OpenAthens Ideas Portal

We're always looking for ways to improve our products, and we'd love your input to help us make that happen. Your suggestions will guide us in deciding where we should focus our future research and development.

Just sign in with your email to share your thoughts or vote for ideas you like—it'll help them get noticed!


Here’s how the portal is organised:

  • Librarians (Identity Providers): Share ideas that help organisations that manage user identities and provide access to online content and services. This includes improving the experience for students and researchers.

  • Publishers (Service Providers): Share ideas for organisations that offer content and services.


Guidance on using this portal

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Status Feedback wanted
Workspace Librarians
Categories Proxy
Created by Guest
Created on Mar 16, 2026

RELATED IDEAS

A Clear Pathway/Hub for Consistent Communications from Vendors to OpenAthens Regarding Platform Changes and Proxy Updates

We know that vendors make frequent platform changes. In the past two months, I have worked with two vendors directly who had no idea that during and after platform changes, updates are likely needed for the OpenAthens managed proxy. Vendors to not consider OpenAthens routinely when it comes to updating proxy settings and there is a communication gap. Vendors and OpenAthens should work together to make the path to coordinating updates to the proxy clearer and more obvious, and even though I realize proxy auth does not carry a commitment like federation membership, there should be a commitment to mutual customers to update access accordingly.

Is this currently impacting your ability to use OpenAthens effectively? Yes
Idea type OpenAthens support improvement, Something to improve
  • Attach files
  • Guest
    Mar 23, 2026

    I fully agree with and support this. Vendors - especially small ones - often do not have the knowledge and expertise to consider how platform changes affect library user access, and who needs to be informed of the changes. Establishing a communication pathway would allow vendors and OpenAthens to work together proactively and limit lost access for libraries.

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