UC Berkeley Library

You can still access the UC Berkeley Library’s services and resources during the closure. Here’s how.

Using the Library during COVID-19

During the pandemic, many of our services are being offered in new ways. To find the latest information on course reserves, book returns, 24/7 online help, and more, visit our COVID-19 portal, which provides more up-to-date information than the text below.

Library Proxy

Content section: 

On-campus

  • You do not need the library proxy if you connect to the Internet through the UC Berkeley network in a campus building, residence hall, or via AirBears2.
  • If you connect to the Internet through CalVisitor, you will be prompted to authenticate in order to access licensed library resources.

Off-campus

  • If you access a licensed resource through a link found via Start your search, OskiCat, or A-Z Databases, you should automatically be prompted to authenticate to gain access to the resource. You may authenticate via CalNet, or via your PIN / Cal 1 card number.
  • If you access a resource through a link found via a search engine or a non-UCB Library webpage, you must either
    • Use a browser bookmarklet to access the licensed resource.
      • You must install the bookmarklet in a browser.
      • When you land on a licensed resource you must click on the browser bookmarklet to pre-pend the resource's URL with the library proxy URL.
      • See the EZproxy guide for more information.
      • See the EZproxy FAQ to find out who is eligible to access licensed resources via the library proxy.
    • Use the campus VPN client.

When accessing licensed library resources, please remember that you must abide by the Library's conditions of use and licensing restrictions for electronic resources.