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Electronic resources are at the heart of research and teaching at the European University Institute. Every day, members of the EUI community access thousands of journal articles, e-books, databases, and other digital resources made available through library subscriptions. These resources are licensed under agreements negotiated between publishers and the EUI Library, and their use is governed by specific terms and conditions.
Most users are familiar with downloading articles for their research, but fewer may be aware that excessive or systematic downloading can jeopardise access for the entire institution. Publishers actively monitor the use of their platforms and may suspend access when unusual activity is detected.
What is excessive downloading?
While there is no universal numerical threshold, excessive downloading generally refers to the systematic retrieval of large amounts of content from a publisher's platform. Examples include:
- Rapidly downloading article after article in a short period of time.
- Downloading entire journal issues or volumes.
- Downloading substantial portions of an e-book collection.
- Continuously harvesting search results, citations, or tables of contents.
- Using robots, spiders, scripts, or other automated tools to collect content.
Even when the intention is purely academic, such activity may be interpreted by publishers as a breach of licence agreements.
Why are publishers concerned?
The EUI Library acquires access to electronic resources through licence agreements that specify how content can be used. These agreements permit access for research, teaching, and private study, but generally prohibit systematic downloading, redistribution, commercial use, or the creation of local archives of licensed content. Users are individually responsible for complying with these terms. Publishers monitor platform activity to protect their content and to ensure that licence terms are respected. When unusual downloading patterns are detected, providers may temporarily block access while they investigate the incident.
The consequences extend beyond the individual user
One excessive downloading incident can affect the entire EUI community. According to the EUI Library's Terms and Conditions of Use for Licensed Electronic Resources, providers may suspend access to a resource for the whole campus if they detect a serious violation of licence conditions. During such suspensions, researchers, faculty, and students may be unable to access essential materials required for their work. In addition to disrupting access, violations may lead to the withdrawal of individual access rights and other institutional sanctions. More importantly, misuse risks damaging the trust between libraries and content providers upon which access to scholarly resources depends.
Unintentional excessive downloading
Not all incidents are deliberate. Certain reference management tools, browser preloading functions, and automated download features can generate large numbers of requests without a user's knowledge. Some universities have reported cases where automatic synchronisation or prefetching functions triggered activity that was later identified as excessive downloading by publishers. For this reason, researchers should review the settings of citation management software and web browsers and ensure that automated downloading functions are disabled when using licensed resources.
Good practice for responsible use
To protect access for everyone at EUI:
- Download only the content you need for your research, teaching, or private study.
- Avoid systematic or large-scale downloading.
- Never use automated tools to harvest content unless explicitly permitted by the provider.
- Check the terms of use for each resource before downloading or reusing content.
- Contact the Library (euiref@eui.eu) if you are unsure whether a particular use is permitted.
Electronic resources are a shared institutional asset. Responsible use helps ensure that the entire EUI community can continue to benefit from uninterrupted access to the scholarly resources that support research, learning, and teaching.
For further information, consult the EUI Library Terms and Conditions of Use for Licensed Electronic Resources and the terms of use displayed in the Library catalogue.