We can only fill interlibrary loan requests for electronic material at this time. This is due to closures and staff shortages, both here and at our partner libraries, which have resulted from the COVID-19 situation.
Most of our partner libraries have extended due dates for all items out on loan. This includes the British Library who will automatically renew material as it comes due. Please do not return material to us at this time as we are unable to receive it, you will not be fined.
Please contact us at lisbl@bath.ac.uk if you are concerned about material that is due back.
Members of the University can use the Inter-Library Loans service to request items such as books, journal articles, theses, conference proceedings, reports, standards and patents. The service is paid for by your Subject Librarian out of the materials fund for your department. These should be items that they need for their academic work. If you need an item for commercial purposes, including commercial research, please contact us.
You can use the Inter-Library Loans service to request an item that is not available in the Library's print or electronic collections.
If you are new to the Inter-Library Loans service, please follow our Quick Start guide below.
You will receive an email to your University of Bath account confirming your request.
The Inter-Library Loans team will place a request with the appropriate lending library.
In a few days you will receive one of the following:-
You can make four types of requests:
DRM Lite is a digital rights management system which enables you to receive and open secure encrypted documents from the British Library (our primary supplier for Inter-Library Loans).
Our external and alumni members do not need to register.
The British Library maintains your registration details.
It can take a few moments for your registration details to be processed at the British Library. Please wait five minutes and try again.
You will need Adobe Reader 10 or later installed on your device and set as the default program for opening PDFs. If your web browser has an inbuilt PDF viewer you will need to disable it before you can read the document.
No. Whole books and journal issues will need to be collected from the Library's Issue Desk. In addition book chapters and journal articles not supplied by the British Library will need to be collected from the Inter-Library Loans office.
You can download the file from the original link up to 30 days after receiving the email from the British Library. This file can be saved on your PC and then accessed for a further 3 years. Due to copyright restrictions, you may only print one copy.
No. Inter-Library Loans are for your personal and private study only. If the chapter/article is required for teaching (e.g., appears on a reading list) then lecturers should make a Library Scanning Service for Academic Staff request.
If you haven't registered and you receive an electronic file from the British Library, you will be prompted to register at that point. You must register with the British Library in order to open their files.
Yes, as long as you have joined the Library as a member. There is information on joining as an alumni or as an external member on these pages.
Alumni and external members of the Library can use the service for a fee of £12.00 per request.
Visit the Inter-Library Loans office to pick up a paper Inter-Library Loans request form or download the request form, fill it out, and return it to lisbl@bath.ac.uk.
Call in at the ILL Office during opening hours. The office is located in the Library at the back of Level 2, next to Copy & Print and can be viewed on this map. It is normally staffed Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm. Please check opening hours before travelling, especially over vacations & Bank Holidays.
Email: lisbl@bath.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1225 386583
Fax:+44 (0)1225 386229
Post: The Library, 2.15, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK