New security tool for Library Catalogue Plus and Article Plus

Posted: 17 February 2026

Some users may notice a small change to Library Catalogue Plus and Articles Plus from Thursday 19th February. To increase protection against bot scraping activities, we are introducing a tool called Botstopper. Botstopper performs a quick, automated check to confirm that the user is not a bot before allowing them to access the system.

Users who are off-campus and not signed into the VPN will see a Botstopper screen when accessing Library Catalogue Plus and Articles Plus. It usually appears for less than a second and says "Making sure you're not a bot".

Botstopper does not challenge users who are on campus or have signed into the VPN.

If you encounter any problems or have any questions, please contact library@lboro.ac.uk.