Iowa Valley Proxy
Quickly access resources off-campus through the Iowa Valley Community College District proxy.
Proxy Bookmarklet
Whenever you are on a site that requires licensed access, click on the "Iowa Valley proxy" bookmarklet. You will be asked to login, and then redirected to the "proxified" version of the site.
What is OpenAthens?
Think of OpenAthens as your digital key to Iowa Valley Community College District’s academic resources. It gives students, staff, and faculty secure, off-campus access to licensed databases, journals, and more—no special software or campus connection required. Just log in with your Iowa Valley credentials, and you're ready to go.
Why use OpenAthens?
Because of publisher restrictions, online academic resources at Iowa Valley Community College District often require users to be on the university network. OpenAthens bypasses that limitation by using your Iowa Valley credentials to authenticate access—so whether you're on campus or not, your access stays the same.
What’s the difference between EZproxy, OpenAthens, and VPN?
EZproxy and VPNs have traditionally been used to simulate on-campus access by rerouting traffic through university IPs. OpenAthens represents a shift away from IP-based models by using a cloud-based authentication system that identifies users individually. This allows OpenAthens to be more flexible and scalable across platforms, and it often requires less maintenance for IT departments. VPNs remain useful for broader internal network access, but for licensed digital content, OpenAthens often provides a more streamlined experience.
Quick access to popular databases and journals
- NCBI PubMed
- SCOPUS
- Web of Science
- Nature
- Science
- IEEE Xplore Digital Library
- Wiley Online Library
- APA PsycNET
- JSTOR
- ScienceDirect