As of September 16, 2025, the online library services will be operated via a modernized infrastructure. This update is part of a large-scale overhaul of systems aimed at keeping pace with the evolving needs of researchers and students.

Temporary Unavailability of Library Services

Resolving the difficulties with Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is taking longer than originally anticipated. In the interim, a provisional procedure has been established in order to ensure that ILL requests may still be submitted:

• When search results (articles or chapters) are not accessible online, an ILL request button will appear once you are logged in. In addition, a blank ILL form is available on the homepage under “Services.”
• Articles or chapters will, where available in Rapid ILL, be delivered directly to the requester. For physical books, however, the requester is required to select a designated pick-up location. You will be notified once the book has been prepared for collection.

New as of 16/09/2025

• On lib.ugent.be, you will be able to simultaneously search all library collections — including millions of online articles accessible to UGent students and researchers — from one central address.
• Logging in with your student or staff UGent account on lib.ugent.be is sufficient to gain access to UGent-only collections from home or on the go. Using a VPN is no longer necessary to consult library resources. Access to UGent-only resources remains restricted to students and staff with a valid UGent account.
• The Lean Library browser extension helps you seamlessly access UGent-only resources when using tools such as Google Scholar or PubMed.

• The licence for Browzine, the application for browsing and tracking scientific journals, will not be renewed. Researchers and students will retain access to the platform until the end of 2025. All journals and articles can be consulted by researchers and students via the catalogue. In addition, Lean Library offers the option to easily subscribe to journal alerts, so that you are automatically kept informed of new publications in your field of study.

Phased Rollout

We ask for your patience as we fine-tune the new platform. Not all services and collections will be available from day one (September 16, 2025). Throughout the autumn, we will continue working on:

• Online access to master's theses
• Online access to digitized heritage collections
• Improved presentation of digitized heritage materials
• Online requests for high-resolution digitization of heritage items
•  ... (and more innovations to come)

If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to contact us at libservice@ugent.be