Free Access

Online Libraries

Several institutions also allow accredited universities, research institutes, and certain non-profit organisations free access to their e-library holdings. In most cases, access must be organised through the librarian. To find out whether your institution is eligible, and to register for access, please consult the websites listed below.

AGORA (Access to Global Online Resources in Agriculture) is run by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Eligible institutions are national academic, research, or government institutions in agriculture and related biological, environmental, and social sciences, such as universities and colleges, research institutes, agricultural extension centres, and government offices and libraries. Information is provided in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.

The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) Low Cost Journals Scheme provides subscriptions to selected members of the Association of Commonwealth Universities at a highly discounted rate.

The British Library for Development Studies (BLDS), in partnership with the Global Development Network (GDN), provides a free Document Delivery Service to research institutes in 'developing and transition countries'. Any article or document chapter requested through a registered institution can be sent as a photocopy or email attachment. The same services is also available to institutions in high-income countries on a paid basis.

HINARI (Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative) is run by the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO). Eligible institutions are: universities, research institutes, professional schools (medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, and dentistry), teaching hospitals, government offices, and national medical libraries. Information is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

eIFL Direct (Electronic Information for Libraries) is run by EBSCO and the Soros Institute. Information is available in English, French, German, Polish, and Spanish.

The Journal Donation Project (JDP) was set up by New School in 1990 to assist in rebuilding major research and teaching libraries in countries that have faced prolonged political and/or economic deprivation by providing subscriptions to English-language scholarly, professional, and current affairs journals.

OARE (Online Access to Research on the Environment), a public-private consortium coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Yale University, offers access to one of the world's largest collections of environmental science research. Eligible institutions include universities and colleges, professional training schools, research institutes, government offices and agencies, libraries, and local, regional, and national NGOs. Information is available in English, French, and Spanish.

PERII (Programme for the Enhancement of Research Information) is run by INASP. Information is available in English, French, Russian, and Spanish.

POPLINE (POPulation information onLINE), POPLINE, run by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is the world's largest database on reproductive health and offers a document-delivery service free of charge to users in developing countries. This database is also available on CD ROM.

STAR (Special Terms for African Researchers) is a scheme run by Taylor & Francis to enable researchers in sub-Saharan Africa to have access to scholarly journals.

Document delivery

The British Library for Development Studies (BLDS), which houses Europe’s largest research collection on economic and social change in developing countries, provides a full Document Delivery Service allowing users at registered institutions to search the BLDS online catalogue and request any document to be sent as a photocopy or email attachment. BLDS charges users in high-income countries but provides the service free of charge to registered institutions in low- and middle-income countries.

British Library Direct offers reasonably priced electronic document delivery without restrictions.