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Guide to using Library Search

Use different features in Library Search to find the results you need, including books, articles, journals, video, audio, theses, past exam papers, course readings and more.

Solve problems in Library Search

If you have any difficulties accessing Library resources or experience an issue in Library Search, try these suggestions.

Logging in and your account

  • Make sure to log in with the correct UQ username and password, with access to online resources.
  • Borrowing rules and charges has information on membership type and access to online resources.
  • Check your logged in status via UQ's Internet Management Service (IMS).
  • Review the Show licence information under View It in the Library Search record, for the expected level of access for your membership type.
  • If experiencing access problems in online platforms outside of Library Search, try accessing the resource via Library Search, making sure to log in first before clicking links to online resources.

Off-campus access

UQ students and staff can access most online Library resources off-campus. A few databases have licensing conditions that require you to be on-campus or within the Library.

UQ Alumni: Check the databases available off-campus with a current UQ Alumni membership.

Why off-campus access is different

When you're on campus, many databases and publishers recognise that you're on the UQ network and give you access without you needing to log in. If you're off-campus and not logged in, databases and publishers may not recognise that you're from UQ.

Log in via the Library website

  • We've set up the Library website so that you can log in from anywhere to access resources.
  • Log in before you use Library Search to see all results and streamline accessing online resources.

Requests to pay to access resources

Check Library Search first if you are prompted to log in or pay to view a resource after following a link from a search engine, website, email or social media. Try the following options to check if you can access the resource through the Library:

Option 1 - check for a login option

We are part of the OpenAthens Federation, with login options often available on provider platforms where they are part of this Federation.

  1. Check for options such as: Log in via your Institution or Log in via OpenAthens.
  2. Choose University of Queensland (OpenAthens), and log in to UQ Authenticate to access resources.

Option 2 - try Library Search

Use Library Search to search for and access the resource - this will give you links to access available resources, or request options if the resource is not currently available.

Access the full text directly from Google Scholar

You can setup your Google Scholar preferences to show the link View @ UQ Library on your search results. This will give you direct access to online articles when you are off-campus. You can also use the Get @ UQ Library option for requesting resources by document delivery.

Google Scholar does not index all resources, so try Library Search if you don’t find it in Google Scholar.

Sharing links with other UQ students and staff

Visit Link or embed resources in courses for how to share links that will work off-campus for UQ students and staff.

Browser issues

  • Clear your browser cache and cookies. How do I clear my browser history (including cookies and cache)? has instructions. Close all windows of your browser and then open a fresh browser session.
  • Check your browser settings for blocks on content such as popups, try disabling add-ons and extensions, and adjust settings such as stored proxy information in Zotero if experiencing repetitive EZproxy expired link notices.
  • Try a different browser, such as Chrome if you have been using Firefox, or try using incognito mode (Chrome) or an InPrivate window (Microsoft Edge).

Other ways to access the resource

  • In Library Search results, look for Open Access PDF, Access PDF and Access HTML links.
  • Open the Library Search record to see if there are more View It links to try.
  • In the online source platform, look for options like EPUB, if the PDF isn't working.

Internet connection

  • Check your internet connection or with your ISP for any outages or known performance issues. If you have another provider, try switching to mobile hotspot.
  • The UQ VPN is not required nor recommended to use with Library Search and to access online resources from Library Search, but it can be a useful temporary workaround to try if you are experiencing issues off-campus: VPN (virtual private network).

Reporting issues

  • Check for alerts across the top of Library Search, for known current issues.
  • Use the Report a problem button in the Library Search record to let us know about issues.

Note: On 26 June 2023 we moved to OpenAthens as our system for providing convenient and secure access to online resources. OpenAthens replaced EZproxy, which was then retired on 9 January 2024.

A log in option may be available on provider platforms by institution name: University of Queensland (OpenAthens).

Get help

You can contact us for fast help via chat, email, desk and more.