No.13: Remote access
Library journals and databases are provided by numerous vendors, all of whom use different methods of authentication for remote access. Most resources are instantly accessible while on site at the RCH, with no logins required. However when working from outside the hospital network you need to be prepared for different methods of access.
You must be an RCH staff member or student, and a registered library member with a current library card to access some resources, and other resources require you to register personally while on site at the hospital to enable remote access.
Working off site: be prepared
Follow this 5-step process to get set up for remote access:
- Join the library. Download a registration form from the website. You will be prompted to enter the 14-digit barcode from the back of your library card when accessing resources such as Ovid Medline, Ovid journals, and Ebsco journals.
- Register for Athens. Registration must be done while on site at RCH, preferably using an internal email address, for example ...@rch, ...@mcri, or ...@ghsv. Wait for the email confirmation, then activate your account using the link provided. Keep the email for future reference as a record of your username. This login gives access to government-funded Clinicians Health Channel (CHC) resources only, not to everything that Athens provides a gateway to. Resources that require an Athens login include Ebsco databases (Medline, CINAHL, PsycInfo), MIMS online, and Therapeutic Guidelines.
- Register with Wiley-Blackwell, and then activate their "Roaming Access". Download full instructions (PDF, 1 page). You must reactivate Roaming Access every 120 days; Wiley-Blackwell will not send you a reminder to do so. Registration, activation, and reactivation must be done while on site at RCH. This login provides access to all library-subscribed journals from Wiley-Blackwell.
- Register with MD Consult. Go to MD Consult and select Create account. Off site access is effective immediately after creating your account and does not need to be renewed. This registration must be done while on site at RCH. This login provides access to all library-subscribed content from MD Consult which includes books, journals, and The Clinics.
- Get passwords. Some databases and journals require a username and password for off site access. These include Micromedex, and journal collections from Science Direct, ProQuest, Cambridge, BMJ Publishing, and some individual titles. A link to our password list appears alongside every resource that both allows remote use and requires a password. Download the password list (PDF, 1 page) while on site and save or print a copy for off site use. If you download the list from off site you will be prompted to enter your library barcode for authentication. The list is updated frequently, so always make sure you have a recent copy.
Databases
Go to the library list of databases. Remote access is available for those resources that have a "log in via Athens" link, a link to the password list, or a "requires library card barcode" message.
Journals
Not all journals are available off site. Look for those that display an "Allows remote use" message. Use the links as you would if you were on site. You may be prompted to enter your library barcode, or, if a username and password is required, there will be a link to the password list. Note the name of the provider, for example Science Direct, and look for its corresponding login on the password list under "Section 1: General collections".
Some providers require a password for both on site and off site use. These are under "Section 2: Individual titles".
A sample from the website shows some of the different methods of access for various journal titles:
Help
- See Fact Sheet no.11 "Library Membership"
- See Fact Sheet no.9 "Accessing online journals and books"
- Contact the library
- Forgot your Athens login? Contact the CHC Help Desk at chchelpdesk@ebsco.com, or phone 02 8908 2345.