How To Do Research

If you are off-campus and attempt to use any of Pearsall Library's electronic subscription resources, you will be prompted automatically for your username and password. These usernames and passwords are the same as those you use to log in to campus computers and to MyNCWU.  

MyNCWU logins for all currently enrolled students all follow the same format:

Login: FL123456 - First and last initial, followed by your 6-digit ID number. Not case sensitive.
Password: The same password as your MyNCWU password. These passwords are case sensitive, must be at least 8 characters and contain at least three of the following types of characters: numeric digit, lowercase letter, uppercase letter, or special character (!@#$%^&*).

Note: If you have not changed your default password for MyNCWU, it could be your 8-digit MMDDYYYY birthdate, but most passwords are changed to a personalized password at the first log in to MyNCWU. If you do not know your MyNCWU password or have not been able to reset your MyNCWU password, please contact the NCWU Helpdesk via email at helpdesk@ncwu.edu or by phone at 252-984-5000. 

This should work for all currently enrolled students.

Why do I have to log in?

These databases are expensive electronic resources that have access to electronic journals and eBooks. These are restricted to NCWU students who are actively enrolled in credit classes, as well as faculty and staff.

Article Link Not Opening?

Try several  access points / links

On the Search Results page, try different links:

• Click on PDF or Full Text icons
• Click on the Title of the Article, then look for hyperlinks for PDF's, full text, or the DOI (Digital Object Identifier)
• For the Quick Look icon, click on the icon and scroll down and try the DOI Hyperlink
• Look for the Quotation Mark icon, click and select your citation style of choice (APA, MLA, etc.), look for a DOI hyperlink in the citation
• If the above links don't work, try copying the DOI or article title and pasting into Google

If you are still not able to access the article (or end up at website that is charging to access the article) please contact the library through Chat with a Librarian (on this page or the library homepage), email reference@ncwu.edu, or phone 252.985.5350.  Articles can also be requested through our Interlibrary Loan Service. 

 Let us know which articles you can't access - in most cases we can get copy of the article(s) for you.

Troubleshooting

• Many times a patron is denied through the proxy because they are typing their username & password incorrectly.
• Your computer/device may have saved an older version of your password, check your saved passwords and update to your current password. 
• Turn-off all pop-up blockers. Clear your cache & restart your computer.
• Use Google Chrome or Firefox instead of other browsers; they typically work better. However, if you are using Chrome or Firefox and it doesn't work, try another browser.
• Make sure your browser is updated to the most recent version.
• Students attempting to log in need to be currently enrolled in classes. 
• Try connecting to NCWU library databases from a different physical location. If you are connecting from a corporation, hospital campus, or government office, there may be a firewall in place which prevents you from using the proxy server. While most home Internet service providers do have the same restrictions, some home providers have firewall settings that impact database access. Connecting from a physical location with different wi-fi/internet service can help determine if that is a potential issue.  
• If you are still unable to connect to library databases, please contact the NCWU Helpdesk via email at helpdesk@ncwu.edu or by phone at 252.984.5000, or contact the library using the Chat with a Librarian, by email reference@ncwu.edu, or by phone at 252.985.5350.

Note:  To access eBook Central from home, you must create a free account with eBook Central. Go to "Sign In" on the blue bar, then look for "New to eBook Central" and create your account.