, will confirm what we have access to and provide information regarding coverage and access routes. You will find the same information on iDiscover.
For example, the complete volume range, of a particular ejournal, might be spread across multiple online resources to give the most cost-effective coverage.
Should you find, you can't access something that you should be able to use, and your University IT account is working fine then please contact the helpdesk by using this form.
If you are having problems logging into iDiscover, with your username and password, please be aware that this not required when accessing eresources.
Simply use the search facility in iDiscover (without logging at all) and log in with your University IT account credentials when prompted to do so by the resource you are trying to access.
Logging in to iDiscover gives you access to circulation/borrowing services (such as MyLibrary account) and functionality that allows you to request and recall items. It is dependent on you having an active patron account in the library patron system.
Please contact reader registrations at the UL by emailing registration@lib.cam.ac.uk for further information regarding patron accounts.
For further information regarding accessing eresources please see the following websites
https://moore.libraries.cam.ac.uk/eresource-access-faqs
https://www.libraries.cam.ac.uk/eresources
You can also contact the helpdesk at eresources@lib.cam.ac.uk
Library users can also access eresources whilst on campus, wherever a University Wi-Fi signal can be reached.
There is further information about this here.
University staff and students should always use Eduroam.
Members of academic institutions outside of Cambridge, that also have Eduroam accounts from their home institution, should use the wireless network if they wish to look at our eresources whilst here.
University accounts remain active for the duration of the time a user is at the University. In terms of eresource access and when that expires, this might differ, depending on someone’s University status. Current staff and student access will automatically cease on either the date when their contract finishes or a course is completed.
With the latter, this will occur before the degree is conferred.
This is to ensure that University remains within the terms of our licenses that only permit access to be granted to 'current students'.
Once a student completes, they are no longer viewed as current (from the point of view of the license) and although their account may be active for a period after completion, UIS will automatically remove the permissions needed to access eresources.
These can be reinstated if the student has an ongoing supervisor role. The student would need to contact the helpdesk at eresources@lib.cam.ac.uk in the first instance.
You will need to contact University Information Service. Do not disclose your password to anyone. You will never be asked for it by a member of staff at either UIS or the University Library.
The University ceased to use ATHENS, as a user authentication system, in 2008. This was replaced by Shibboleth which allows us to use local authentication through University managed accounts.
ATHENS is currently used within the NHS which is supported through the Medical Library. There is further information about this, here, but it should be noted that these accounts are for those employed by or undergoing research through the NHS, and not for staff and students at the University - unless they have a joint University/NHS appointment.
Yes. Please use eresources@lib.cam.ac.uk for any related question you might have that has not been covered by these FAQs.
This helpdesk is manned during normal office hours. Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm.
Please note that it is not possible to give out passwords over the phone or send them via email. No member of staff at either UIS or the University Library will ever ask you for your password nor should it be revealed within the text of any enquiry.