Authorization errors, which may include the additional details "You have successfully authenticated with an active PennKey; however, there may be a block on the library account or the PennKey may not have the credentials/affiliations necessary to access this Library resource," may occur for different reasons depending on whether you are an alumnus or a current student, faculty or staff member.

For alumni of degree-granting programs, you must access resources through the Alumni Services: Access E-Resources page. If you try to access resources via the regular library catalog, you will receive the authorization error.

For faculty, students and staff, this error usually occurs when you do not have an active status with the correct affiliation in Penn's broader systems. Access credentials are managed by schools and departments, not by the library. If you believe you should have access but are receiving an authorization error, please contact the center or department that issued your credentials for assistance. Certain affiliation types may require you to add an email address to your profile in the Penn Directory.

CHOP affiliates may get this error if they do not have an active affiliation with the University. Please see I work at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia), can I access library resources? for additional information. CHOP affiliates who have lost active status must request a renewal through CHOP, not the library.

For Penn Medicine and hospital employees who experience authorization errors, please see Can Penn Medicine and hospital employees access Penn Libraries?