Why is that my colleagues from the UN Agencies are not able to use the electronic resources?
Each Office receives funds to cover their needs and decides which titles/resources to purchase and make available for their staff. Taking in account this budget restriction, our library signs agreements and pays for access for UN Secretariat staff in New York and few field offices that cost share with us. Offices with no access can contact us to learn how to be part of our cost-sharing agreements.
Why do you have so many/so few subscriptions? How do you select your titles?
The library has a Collection Development Policy that outlines criteria for content selection. Our focus is on prioritizing titles related to the Security Council, General Assembly, Peacekeeping, and SDGs. We actively seek client input through an annual survey and analyze usage patterns of our purchased titles to ensure a current and valuable collection. Furthermore, we engage in cost-sharing agreements with field offices, allowing us to expand access to more users or offer additional content.
How long does it take for the most current journal issue (in print) to be available in the library?
The number of days required for processing may vary due to several factors, but generally falls within the range of one to five days. The timing of our receipt depends on when the publisher sends the issue by mail, the duration it takes for the mail to pass through UN Security, and the time of the day the parcel gets to our inbox. At the library, we aim to process new journal issues within two days of receiving them.
What is the difference between the Library Catalog, the A-to-Z page and the Digital Library?
Each site answers a different question. The Library Catalog and the A-to-Z page have external resources, not published by the UN, like Proquest databases and Oxford University Press journals and ebooks. For those who know exactly which database they want to access, the A-to-Z page has a direct link to the database’s website; It also quickly shows the subscriptions by type/subjects. The Library Catalog goes a little deeper into the subscription databases and allows the user to search what is inside: journal articles, ebook titles, etc. If you are looking for research on SDG 10 in Africa, use the Library Catalog to search everywhere, but if you already know you want to access Africa Intelligence fast, just go the A-to-Z page and click on the link.
The UN Digital Library, on the other hand, contains only UN Documents and publications, free to access for UN Staff and the public, and allows users to search even through the full text of the documents. If your document was published by the UN, the UN Digital Library is the place to start!
Why do you keep changing the password for titles like Jeune Afrique and Le Monde?
We update access details every three months or so to ensure that IDs are not widely distributed. Before changing the ID, we inform users who requested the ID before and let them know if they need to resend the request. We also use this method to determine how many users still need access. Since institutional subscriptions are more expensive than personal ones, we need to evaluate if the cost is justified by its usage.
Can I contact the journal/newspaper publisher directly to request access to a subscription?
If you are inquiring about a subscription placed by the Library (check the list here), please reach out to the Library first. This approach saves time since, typically, the vendor forwards your request to us before granting access. Additionally, if your issue is related to Open Athens/your UN Credentials, or is related to problems with our purchase orders, only we can address and resolve these problems. The sooner the library is informed, the quicker we can review and rectify the situation.
Why is that you always ask me to "clean my cookies"?
If you are experiencing issues with a website, such as login problems, loading errors, or unexpected behavior, publishers recommend deleting cookies as a first troubleshooting step. The vendor our Library may have changed something since last time your cookies were updated and that might be causing the problem. After deleting the cookies, you will need to log in again.
I used to be able to access a lot of journals without a password from my desk, now I have no access, why?
As technology advances and cyberattacks become more common, publishers include security features to prevent non-paying users from accessing their content. The same happens with our UN Networks; our IT colleagues make changes and add security features that sometimes prevent our “seamless” connections from going through as expected. From time to time, our access “via IP address” from the UN buildings gets cut or does not work as expected, and it takes some time for us to fix the problem with the vendor. You can avoid the problem by starting your search from our A-to-Z page or our Library Catalog, as we include the best links to use for access.
Why are there several links in the Library Catalog for access to a journal/newspaper? Why some articles don't show up with colored images?
The library subscribes to several databases that include thousands of journals and newspapers, most people call those databases “aggregators”. Sometimes, a very popular title like New York Times or Foreign Affairs is included in more than one aggregator, possibly with different dates or different formats. For instance, the first entry in our catalog might feature ProQuest Direct with articles spanning back 10 or 20 years, providing only the full text. The second entry, from PressReader, that offers only the latest 6 months but includes images and the look and feel of the paper edition. Lastly, for the most popular titles, there might be an entry for the library’s direct subscription to the title’s website, granting access to features such as breaking news, blogs and videos.
What can I download/save? Why are there so many restrictions?
Generally, vendors aim to limit downloads to prevent users from redistributing content. This practice is implemented to mitigate potential decreases in the publisher's sales. For instance, if a UN Staff member downloads content and shares it in a group chat or provides access credentials, recipients and their contacts may obtain the content without making a purchase from the vendor.
For Library users, this means that vendors will allow them to print a limited number of pages per day, and only allow to download the complete book using Adobe Reader, a software that deletes the content from the user's platform after a certain number of days. You can see this restriction implemented when you click the "print" icon in EBSCO or ProQuest platforms. In the case of Oxford University Press and other providers, they offer downloads at the chapter level only, so the users would need to visit a number of pages to download the complete book.
Why am I no longer able to access Jane’s?
In the past, several UNHQ Departments contributed to the purchase of Jane’s, and the UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library provided unlimited access to all Departments. However, due to a significant decrease in the number of participating departments and the subsequent decline in shared costs for this highly expensive resource, the Library had to revise its policy. The purpose of this change was to identify and encourage those who genuinely need access to consider contributing their fair share towards the subscription costs.
If you have recently lost access, please contact the Library to learn more about the subscription.
Is the Wall Street Journal available as an e-resource? Which newspapers are available from the library?
The library has direct subscriptions to some journals and newspapers, but it also subscribes to different databases that include a large number of journals and newspapers. While direct subscriptions will give users access to all web features of a publication, access via databases may be more limited.
In the case of the Wall Street Journal, the library offers access via ProQuest, which includes the full text of all published articles but may not include pictures and special columns found on the newspaper's website.
To find out about a title in a database, check our catalog and follow the links included in the record. If you cannot find the title or need more help, do not hesitate to contact our librarians.
Why can't I access NYTimes/The Economist?
Start by trying the easiest option, which is to clear your cookies, restart your device, and follow the instructions in our ASK FAQs for New York Times or The Economist. If that doesn't solve the issue, the problem may be that you have an old subscription in the publisher’s system using your @un.org email account. It could also be that your Field Office doesn't have an agreement with our library for access, or the office in the UN Directory doesn't exactly match a current office in our platform. In that case, the solution is to send us an email, and we will contact the vendor to resolve the problem.
Can the library place a subscription for me?
The Library handles 'Institutional' orders that give access to all our users in UNHQ and the field, which are considerably more expensive than personal/individual subscriptions. Unfortunately, we do not have the capability to process individual/personal orders for staff members. If your office is interested in an institutional subscription, we can assess the cost on your behalf and assist in requesting a trial or placing the order.
What information should I send to report a problem?
When you report a problem, we need to figure out if the issue is in the UN connection, the vendor’s system, or our own catalog/proxy link. For that, the best way to report a problem is with as many of the items below:
Why are there so many ways to access the publications? Why is it that sometimes I can use my email, and other times I need to use an ID?
In some cases, like The Economist website, users can easily access their Library (Institution) subscriptions directly using their email credentials. In other cases, such as Le Monde, access is limited to an ID and password, and you will need to contact us to get one. This happens because not all publishers offer the same access options.
You can solve this problem by starting your search from our A-to-Z page or our Library Catalog, as we include information about our subscription options and the best link to use for access.
