OpenAthens
OpenAthens is a Single Sign On (SSO) service that we rolled out in April 2024 for our researchers who are registered to use our request system for Reading Room or Virtual Reference requests. The SSO service allows researchers to use a single username and password to login to our request system, catalog, and several subscription databases.
We have implemented this service not only for researchers' convenience, but also because it allows for some time-saving technological capabilities. Chief among these is the ability for registered researchers to find items in our catalog, click on the request button, and have the information about the item automatically filled into the request form in the researcher's request account.
What is an OpenAthens Single Sign On (SSO) account?
A Single Sign On (SSO) service allows users to have a single username and password to login to multiple sites. OpenAthens is one 'brand' of SSO. It is run by JISC, which is a UK non-profit that focuses on higher education and technology. OpenAthens is popular with higher education and cultural heritage institutions.
Where can I login with my OpenAthens SSO account?
We have implemented OpenAthens SSO for the Folger's library systems and library subscription databases. These include:
- the catalog
- your request account (for requesting items in the Reading Room or for your Virtual Reference appointment)
- subscription databases that require a login for access
On the back end of our library systems, we have linked researchers' OpenAthens accounts to their existing accounts for the catalog, the request system, and subscription library databases. That is, the OpenAthens SSO does not change anything in your existing accounts. You will still be able to see your past reading room requests, etc.
Does this work for all Folger sites?
No. We have only implemented OpenAthens SSO for registered researchers to use library systems and services. If you have an account on the Folger website for ordering event tickets, please continue to use your existing username and password to login. If you have a Teacher Member account to access Folger Teaching, please continue to use your existing username and password to login.
We do not currently have plans to implement OpenAthens SSO for every login across the Folgerverse.
How can I tell if I should login with an OpenAthens account?
The Folger's OpenAthens login screen looks like this:
The name "OpenAthens" appears both above the username field and also at the bottom of the screen, and there is a Folger logo at the top.
Can I use this OpenAthens account to login anywhere I see an OpenAthens login option?
Regretfully, no. There are thousands of sites on the internet that offer the option of using an OpenAthens SSO login that will not work with your Folger OpenAthens SSO account. This is because we do not have paid subscriptions or licenses to access their content. For example, we cannot access the licensed content from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), Farmers Weekly, New England Journal of Medicine, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists.
We're sure those are all awesome resources, but we license resources that are more narrowly focused on Shakespeare and the early modern world.
Can I find a list of resources I can access with my Folger OpenAthens SSO account?
Yes, you can! Please visit MyAthens at https://my.openathens.net/ and login with your Folger OpenAthens SSO account. There you will find a list of our library systems and resources that you can access with your account.
How can I get a Folger OpenAthens SSO account?
We issue Folger OpenAthens SSO accounts to registered researchers. You may register here: https://request.folger.edu/Logon.
Folger employees are eligible for an OpenAthens account without registering. Please contact reference@folger.edu to request an account.
Managing your Folger OpenAthens SSO account
Please visit MyAthens at https://my.openathens.net/ and login with your Folger OpenAthens SSO account.
What if I want to change my password?
Click on the 'Account' link, and then you will see a 'Change password' button for that purpose.
What if I want to change my name or email address?
If you need to change the name or email address associated with your Folger OpenAthens SSO account, please contact us at reference@folger.edu or use our Ask A Librarian form to send us a message.
What if I forgot my password?
Contact us at reference@folger.edu or use our Ask A Librarian form to send us a message. We're glad to help!
Help! I can't login!
Please use your username and password when you login. When you look at the OpenAthens login screen, you'll see this:
The box indicates that you can use your "Email address or username" in the 'username' field, but you should not use your email address to login. Many of our researchers have an OpenAthens SSO account at a university where they study or work, such as Smith@LargeUniversity.edu. If Smith wants to use their email to login to LargeUniversity's OpenAthens account, that's fine. But Smith can't use LargeUniversity's email address to login to the Folger OpenAthens SSO. Smith has to use the Folger username instead, which always starts with 'fol'. If you've forgotten your username, no worries! Just contact us at reference@folger.edu or use our Ask A Librarian form to send us a message, and we'll help you out.
For reasons unknown to us mere mortals, logging in with Gmail also tends to cause problems. The solution is to login with your username; it should work every time.