Accessing Resources from Off Campus: Research Tips

Finding Ebooks

You can find ebooks in the library catalog by doing a search for a topic, title, or author, and filtering your search results by:

• Availability: Full Text Online and Open Access
• Resource Type: Books

See a demo:

• Desktop
• Mobile/Tablet

You can also search directly in ebook provider platforms.

Use Local & State Resources

When you aren't at Williams, take advantage of resources that are in your own backyard!

• Get a Boston Public Library ecard
  • It provides remote access to online resources including audiobook and ebooks, streaming videos, and primary source databases
  • Anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Massachusetts can get a card
• Check out the website of your local public library or a big public library in your state
  • Their collections may provide access to ebooks and databases not available at Williams
• Look for the visitor policy page of local colleges and universities
  • Many libraries allow free onsite access to their print and online collections (though they may limit access during the COVID-19 pandemic)
  • ​Some libraries charge a fee for access and/or borrowing
  • Contact a Williams librarian if you need an official letter to access a library

Request Scans and Ebooks

We are working hard to provide access to the materials you need. You can request:

• scans of materials in our print collections
• scans of articles and physical materials from other libraries through interlibrary loan
• purchase of ebooks through our Suggest a Purchase form

Use Unpaywall

Unpaywall is an open database of millions of free scholarly articles. It includes open access content from over 50,000 publishers and repositories, and makes it easy to find, track, and use.