Q: I recently received an email with "OpenAthens - Activate your Auburn University Libraries account" as the subject line. Is this message legitimate?
Yes! If you got a message from noreply@openathens.net, this is a real invitation to activate your new alumni user account through OpenAthens.
AU Libraries now offer select electronic resource access to all degree-holding alumni. This exclusive access is also still available for dues-paying members of the Auburn Alumni Association.
Q: I did not receive an account setup email even though I'm an Auburn University Alum.
We send activation emails based on the email address on record with the Auburn Alumni Association. Please get in touch with us at libhelp@auburn.edu so we can help verify your account information.
Q: Can I use my existing auburn.edu account to access library resources through OpenAthens?
If you are an active student, faculty, or staff member at Auburn University, you will already have full access to our Libraries' electronic resources. (See our A-Z Database List for details on licensed materials at AU Libraries.)
When you access a resource that requires authentication, you will be redirected to Auburn's single sign-on page if you are not already logged into your account.
If you have an active auburn.edu account, you can skip setting up a separate Alumni-specific personal account through MyOpenAthens.
Note: If you use an auburn.edu email but are not currently a student, faculty, or staff member at Auburn, you may need to follow the OpenAthens activation email to set up a personal account.
Q: I received an OpenAthens activation email, but I'm not an AU Alum or wish to be removed from your contact list.
If you believe you were sent an OpenAthens email by mistake, or want to be removed from our mailing list, please let us know at libhelp@auburn.edu.
We will cancel your pending OpenAthens account and notify the Auburn Alumni Association to update their information records.
Q: How do I reset my OpenAthens alumni password?
To reset your OpenAthens account password:
Q: I'm trying to reset my OpenAthens password, but the online form asks me for my Banner ID.
If you use the "Find your Institution" option to search for Auburn University when resetting your OpenAthens password, this will lead you to Auburn's main authentication page designed for active students, faculty, and staff to reset their primary auburn.edu accounts.
For this alumni service, you instead want to reset the password for your personal OpenAthens account. Please see the "How do I reset my OpenAthens alumni password?" question above for step-by-step instructions on resetting your password.
Q: I activated my OpenAthens account. How do I sign in?
Note: If you have not signed into MyOpenAthens first, our e-resource links will instead try to send you to an Auburn University login page at authenticate.auburn.edu.
This is not the route you want to take, as this login is for active AU students and faculty using their primary auburn.edu accounts. We recommend bookmarking https://my.openathens.net/auth in your browser so you can use the correct entry pathway to access this alumni service.
Q: Who has access to alumni e-resources?
At this time, AU Libraries provides all degree-awarded graduates of Auburn University and dues-paying members of the Auburn Alumni Association with access to a limited selection of electronic resources.
Please note that access privileges for alumni users do not presently include eBook resources or document delivery (InterLibrary Loan) services.
If you would like to enjoy additional benefits afforded to AU alumni, please consider visiting the Auburn Alumni Association for more information on becoming a life dues-paying member today.
Q: I'm still having trouble logging into my alumni account with OpenAthens. What should I do?
Here are some additional tips to help you troubleshoot your login to access our alumni e-resources:
