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University Library Services

Interlibrary Loans

A guide about how to request material not held in our collections or available through our subscriptions.

Yellow background with blue text saying Interlibrary loans copyright restrictions, next to a cartoon book.

Current copyright legislation allows the British Library and other UK institutions to provide copies of material for "research for a non-commercial purpose or private study". The copies provided to us are for the personal use of the individual submitting the request and must not be duplicated or distributed to anyone else When placing a request, you agree to abide by our terms and conditions.

UK copyright guidelines state that you may receive copies of 

  • one chapter or 5% of a book, whichever is greater
  • one article from an issue of a journal.

If you require more than the prescribed limit you should request to borrow the physical item instead or ask that we consider it for purchase. Copyright law still applies, so you will not be able to make copies over the amount shown above.

Agreeing to our terms and conditions for interlibrary loans

When you submit a request, you must tick a box indicating your agreement with the following statement. These terms and conditions will also be sent to you when the requested material is supplied. Material supplied through interlibrary loan is for your study and research use only and must not be shared or duplicated. If at a later stage, you are discovered to have broken these rules, you as the individual will be held personally liable.

DECLARATION : COPY OF ARTICLE OR PART OF PUBLISHED WORK

1. I declare that:-

  • a) I have not previously been supplied with a copy of the same material by you or any other librarian.
  • b) I will not use the copy except for research for a non-commerical purpose, or private study and will not supply a copy of it to any other person.
  • c) To the best of my knowledge, no other person with whom I work or study has made, or intends to make at or about the same time as this request, a request for substantially the same material for substantially the same purpose.
  • d) If this item was delivered by an electronic method (which includes facsimile transmission), I will retain only a single paper copy and destroy any electronic copies after printing.

 2. I understand that if this declaration is false in any material particular the copy supplied to me by you will be an infringing copy and that I shall be liable for infringement of copyright as if I had made the copy myself.

 Copies for distribution

If you are a member of University staff and there is material you need to share with others, such as other researchers or your students, you must not use the interlibrary loan service for this purpose. Please discuss how to obtain the material with your Academic Liaison Librarian.