Can’t access an electronic resource? Check to see if you are a member of the Purdue community
Answer
Per the contracts the Purdue University Libraries on the West Lafayette campus sign with vendors that govern the use of the databases, e-books, and e-journals ("online resources") licensed and purchased by the Libraries, only faculty and staff members currently employed by Purdue; faculty emeriti; or students currently enrolled at the university have access to these materials.
Generally speaking, faculty, staff, and students at the Purdue regional campuses (Purdue University Fort Wayne and Purdue University Northwest) do not have access to online resources licensed and purchased by the Libraries on the West Lafayette campus.
The Purdue University Libraries on the West Lafayette campus have negotiated access to some online resources for alumni of the West Lafayette campus. More information about Libraries’ services to alumni can be found here.
If you think you are a currently employed member of the faculty and staff or currently enrolled student at the West Lafayette campus but are still having problems accessing online resources, you can check the Purdue directory to see your campus affiliation and title. If you have recently separated from the university, this is particularly helpful in confirming your retirement or emeritus status. If you are a student, you can also use this tool to see if you are classified as a West Lafayette student or one of Purdue's regional campuses - Purdue University Fort Wayne or Purdue University Northwest - or Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), the campus in the state capital jointly managed by IU and Purdue.
If you think that you are a currently employed member of the faculty and staff of the West Lafayette campus but the directory does not list you or you are still having problems accessing online resources, you may want to contact your department to see if your hiring paperwork has been completed or personnel paperwork is up to date. Sometimes the Libraries hear from newly hired faculty members who were hired in the spring semester but aren't scheduled to teach classes until the fall semester. Your hiring paperwork may not be filed yet and your credentials to use online content may not be created until closer to the start of fall classes.
If the directory shows that you are a current student at the West Lafayette campus but you are still having problems accessing online resources, you may want to contact the registrar's office about your enrollment status.
The Libraries provide "walk-in" access to online resources for individuals who are not part of the Purdue community from publicly available computer workstations available in various libraries across campus. Interested users can also apply for a library card that will allow them to borrow physical materials from the Libraries collections but not access online resources remotely.