Login
Why Register?
Many of the resources within e-Library are freely available for everyone to use, whether or not you register for an e-Library username and password. This includes a wide range of quality assured health and social care information resources including evidence overviews, guidelines, patient information, articles and reviews, evaluated health and social care resources, and much more.
Any user can also access the Virtual Learning Centre, which provides online learning resources for IT, management, core skills and lifeskills, including many provided by LearnDirect Scotland. Information on signing up for Learndirect resources is available here.
Registering as NHS Scotland staff or partner
NHS Scotland staff and partners can register for an e-Library ATHENS username and password. This provides access to password-protected content - over 5000 full text journals, 80 databases and 5000 electronic books. An e-Library ATHENS password also enables you to create your own personal web space - My Community Space, where you can save and share resources and subject interests with others and establish collaborative workspaces to work and learn together with colleagues. You can also keep up-to-date with news and new research journals through newsfeeds and alerting services.
The following are eligible to apply for an e-Library ATHENS username and password:
- Staff of NHSScotland (including contractors such as general practitioner staff, community pharmacy staff, dental surgery staff (see full list) - Register
- Undergraduate or postgraduste students working or training with NHS Scotland - Register
- Social services, public library staff and other local authority staff - Register
- Other partners of NHS Scotland, (including staff in higher and further education, Scottish Government staff, voluntary sector organisations, nursing homes, the armed services and patient/public representatives on NHS groups - see full list) - Register
Others may also be eligible. A full guide to who is eligible can be found here. If you are unsure which group you fit into, or feel you need access and don’t belong to one of these groups, please get in touch with your local NHS ATHENS administrator for advice.
Note that special access is available to members of the public via libraries in the NHS and wider community.
Registering for e-Library services for other users
You may still be able to register for a restricted e-Library password if you don’t belong to the above groups, but you won’t get access to the fulltext journals, books and databases. You will, however, get access to My Community Space where you can save and share resources and subject interests with others and establish collaborative workspaces to work and learn together with colleagues.
You are advised to check first with the Managed Knowledge Networks team on eligibility to register for these services.