How to Login

• Login via the Library website
• What is Athens?
• Going directly to an Athens authenticated resource
• Institutional cookie
• Logging in with an Athens account from another institution
• Personalisation
• Help

Login via the Library website

You must log in to the e-Library before accessing any of our electronic resources. We recommend that you follow this route:

• Start from the Brunel homepage [www.brunel.ac.uk]
• Under Quick Link menu select Library
• Select 'Login' at the top right corner of the Library home page
• Enter your network ID and password (the one you use to access the Brunel computer network)
• Your username must be preceded by academic\  (use "\" not "/")
• This will sign you on to our Athens process.

Problems logging in? Download the Athens route map or read our Athens FAQs.

When you want to enter an Athens resource you will not be asked to login again (some resources may require you select a Login button or an Athens link but you will not need to enter a username and password again).

Your Athens session will remain open for up to 8 hours and you can move between different Athens resources (as long as you do not logout of Athens or close your Web browser). If you need to open a new browser window, you should use File, New, Window (or Ctrl+N) in an existing browser window. If you launch a completely new browser session, you will not be logged in to Athens in that window.

Known bug for Safari users:

The Safari browser will display "Logged In" but if the user navigates away and returns it will display "Login to e-Library" erroneously -- please be aware that you only need to log on once per session.

What is Athens?

Athens is a security system that controls access to most (but not all) of the Library's electronic resources, such as databases and electronic journals. Unless you are logged in to Athens you will not be able to use these Athens controlled databases and journals.

The Library uses a system called Athens Local Authentication (AthensLA). This means that you do not need a separate username and password for Athens: you just use your Brunel computer network ID.

Going directly to an Athens authenticated resource

If you pick up your cookie first you do not need to follow the steps below.

To log in directly at an Athens resource, you first need to pick up your institutional cookie.

1. Use the Athens login link on the resource.

2. At the Athens login page for the resource, ignore the Athens login username and password boxes.

3. Use the link underneath which says 'Alternative login'

4. Type 'brunel' in the Search box and click 'Go'.

5. On the next page use the link for ‘Brunel University’

6. At the next screen which says 'Go to the Brunel University login page', click 'Go'. You have now picked up the institutional cookie which will be stored on your browser settings on that computer for the next 5 years.

7. After you have clicked 'Go' you will be taken to the Brunel Athens login page where you can enter your Brunel network ID and password (the one you use to access the Brunel computer network). You will then be taken directly to the Athens resource you were originally trying to access.
Problems logging in? Read our FAQs.

8. Your Athens session will remain open for up to 8 hours and you can move between different Athens resources (as long as you do not logout of Athens or close your Web browser). If you need to open a new browser window, you should use File, New, Window (or Ctrl+N) in an existing browser window. If you launch a completely new browser session, you will not be logged in to Athens in that window.

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Institutional cookie

You can set your cookie before logging in to any resources. Once this cookie is set, Athens login screens will redirect you to the Brunel Athens login screen. Read the instructions first and then use the 'Set your cookie now' link.

Instructions

1. From the 'Set your cookie now' link, you will be taken to a page which says 'Go to the Brunel University login page'.
2. Make sure there is a tick in the box next to 'Remember this organisation on this computer', then use the 'Go' button.
3. You will be taken to the Brunel Athens login page. You can now close your browser because you have picked up the institutional cookie which will be stored on your browser settings for the next 5 years. In future, when you access any Athens resource directly from the same computer, you will be recognised as an Brunel University user.

Set your cookie now

Logging in with an Athens account from another institution

If you are able to use a non-Brunel Athens account (eg NHS or another university), do not log in from the Library website as this sets you up to access only Brunel University resources. Go directly to the resource you wish to use and login with your non-Brunel Athens account.

If you have set the Brunel University cookie, you will be recognised as a Brunel user. However you can choose to log in with an alternative account without removing the cookie.

Personalisation

Some resources link any personalisation (such as current awareness alerts, saved searches etc) to your Athens ID. You will need to transfer your settings to you AthensLA account.

Help

If you have difficulty using any of the Athens resources, please contact us giving your name, your network ID (not the password) and the name of the resource:
• For help with logging on e-mail Library Systems Support
• For help using the resources contact your Subject Liaison Librarian

Please note that some resources are not Athens controlled and you will need VPN software to use them off campus.