Avoid journal paywalls with this easy tool
When you search for e-books or journal articles using a search engine such as Google, or click on a link from social media, you may be asked to subscribe, login and/or pay a fee to access the full text content.
If it is one of the many online resources Deakin Library subscribes to, use the ‘Access via Deakin Library’ bookmarklet to reload the link via Deakin’s proxy server to access the article for free.
The most straightforward way to get to the information resources available to Deakin students and staff is to use the Library Search box on the Library home page. You can also find links to specific databases, journals and e-book platforms by using the A-Z Databases list on the Deakin Library website. These links ensure that you will be recognised as an authorised Deakin person as you use articles, books and videos for research, teaching and learning.
However, if you like to freely search the web, it takes less than a minute to add the ‘Access via Deakin Library’ bookmarklet to your bookmarks toolbar. Check out our guide below to learn how.
Guide to adding the bookmarklet
1. In your browser make sure that you have the bookmark/favourite toolbar visible:
- Firefox: View > Toolbars > Bookmarks toolbar
- Google Chrome: View > Always show bookmarks bar
- Safari: View > Show Favourite Bar
2. Go to the Connect to Library Resources page
3. Drag and drop the green button on the page to your browser’s bookmark toolbar
4. When you are in an article’s page and you do not have access to the full text PDF, click on the Access via Deakin Library This will refresh the webpage and adds ‘ezproxy’ to the address bar
5. You will be asked to log in to Deakin if you are not already signed in.
6. If the library has a subscription to that resource, you will be able to download the PDF now.
7. If you face any issues, please contact your Liaison Librarian.