Frequently asked questions
Below are some commonly asked questions. If you the information you are looking for is not included you can contact the library via e-mail, phone or the contact form found on this page.
I can't access the library, what do I do?
This is a very common question, however in order to assist we will need more information. First of all, make sure you are trying to access library resources using your WMU google ID (e.g. W1801XXX@wmu.se). Secondly, the library has many different resources and the reason you cannot access a particular one may vary depending on which one you are trying to access. Some of our resources can only be accessed from on campus in Malmö. When it comes to downloading e-books this will often require that you download an e-reader and create a separate account for that e-reader. We recommend instead that you use the option of reading material online, i.e., if an option exists to click “PDF Full text” or “EPUB Full Text”, it is highly recommended you use these. If you cannot access resources after following the instructions, email us (library@wmu.se) with details of the resource you are trying to access, include screen shots of the errors. Make sure you are using your WMU gmail account. How do I log in? See our page on how to log in to different accounts.
Will I be able to access library sources after leaving WMU?
There are none more desirous of extending library access to the alumni than the library staff itself. Unfortunately, there are financial limits as to what we can provide. We do not own most of the information that we offer online, but rather lease it, usually on the basis of how many active students and faculty we have. As a result, there is almost always a higher charge for a higher headcount. We expect that the databases we could afford to offer alumni are not those most sought after in maritime research. The cost for allowing access to Lloyd’s List online or Clarkson’s Shipping Intelligence Network, for example, would be absolutely prohibitive. That said, you may certainly search our catalog. Most of our post-1999 dissertations are available free as downloadable PDF’s. The same is true of several publications where we have license to distribute. In such cases, the catalog will have a hypertext link in the record, directing you to the resource. We will also be happy to lend you books from our collection if you go through the Interlibrary Loans process with the nearest library of which you are member. (Just ask for ILL). Through that same process we can scan an article from a journal or a paper from conference proceedings, even a chapter or two from a book, and send it to you as a PDF. Without some fundraising activities dedicated to such a cause, however, there is little chance of getting full library access to our electronic sources indexed in the library discovery service on library.wmu.se and collected in our institutional repository, Maritime Commons on commons.wmu.se for alumni . We regret to being the bearer of bad news, but as stated above , we are willing to offer what we can through Interlibrary Loans and from the Open Access materials discoverable in our catalog and discovery service.
I want to access the online library when I'm not on campus, is it possible?
Yes, it is. Off campus access to most of the library’s e-content is managed through our EZproxy® service, which allows authenticated users to get to the database content as if they were on campus. EZproxy authentication is made with your WMU Email credentials. In other words, you will need a WMU email account to access these databases remotely — from virtually anywhere in the world with an internet connection.
A book is due to be returned, but I want to keep it longer. How can I extend the loan?
If it’s a short loan material, you will have to return it to the library on the due date before 10 AM in the morning. For other materials, you may renew up to 5 times unless there’s a hold placed by another patron. To renew, follow this link, click the button to login with your WMU Email account. If you are already logged into the catalog, you will see your name in the top right corner.
How do I find WMU dissertations from previous years?
You can look at ALL the dissertations (print & electronic) by going to the Advanced Search on the library catalog. Below the search form, you will see some checkbox options under “Limit to any of the following:” Check the box labeled “Dissertation.” Enter you search terms (or don’t enter any terms if you want to see ALL dissertations. You can use the Sort option to view in different ways once you get the results) Click the search button We also created public list for the dissertations for the most recent years. To access them, go to catalog and select “Lists” from the top menu. To see (and access) only the e-versions (1999-present), go to Maritime Commons. This page has a link to Browse Dissertations by Specialization. The country of the author and the specialization are displayed in the result lists, but you can also search for the country in the search box on the left. The default is set to “search this collection,” which will be limited to dissertations.
I'd like to buy a WMU publication/ book, are they sold at the library?
No, in fact they are not. Some of WMU publications are published by Springer, and therefore should be purchased from the publisher directly. There are a few titles that might be in stock at the WMU campus, sale of these are handled by the WMU finance department.
I want an account for BIMCO/IMOdocs
Please read the information on our accounts page. Students are given IMOdocs accounts in the beginning of their studies. Search your inbox for a welcome e-mail. If you cannot find one contact the library at library@wmu.se. For BIMCO accounts you may also e-mail us.
I'm having trouble printing, what do I do?
Printing is handled by our IT department, contact its@wmu.se.
I'm having trouble logging in to Westlaw, Clarkson's or another account
See our login guide here! You will find information on how to sign up and log in to Clarkson's here as well.