OpenAthens library products

With 30 years of experience and the backing of over 3,200 institutions worldwide, OpenAthens is a trusted partner for secure and effective access to online resources, used by governments and leading institutions globally.

We have two single sign-on solutions for librarians:

OpenAthens Compass

A premium, personalized and fully-supported solution that makes resource and user management easier for librarians working in large organizations with complex needs. Compass is a single sign-on solution supported by a team of industry experts.

Learn more about OpenAthens Compass

OpenAthens Connect

Core-featured, only the essentials – coming soon.

Simplify authentication, empower your library.

  1. Effortless authentication

    Manage access to multiple digital resources with ease. Our library single sign-on solutions ensure secure and seamless access from anywhere, so users no longer need to remember multiple passwords or navigate complicated login processes.

     

  2. True single sign-on

    Easy access without relying on IP addresses. We can integrate with the organization’s existing authentication system to create a true single sign-on experience. Once authenticated, your users’ session will stay open for 8 hours so they can navigate seamlessly across different publisher resources.

  3. A complete solution

    OpenAthens supports SAML, a highly secure, privacy-preserving authentication method, while also offering a managed proxy service for resources that only support IP-based authentication.

  4. Privacy preserving

    Keep your users safe. All the data is encrypted, and only anonymized identifiers are used by default. However, users can still be identified to prevent cases of misuse.

  5. Better user journey

    Get students and researchers to the content they need, wherever they are.

Shibboleth IdP

OpenAthens EZproxy Shibboleth IdP
Admin dashboard
A tick indicating this feature is available

Comprehensive portal for managing all configuration e.g. user management, reporting, and resource management.

A cross indicating this feature is unavailable

All configuration is managed on the server.

A cross indicating this feature is unavailable

All configuration is managed on the server by a Shibboleth administrator.

User management dashboard
A tick indicating this feature is available

Option to create OpenAthens accounts and /or integrate with any local directory. Ability to create personal accounts or access accounts (e.g. for walk-in users, etc.) organization accounts. The administrator can also disable accounts if misuse is suspected.

A cross indicating this feature is unavailable

Text file-based system for user management or the option to connect to a local directory.

A cross indicating this feature is unavailable

No in-built user management function.

Reporting module
A tick indicating this feature is available

Reporting available on any attributes the library wants to see usage on e.g. department and user group, international students, walk-in users, alumni. Reporting API available for data integration with systems such as Tableau or Power BI.

A cross indicating this feature is unavailable

Basic reporting that provides information about remote users’ activity only.

A cross indicating this feature is unavailable

No inbuilt reporting capabilities. There is access to Shibboleth log files or the ability to integrate with 3rd party applications.

Web portal
A tick indicating this feature is available

MyAthens portal available. Provides a lightweight knowledge portal to curate resources and add content discovery widgets.

A cross indicating this feature is unavailable

Not available.

A cross indicating this feature is unavailable

Not available.

Two factor authentication
A tick indicating this feature is available

Can point to an institutional Identity Provider that has been configured for multi-factor authentication.

A cross indicating this feature is unavailable

In development.

A tick indicating this feature is available

Can point to an institutional Identity Provider that has been configured for multi-factor authentication.

Personalization
A tick indicating this feature is available

Users can save their searches/ annotated content/ preferences and login to publishers’ websites that support it automatically.

A cross indicating this feature is unavailable

Access is all based on IP recognition, so personalization is not possible.

A tick indicating this feature is available

Users can save their searches/ annotated content/ preferences and login to publishers’ websites that support it automatically.