Interlibrary Loans

Items not in stock required for research purposes can be requested via the Interlibrary Loans Service which operates from the Information Desk on the Ground Floor of the Library.

How do I make a request?

Before making a request, first check the Library Catalogue to see if the item is available here.

You need to complete an interlibrary loan form for each item you require. Forms are available from the ground floor enquiry desk in the University Library or can be completed online: 

Please give as much information as you can about the item you are requesting.

Submit completed forms to the ground floor enquiry desk, University Library.

Remember to sign the copyright declaration if you are requesting a journal article or a chapter from a book.

If you are using our Discovery Service and the item you want is not available electronically, the LinkSource page will offer you a link to the Interlibrary loan form.  Just fill in your personal details and the bibliographic details for your request will be added automatically.

Who can use the service?

Only certain categories of Library user may use this service to request items relevant to their field of study or research. Requesters must have a current campus card and no outstanding library fines. Staff and research students may submit requests freely within their faculty/departmental quota, except that research assistants/students in the Science Faculty and Humanities & Social Science Faculty must have their requests signed by their supervisor.

Postgraduate students on taught postgraduate courses may submit requests provided they have obtained the countersignature of their tutor for each request.

Final year undergraduate students in Humanities Faculty writing dissertations may submit requests provided that these have been countersigned by their dissertation tutor.

Final year undergraduates in other faculties may submit requests provided they have obtained the countersignature of the relevant tutor for each request.

First and second year undergraduates may not submit requests.

Who pays for the service?

Requests are normally charged to faculty / departmental funds. Each fund has an annual allocation and requests are charged at £10 each against this allocation.

How long will I have to wait?

About 70% of requests are supplied within seven days of our application. Some items may take much longer, because they may be difficult to locate or are in heavy demand.

How will I know the loan has arrived?

If you have requested a book, you will be notified of its arrival through the University email. Books must be collected from the Library Issue Desk so the loan can be recorded in our system.

If you have requested a book chapter or article, it will usually be delivered to your university email account so that you can print it yourself. These documents are sent from the British Library using software called FileOpen.

You should test that you can receive FileOpen documents here: http://fileopen.bl.uk:8008/FileOpenFreeLink-1.0/entryPage.do.

If this does not work, you may need to install a plug-in into Adobe Reader by clicking here: http://plugin.fileopen.com. This is already installed on PCs on campus.

You will receive an email containing the document you requested. The document will be available to download for 30 days, after which it will be deleted. You will only be able to download the document once from one computer, and you must print the document if you wish to keep it, so you should make sure you are logged into a computer attached to a working printer before you click on the link for the first time. Once you have downloaded the document, you have 14 days to print it, so we recommend that you print the document as soon as possible. You will only be able to print it once.

If we are not able to get your article from the British Library, or if you specifically request a paper copy, a photocopy will be supplied which you can keep. These requests will take longer to arrive than electronic requests.  In the case of staff and PhD students, the photocopy will be automatically posted to your departmental address. Non-PhD students must collect photocopies from the Library Issue Desk. You will receive an email when your document is ready for collection.

How long can I keep the item?

The book loan period varies according to the library lending us the item, and renewal may not be possible. Please help us to keep in good standing with other libraries by returning items promptly.

We will send you a reminder to return overdue items, but if the item is not returned within one week of a final demand notice, you will be liable for replacement costs, these charges can exceed £100 per item, so it is important to return your items promptly.

Further Information

For enquiries about the Interlibrary Loans service, contact:

Tel: 023 9284 3228

Email: interlib@port.ac.uk

Fax: 023 9284 3233

 

 

 

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