Document delivery & interlibrary loans

This service allows you to request a copy of an extract from a book, an article, conference paper, or the loan of a book from another library. This service is for anyone with a University student or staff card. You will need to log into the Library catalogue and complete the interlibrary loan/document delivery request form.

Requests for articles, papers or extracts from books

You can request scans from local stock or from other libraries. Articles, papers and extracts are yours to keep forever but please store them carefully, as due to copyright regulations you cannot request the same item more than once, and there may be limits on the number of times you can print or download an item. Your request will normally be supplied as a scan of the item as an electronic document, however it is possible to request hardcopy to be posted to you (UK only) or collected from the Library. Satisfying hardcopy requests will take longer.

Requests for whole books

If you need a book which is not available through the Library Catalogue or Discovery service , we can try to get it for you from another library via an interlibrary loan. We also offer a postal loans service if you need us to deliver books from our own Library stock.

We will try to satisfy your request by either borrowing a print copy from another library or by adding to our existing eBook collection. The length of time it takes depends on what you have requested and in which format.  If borrowing from another library it also depends on if the holding library has your requested item available (it may be on loan).  As a general rule electronic copies usually take 1-4 days, and print copies 1-2 weeks. 

The loan period will depend on which library lends us the item. Renewal may not be possible, and the lending library may only allow consultation in our library, so it is not guaranteed that you will be able to take the book away with you. Please note that we cannot post out print books borrowed from another library,  these must be collected from the University Library Click & Collect shelves.

Whenever possible interlibrary loan books should be returned to Library staff at the reception desk. Outside of staffed hours books can be placed in the return boxes by the self-service machines.

If you still have the book on loan after the date it was due back, your library account will be blocked until the book is returned. If the book is not returned, or if the lending library deems it lost, you will be liable for replacement charges. As of February 2022 the British Library’s standard charge for lost items is £185.50. If you think you will need to borrow your interlibrary loan book for longer please get in touch with us before it is due. We will then contact the lending library and request a renewal on your behalf, but they may not agree if there is a waiting list for the item.  

Useful links

• Postal Loans