Access to electronic resources

Members of the University can access all electronic media for which the University Library Erlangen-Nürnberg (UB) has a licence and download documents ordered via the university’s internal copy delivery service FAUdok from a university server via virtual private network (VPN). Users with a library card who are not members of the University can access selected databases by logging in with their user number and password.

Access rights to the databases, electronic journals as well as the download server for FAUdok are usually checked on the basis of your computer’s IP address. To ensure your IP address can be allocated to Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), you must verify that you are a member of FAU and log in.

1 VPN for staff and students at the University

If you wish to research literature from outside the University, you must access the university network via the VPN provided by Regional Computer Centre Erlangen (RRZE).
The VPN enables a computer with Internet access from any provider to connect to the university network.
RRZE recommends using the Cisco AnyConnect VPN client. A pre-configured profile for the VPN client for iPhone and macOS is available.
More information and client download

Open the online database or electronic journal via ‘Recherche starten’ (start research). Please note that to open electronic journal articles that are provided in PDF format you will require Adobe Reader, which is available to download free of charge online.
This e-tutorial shows you how to connect to the university network via the Virtual Private Network Client (VPN).

2 VPN for staff at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen

Staff at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen can receive VPN access from the MIK (Medizinische IK-Zentrum).

3 Shibboleth

Logo Shibboleth
Logo Shibboleth

Shibboleth is an authentication and authorisation system for web applications.

FAU staff and students can use Shibboleth to access licensed electronic media (databases, electronic journals, e-books, etc.) from home or from any computer with Internet access by logging in to RRZE’s single sign-on service. To do so, all you need is your IdM username and password; you do not need to install any additional software.

In the Database Information System (DBIS), a link to the Shibboleth login is provided for electronic media that can be accessed via Shibboleth. All databases that can be accessed via Shibboleth are listed in the collection ‘Datenbanken mit Shibboleth-Zugriff’ (databases with Shibboleth access).

How to log in

Open the publication via a catalogue, Electronic Journals Library or DBIS.
The publication’s login page will have an option such as ‘Institutional login‘, ‘Select your region or group‘ or ‘Shibboleth login‘.
Choose ‘Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg‘ from the list of institutions. In some cases you will be shown a search tool or will be asked to select a broader category first (e.g. ‘German Higher Education and Research‘ or ‘Deutschland DFN-AAI‘).
You will then be redirected to RRZE’s single sign-on service, where you should log in using you IdM username and password.
Shibboleth’s terms of use are shown the first time you log on and you must accept them before you can continue. The first time you log on you will then see a notice from the provider on the transferred data (digital ID card), which you must also confirm.
After this confirmation you will be directed back to the provider’s page.

4 Logging in via LDAP or with your UB user number

UB users can access certain electronic media (databases, electronic journals, e-books) from outside the university network without using VPN. In this case, you log in using your UB user number and password; FAU members can also use their IdM username and password here.

Open the online database via ‘Weitere lizenzierte Zugänge – Start-URL für den externen Zugriff’ (lizenzpflichtige WWW-Datenbanklizenzpflichtige WWW-Datenbank, auch extern recherchierbar Nationallizenz zur Nutzung in allen deutschen Hochschulen mit deutschlandweitem Zugriff) (other licensed forms of access – start URL for external access’); for CD-ROM databases use the link ‘Recherche starten’ (start research).

Please note: if you have requested a new catalogue password, you must log in to the catalogue once before you can use your account to access databases from outside the network.

5 Accessing a database from outside the network via personal login

You can request a personal user account for some databases by signing a usage agreement. The required forms are available on the database website under ‘Hinweise’ (notes).
If you are not able to use the available national licences via the university network, you can register for free access as an individual who is resident in Germany, provided there is a national licence for private use.
Private individuals can register at http://www.nationallizenzen.de/anmeldung/privatpersonen/s/ind_inform_registration
After registering you will receive a letter with your account details that will enable you to access the databases free of charge.