Frequently Asked Questions

You can log into all Online Library resources by entering the part of your Portal username before the @. For example, if your Portal username is ab123@london.ac.uk, enter ab123. This is the same username and password you use to log into your Virtual Learning Environment. 

Members of staff and a small number of students can log into the Online Library using an 'Athens account' provided by the Online Library.

To access Online Library resources, search Summon, the search box in the middle of the homepage. After you click on one of the search results, you will be asked to login.

You can also login from your programme gateway. From your gateway, you can log directly into the database you need and then search within the database.

When you login, you will be asked to choose how you want to login, as shown below. Select the first option University of London Online Library (Distance Learning). If you have an Athens account, select the third option OpenAthens. Almost all students do not need an Athens account.

If you see the page below, you can login using your Athens account on the left side of the page under ‘Sign in with an OpenAthens account’. If you don't have an Athens account, you can login by typing and selecting ‘University of London’ from the list of institutions on the right side of the page under ‘Find your organisation’. 

A pop-up will appear, where you can choose ‘University of London Online Library (Distance Learning)’. 

You will then be asked for your username and password.

If you don't see these login pages, check the login guide for the database you are trying to access.

You can reset your password using the link under 'Forgotten password?' on the Portal login page.

To reset your Athens password, follow the instructions on the How do I reset my Athens password? FAQ.

If you are new to the Online Library, take a look at our Online Library in a Nutshell guide.

If you have any problems logging in, please contact the Online Library team.