Current Students, Faculty, and Staff
Before trying to connect to any of the Library's subscription content from off-campus, you will be required to enroll in Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and set up your computer to provide UCLA authentication with the UCLA VPN or proxy server. (Computers using a UCLA wired or wireless network connection are automatically authenticated.)
- Proxy Server: A setting in your web browser which automatically diverts you to a UCLA logon page whenever you access a site UCLA subscribes to.
- Virtual Private Networking (VPN): A program you can download and install. When you logon with the VPN software, you'll have access. Note: This option is required for Endnote or other programs which work outside your web browser. Also includes instructions to use the built-in VPN clients on most mobile devices.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): An additional layer of security for systems.
View our helpful videos and handout to get configured.
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Both the proxy and the VPN require a valid UCLA Logon ID and MFA enrollment. Please contact Bruin OnLine technical support if you have any problems setting up either one.
Students and staff associated with certain professional schools should use the following connection methods which provide access to additional resources.
- Mednet VPN: Offers both a software VPN (like the campus-wide one) and a WebVPN (login in your browser window).
- Users from the West Los Angeles VA need to use the VPN client to access library resources from off-campus. The VA national network does not allow proxy server access.
- School of Law Students Remote Access Options
- UCLA Anderson Proxy Server
Printable Handout: Off Campus Access to Online Resources
All Other Library Users
The Library's online subscription resources (databases, electronic journals, or e-books) can always be accessed from computers and wireless networks on campus. However, our license agreements restrict off-campus access to current UCLA students, faculty, and staff.
- Special access is not required to use the UCLA Library Web site, or our catalog, UC Library Search.
How the Proxy and VPN Work
The UCLA Library's online subscriptions are all set up to provide automatic access to any computer or device with a UCLA IP address, the unique address associated with every computer on the internet. IP addresses are assigned automatically by your internet service provider when you connect to them.
Your computer can obtain a UCLA IP address in a few ways.
On-campus: Simply connecting your computer to a campus network (including wireless networks) gives it a UCLA IP address, since UCLA is the internet service provider.
Off-campus, Proxy: The proxy setting in your browser re-routes your web requests through a special UCLA server (which has a UCLA IP address), so the requests appear to be coming from UCLA.
- The proxy settings won't "turn on" until you try to access a restricted site. At that point, you'll be diverted to a UCLA logon page.
- One you've logged on to the proxy server, you'll remain connected until you close your browser.
- Proxy setting are unique to each web browser, so if you use multiple browsers you need to set it up separately on each.
Off-campus, VPN: The VPN software assigns a "virtual" UCLA IP address to your computer, which is seen by other sites instead of the regular IP address assigned by your internet service provider.
Whichever method you use, you never need to log in to a journal site to gain access. You actually log in to a campus network, the proxy server, or the VPN client, and that causes the journal sites to recognize you as a UCLA user and provide the appropriate access. The "institutional login" links you see on many sites are for subscribers using alternate authentication methods. They don’t do anything for us.
In addition, some sites require unique subscriber IDs in the URL (web address) in order to access content, so be sure to always use links from UCLA Library pages (or UC-eLinks) to access content so you'll have the UCLA-specific address.
Alumni Association Database Access
The UCLA Alumni Association offers some of its members access to a single database, ProQuest Research Library. This is not one of the databases available to current UCLA students, faculty, and staff. Access and support for this service are provided by the Alumni Association.
