What is ATHENS?

A common query we receive regards Athens membership and access.  There seems to be some confusion out there regarding what it is and how it works, so we thought it would be a good idea to outline it here.

What is Athens?

Athens is a system for controlling access to web-based subscriptions.  Each university links the journal and database subscriptions they have to the Athens passwords/accounts of their members.  So, Athens access at one university will differ to Athens access at another.

I have an Athens account from my previous study. Can I carry on using that?

Probably not.  As Athens accounts are linked to your current institution, it is likely that your previous account was cancelled when you left your previous course.  Subscriptions to online journals and databases are, in the main, linked to users being current members of an institution. 

Does York St John offer Athens access?

Yes, it does.  Here at York St John, your Athens account will let you access resources which are provided by Information Learning Services. 

So what is my Athens username and password?

Some institutions choose to offer separate Athens usernames and passwords.  At York St John, as a University member, your Athens details are incorporated into your normal YSJ account when you log in to Discover, the Library search tool, or when you access a database via the ILS website.  In order to access our resources, including electronic books and the full text of journal articles (to which we have a subscription), it is vital to access them via the ILS website or the YSJ virtual desktop.

Why have I been asked for an Athens username and password?

Normally you will only be asked for Athens details if you try to access e-resources to which Information Learning Services does not subscribe, or if you try to access them in a way that does not allow you to be recognised as York St. John university member, e.g. from a Google search.  In this case, simply run your search on Discover and you will see the resources for which we have a subscription.

Please note that some health workers and students are entitled to NHS Athens accounts.  These are separate to the York St John ones.  To find out more about whether you are entitled to this service and, if so, how to use it, just ask your Academic Liaison Librarian.