OpenAthens

Links to GW Libraries' online resources should be "Athenized" to use OpenAthens. Below are instructions about what links you should Athenize, and how to do it. 

• The OpenAthens redirector prefix looks like this: https://go.openathens.net/redirector/gwu.edu?url=
• The redirector replaces our old proxy prefix ( http://proxygw.wrlc.org/login?url= ). But don't just paste the redirector onto your link. Use the Athenizer tool below instead..
• Athenized URLs will be "encoded," so you might see things like " https%3A%2F%2F " instead of " https:// ." This is correct and normal. 

OpenAthens links are mainly for library materials. This includes:

• Links to e-resources appearing in the library catalog and the database A-Z list. These will be updated by Content Management staff.
• Links to library resources in LibGuides. Links that were reused from the database A-Z list will be done by Content Management. Other links will have to be updated by the individual guide author.
• Links to library resources in Blackboard. We are working on a system to update links in Blackboard automatically.
• Links to the subscribed e-resources for alumni. These will be updated by Content Management staff.

Things that do NOT require Athenized links include:

• Library catalog records and saved searches (as opposed to the access links inside of those records)
• Library and University web pages, for example https://library.gwu.edu/ask-us
• Subscriptions provided by Burns Law Library (these may require the VPN for off-campus use)
• Subscriptions provided by GW academic departments, institutes, etc. other than the libraries, unless they have opted to use the libraries' authentication systems
• Free and Open Access sites

For your starting link, don't just copy from the address bar. URLs in the address bar are frequently session specific and will not work again later. (The string "sid=" in a URL is a sure sign that it's session specific.) Instead, look for a permalink function to get the URL. 

Be careful with starting links copied from MS Word or other word processors. They may have blank spaces or hidden formatting characters added, which will stop the link from working.

If you get an Athenized link that won't work, and the original link starts with http://proxygw.wrlc.org/login?url= , try removing that part and then  Athenize the rest of the link.