What is an interlibrary loan?
When doing research you will come across references to items which are not held in the Oxford Brookes University Library. The Interlibrary Loans service, available to all staff and students, often enables us to borrow items and obtain copies of articles from other UK libraries and even abroad. Please note that e-books are not currently available for Interlibrary loan.
How do I request an interlibrary loan?
There are two ways to make a request:
Automatic form completion
Our recommended method is automatic form completion. These are likely to be processed most rapidly.
- Find your item on LibrarySearch and it will fill out the item and person details for you. To find items use the advanced search.
- If we don't own it, look in Libraries Worldwide. Click on the item title and you will see the Request Interlibrary Loan button on the right hand side.
- As the item and person details are automatically entered by LibrarySearch, you just need to fill out the final elements:
- the copyright declaration, which must be completed by everyone
- your department
- book section details, if you just want a copy of one part
Known issues
If we own any part of a journal print run and you want an article from the same journal, the Request Interlibrary Loan button will not show, even if we do not provide access to this article.
In this situation you can use manual form completion.
Manual form completion
- Sign in to your account in LibrarySearch and choose the Requests tab. You will see a Create Request button that will open an empty form for you to fill in. You will need to complete all sections of the form. (We recommend using the LibrarySearch page to copy over the item details.) Manual forms are likely to be processed less quickly.
How many requests can I make and how much does it cost?
Interlibrary loan charges and limits are subject to change and reviewed annually. Current costs and limits are:
Staff, Researchers (PhD, MPhil, PGTA)
- You can make an unlimited number of requests. Currently there is no charge.
Students (MA, MSc, MBA, Dip Course, UG 1,2,3,4)
- Undergraduates and postgraduates on taught courses can make up to 25 requests per academic year free of charge.
- You can make requests over the 25 request limit if you pay the full cost - check with Interlibrary Loan staff for details.
How will requests be delivered ?
- Articles are usually delivered electronically. If you would prefer a hard copy please email interlibraryloans@brookes.ac.uk
- Electronic delivery: articles may be available via Article Exchange or Secure Electronic Delivery and may be sent direct to your Brookes email account.
- Loans: We will keep the item for you at a Library desk. Some items can be borrowed although some are reference only. We will email you when the item is available.
How long can I keep it?
Loans are usually for three weeks, with the possibility of renewal. Renewal requests should be made in good time and there is no guarantee that a renewal will be granted.
Return loans promptly since we rely on other libraries' goodwill to lend us material. Fines will be charged on overdue items, plus a standard renewal charge for any item overdue by more than seven days.
Most items are for loan but some, like theses, are for reference use only in the Library