You can access the Library's databases and other resources from anywhere if you have an active Purchase College email account.
To use library databases from off-campus, you must access the resources via the Library’s website. (You will not be able to log in if you try to access a database or resource from a Google search.)
Logging in from Off-campus
If you are off-campus and you click on a resource from the Library's website, you will be asked for your username and password on the Database User Authentication screen.
- your username = firstname.lastname (without the @purchase.edu)
- your password = your Purchase College email password
Once you have successfully logged into one library resource, you should not need to log in again until a significant amount of time passes without activity or you close your browser.
Using Discovery Search from Off-Campus
You can browse the "guest" version of the Library Discovery Search from off-campus without signing in. Guest mode will display abstracts and citations, as well as call numbers and on-shelf status, for most of the Library's holdings. To access the full text (PDFs) of articles and links to streaming video and audio content, you will need to sign in.
You can sign in with your Purchase credentials in the upper right corner of the top menu bar.
Click "Purchase login" from the menu that pops up, then sign in with your Purchase username and password (same as campus email).
Once you're signed into Discovery, you will see the full search results and links to the full text (PDFs) of articles and streaming media. When you attempt to view/open a resource, you will be prompted to sign in a second time, via the black-and-white Database User Authentication screen above (aka the ezproxy server).
In short, you will sign in twice: Once to log into Discovery itself to view the various full text options. And the second time to sign in via ezproxy after you click on a link to get the full text (PDF) or to view a streaming film.
Troubleshooting
If you encounter problems, please first try accessing your campus email or Brightspace to make sure that your username and password are working properly. If your account is not working properly, contact the CTS Helpdesk.
If you are able to access your email or Brightspace but cannot access library resources, contact our E-Resources Librarian, Carrie Marten, by emailing carrie.marten@purchase.edu. You may also email the Reference team at ask@purchase.libanswers.com. For live help, you may contact us via Chat 24/7 or make a video reference appointment.
Please be sure to write down your search process and include the following information so we can help you more quickly:
- What browser you were using
- What type of operating system you are using (i.e. Mac vs. Windows)
- Which database or library resource you were trying to access
- A screenshot of the error message (or at least copy the text of the error message)
See also: FAQ on troubleshooting ezproxy or "secure connection" errors.
Who can access databases from off-campus?
Library subscription resources involve licenses, copyright restrictions, payment structures, and other contractual agreements which require them to be restricted to a specific group of users.
Anyone with a current, active @Purchase.edu email account can access library resources from off-campus. Alumni and members of the public do not have remote access but are welcome to use our digital resources on-site at the Library, any time we are open.
If you are a new or returning Purchase College student, faculty, staff member, or Broadview resident and do not have an active Purchase email account, you can activate your account from the "Account Activation" page. Contact CTS for further assistance with email account activation.