Brock University Library is committed to getting you the information you need for teaching, research, and learning. Here are some alternative ways to get timely access to resources that are not available through library subscriptions.

Library Search Tools

Omni includes freely available resources from sources including Unpaywall, the Directory of Open Access Journals, the Directory of Open Access Books, and various publisher Open Access collections.

Omni also offers the option of searching beyond resources that Brock has immediate access to. A link to request the item from another library will automatically appear for resources that are not immediately available. To expand your search to include all resources, tick the “Expand search beyond Brock’s collection” slider located at the top left of the Omni search results page:

Interlibrary loan (ILL) 

Interlibrary loan offers a fast and free alternative method of access for resources that are not available openly or through library subscriptions. Electronic versions of book chapters or scholarly articles are delivered to your inbox as PDFs, typically within 1-3 days and sometimes even sooner. 

You can submit a request by signing into Omni, searching for the resource in Omni, and submitting a request using the ‘Get It From Another Library’ button.

Another option is to complete a request form. For further information, consult our Borrow From Other Libraries guide.

Open Access Browser Extensions

Browser plugins can easily connect you to Open Access versions of research papers that would otherwise be paywalled. When viewing an article in your browser, these plugins automatically detect whether there is an open version available and provide a link to it. 

Unpaywall

Available for: Chrome, Firefox

Unpaywall is a database of freely available scholarly papers. To use it:

1. Install the browser extension.
2. Navigate to an article you want to view.
3. If a free version is available, a green lock will appear on the right of your screen. Click the green lock to access the free version – you’ll be taken to the page where it is available or a PDF will download. If the link remains grey, no open version is available.

Google Scholar Button

Available for: Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox

Google Scholar incorporates links to openly available versions of papers where possible.

The Google Scholar Button allows you to check for a free version when viewing a paywalled paper. To use it:

1. Install the browser extension. You may then pin the extension to your browser navigation bar by finding it in your list of extensions.
2. Navigate to an article you want to view.
3. Click the Google Scholar Button. If a free version of the article is available, the button will show a link to it. 

You can set up Google Scholar to provide access to Brock’s subscription resources as well as open content by updating your Google Scholar settings:

1. Go to Google Scholar Settings
2. Select ‘Library links’ from the left menu
3. Type Brock in the Library links box, and click the search icon
4. Select Brock University – Find it @ Brock in the resulting list
5. Click on the ‘Save’ button
6. Follow the Find it @ Brock links to access available full-text.

Contact the author

Even for paywalled resources, authors are often able to provide copies to individuals that contact them directly (a practice usually called “scholarly sharing”). If you’re unable to get access to a copy in another way, you can try reaching out directly to the author. 

Questions?

Contact us in-person at the Ask Us Desk, via telephone at 905-688-5550 x4583, or via email at libhelp@brocku.ca .