Help accessing online resources

Online tools like browser plugins and extensions can help you to access online resources, bypassing paywalls and getting the most out of the information available to you.

If you want a single tool to use when searching for resources, we recommend the Lean Library browser extension, as it has the most features and comprehensive support.

Here are some of the other tools available, with handy guides and videos.

LibKey Nomad

This browser extension, also referred to as Nomad, automatically provides links to full text content, for articles we subscribe to or open access alternatives, as you come across literature while doing research on the web. In each case, Nomad works with our collections information to figure out the fastest path to content across thousands of publisher websites.

LibKey Nomad is available for the following browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, Brave and Vivaldi.

Download LibKey Nomad to your browser. Once you have installed the extension, you’ll be prompted to link it to the University of Leeds.

Watch this video to see how to add LibKey Nomad to your browser:

Open Access Button  

The Open Access Button, available free for Chrome and Firefox, allows you to find free articles overcoming paywalls with a simple click.

Watch this video to see how to add the Open Access Button to your browser:

OpenAthens Bookmarklet

If you receive links to articles via email then the publisher may ask you to log in with your University credentials before you can read them. The OpenAthens bookmarklet provides a way to do this with a single click.

Download this PDF guide for instructions on setting up the OpenAthens Bookmarklet:

How to install the OpenAthens Bookmarklet (text instructions with screenshots)