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 libraries. 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, using the Libraries Worldwide option. 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 issue: 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. Please complete the form in as much detail as possible, as that will allow us to process your request faster.
How long will it take for my request to arrive?
Book requests
- If you have requested a book, we will contact other libraries to see if they are able to lend the book to us. If we successfully find a library able to lend, then they will send it to us by post. This process may take up to two weeks, occasionally longer.
- Once we have received your book, we will email you and you will need to come to the library to collect it. Occasionally the book may be reference only, and you will only be able to read it in the library.
- If we are unable to find a library willing to lend the book, we will notify you via email.
- Please note that e-books are not currently available for interlibrary loan.
Article requests
- If you have requested an article, we will contact other libraries to obtain a copy. If we find a library with the requested article, usually they will email a copy directly to you. This will usually be a PDF and is often password protected. This process usually only takes a few days.
- Occasionally libraries send us printed copies of articles, in which case we will contact you with more information.
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 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. You may be charged for the replacement cost of any item.
Most items are for loan but some, like theses, are for reference use only in the Library
interlibraryloans@brookes.ac.uk
+44 (0)1865 534700