Our proxy, EZproxy (developed by OCLC) allows allows you to access most electronic resources—like journals, ebooks, and databases—when you're off-campus. It works by routing your connection through the university's network, which grants you access to resources that use IP address recognition.

You cannot use the proxy for resources that require a separate username and password or those that only use the IDEM-GARR service. You don't need to install any software to use it.

Method 1: Start Your Search Through the Proxy

This is the easiest way to ensure you're logged in.

1. Click this link to access UniCASearch via proxy. Alternatively, if you're already on UniCASearch, look for the banner at the top that says, "UniCA User? Log in with EZproxy for a complete search," and click it.
2. Log in with your institutional credentials, i.e. your U-GOV username (for faculty/staff) or your Esse3 username (for students), without the domain part (@unica.it).
3. Once you've logged in, you can begin your search or browse the databases.
4. When you select a resource, you’ll be granted full-text access without needing to log in again.

Note: If you manually type a new URL in your browser or open a new tab, you will leave the proxy session. You can tell this has happened if the unica.idm.oclc.org extension disappears from the URL. In that case, you may use the Proxy UniCA bookmarklet to reactivate proxy access (see instructions below).

Method 2: Use the Bookmarklet 

If you have already found a resource you want to access, you can activate the proxy using a bookmarklet.

1. First, make sure your browser has a visible bookmarks bar and that JavaScript is enabled (instructions here).
2. Drag the

   Proxy UniCA

   button to your bookmarks bar.
3. When you are on a resource page (e.g., jstor.org) and want to use the proxy, simply click the Proxy UniCA bookmarklet.

You will be prompted to log in with your institutional credentials (the same as above). The URL will automatically refresh to include the unica.idm.oclc.org string, and you will be granted access.

Note: The Proxy UniCA bookmarklet will not work for these specific databases:

Nexis UNI: Use this link.

UpToDate: Use this link.

If a resource is not accessible via proxy (e.g., it requires a separate username and password or is only accessible via IDEM-GARR), you will see the following message:

"EZproxy is not configured to access this website. Go to website."

Simply click the link next to "Go to website," to continue browsing.

If you think there is a technical issue, you may report it by sending an email to risorseelettroniche@unica.it.

The IDEM-GARR federated authentication service allows you to access electronic resources remotely, by using your Esse3 or U-GOV credentials.

Note: This access method will not work for resources that only use IP address recognition. For those resources, you must access via proxy.

How to Log In Using IDEM-GARR

While the steps may vary slightly depending on the platform, you can generally follow these instructions:

1. Click on "Sign in / login."
2. Choose "Institution(al) login / Shibboleth login / Other" (do not select OpenAthens or personal username/password login).
3. Select our istitutional federation, which may be labeled as "Italian Higher Education & Research" or "Italy - IDEM GARR" (if this option does not apply, skip to step 4).
4. Search for and select our istitution, which may be listed as Università di Cagliari, Cagliari state university, or Università degli studi di Cagliari.
5. Enter your institutional credentials. This means your U-GOV username for faculty/staff or your Esse3 username for students, without the domain name. For example, use usernameEsse3 not usernameEsse3@studenti.unica.it.
6. Click on "access" and "agree."

Resources Accessible Only Through IDEM-GARR

The following resources are accessible exclusively via IDEM-GARR:

• AIDA
• Biblioteca digitale EDRA
• Edicola professionale
• Leggi d'Italia
• MLOL
• MyDesk24
• ONE Legale
• Orbis Europe
• Orbis intellectual property

You can find more details about IDEM-GARR here.

You can access our electronic resources also via VPN. However, we recommend using the proxy service instead.

The UnicaVPN service requires an app to be installed for access.

Faculty and researchers: You can request the service directly from the Direzione sistemi, infrastrutture, dati. You can find more details at this link (under the "Accesso VPN" section).

Students: The service is valid for one year and must be requested by a professor on your behalf.

On the VPN webpage, you can also find the VPN software, and an installation and configuration guide.