Off-campus access (to online resources)

Who is entitled?

  • Students of the University of Göttingen
  • Employees of the University of Göttingen
  • External members of the University Medical Center Göttingen and other faculties of the University of Göttingen

Due to legal restrictions off-campus access is not permitted for members of other universities or private citizens.

How do I access resources?

There are two different technical variants available for the off-campus access to electronic ressources: HAN (Hidden Access Navigator) and VPN (Virtual Private Network).

Access via HAN (Hidden Access Navigator)

The Göttingen State and University Library operates a HAN authentication server (Reverse Proxy), through which you can access the licensed electronic media worldwide. All you need are your Göttingen State and University Library access data and a special access link (HAN link). Please follow the steps below to access the electronic resources via this access path:

  • First select an electronic resource via GöDiscovery or the Göttingen University Catalogue (GUK), the Electronic Journals Library (EZB) or the Database Information System (DBIS).
  • In GöDiscovery and the catalogue GUK you can use the link marked „Volltext, externer Zugriff“ for external use, in the EZB the link is shown in the field „To the fulltexts“ and in the DBIS the link is shown in the field „Recherche starten“.
  • If you are outside the campus network, the authentication form "Login am HAN-Server der SUB-Göttingen" is automatically displayed after selecting the link.
  • Please log in with your access data of your user account (begins with 0007).

Access via VPN (Virtual Private Network)

Since 2019 it is also possible to access the licensed e-media from outside the campus area via VPN.

This requires the use of a VPN client. VPN clients are available for all mobile devices. Information on the use and the installation can be found on the GWDG website.

To access electronic media, please start VPN and log in with your e-campus access data (students: user.name@stud.uni-goettingen.de, employees: ‹username›@*.uni-goettingen.de or ‹username›@gwdg.de).

Access via Shibboleth

Currently, SUB Göttingen is conducting a pilot project to introduce Shibboleth. Therefore, a few scientific journals and databases are accessible via Shibboleth from February 2023. Whether a general introduction of Shibboleth will subsequently be realized has not yet been decided (2023).

Having trouble with accessing the resources? Most common errors:

  • Library card number and password are not correct: Please check if you have made a mistake. Please note that you have to use different access data depending on the type of access:

    • HAN: SUB user account (begins with 0007). In case of problems with your SUB user account, please contact one of our service counters. If you have forgotten your password, you can create a new password via your SUB user account.
    • VPN: E-Campus access data (students: user.name@stud.uni-goettingen.de, employees the GWDG account username@*.uni-goettingen.de or username@gwdg.de). In case of problems with your GWDG account, please contact the GWDG support.

  • You are trying to access an electronic resource via the provider's website (e. g. a publisher's website) and log in directly via the provider's site (Shibboleth access, e. g. via „Login through your library or institution“). This access is not supported by the SUB Göttingen. Please use VPN or, when accessing via HAN, always select the desired resource first via GöDiscovery, the Göttingen University Catalogue (GUK), the Electronic Journals Library (EZB) or the Database Information System (DBIS). When accessing from outside the campus IP area, the login page of the HAN server will be displayed automatically.
  • You do not belong to a user group with access rights: Only employees and students of the University of Göttingen can access licensed electronic media from outside the campus network.
  • Please also check whether the access rights for the selected electronic resource are further restricted. Access from outside the campus IP area may not be permitted.
  • If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the staff at the Information and Service Desk.

Access for external members of the University Medical Center Göttingen

To obtain a user card that avails access rights you need:

  • a confirmation of your affiliation with research and education at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG). Please contact Frau Christina Niemeyer (email), +49 551 39-63387 (Tel.) or +49 551 39-66994 (Fax) at the office of the Education section of the UMG. Validity: (usually) three years
  • the registration form (PDF 48 KB), printed out and completed
  • ID card or passport

Please hand in these documents either per email or present a copy in the Medical Library and receive your library card and your password. You will find the library card number at the backside of the card.
To renew your user card please hand in an up-to-date confirmation of your affiliation with Research and Education of the University Medical Center Göttingen.

Access for external members of other faculties of the University of Göttingen

To obtain a user card that avails access rights, please register first for a guest card (PDF 30 KB) at your faculty’s secretariat. Then submit the completed registration form (PDF 48 KB) for a user card. The user card should then be ready to be picked up at the chosen service desk, usually after one working day (Monday to Friday). Please observe the information on the registration form.