Pennsylvania Western Proxy

Quickly access resources off-campus through the Pennsylvania Western University proxy.

Proxy Bookmarklet

Whenever you are on a site that requires licensed access, click on the "Pennsylvania Western proxy" bookmarklet. You will be asked to login, and then redirected to the "proxified" version of the site.

What is OpenAthens?

With OpenAthens, members of the Pennsylvania Western University community can access licensed digital resources both on and off campus. It works behind the scenes to verify your Pennsylvania Western login, giving you seamless access to the same academic materials you’d normally use while connected to the campus network.

Why use OpenAthens?

Many of the resources provided by Pennsylvania Western University, such as databases and e-journals, are restricted to users on the campus network. OpenAthens allows you to access these resources remotely by securely confirming your Pennsylvania Western login, so you don’t have to be on site to get what you need.

What’s the difference between EZproxy, OpenAthens, and VPN?

While all three systems—EZproxy, OpenAthens, and VPN—help extend access to university resources beyond the campus, they differ in how they authenticate users. EZproxy relies on IP masking to make remote users appear to be on campus. OpenAthens uses a modern, federated identity system to verify individual users through single sign-on. VPNs route your entire internet connection through the university's network, which can offer broader access but may also slow down your connection or raise security concerns for non-academic browsing.

Looking for another institution?