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Library Document Delivery Services: Inter-Library Loans

Overview.

COVID-19

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. 

Quick start guide.

1) Register with the British Library.

  1. Follow the registration link above.
  2. Complete the registration form (please use your …@bath.ac.uk email address).
  3. You will be asked to register a username and password. Important: usernames containing the ‘@’ symbol can cause documents to fail to open. Please avoid creating usernames containing the ‘@’ symbol.
  4. You will receive an email asking you to verify your account – follow the verification process contained within this email.
  5. You will receive an email confirming your registration – you do not need to forward this email to us.
  6. You are now able to open DRM Lite files using your British Library username and password.
  7. The British Library has more detailed guidance available for download here.

2 ) Make a request. 

What happens next?

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:-

  • An email containing a link to your book chapter, conference proceeding or journal article (you will need your British Library username and password to access this). All British Library electronic documents work with screen reading software. 
  • An email from the Inter-Library Loans Team asking you to collect your book or a paper copy of your journal article or book chapter from the Collections shelf in the Library foyer.

Theses and dissertations.

FAQs.

What can I request?

You can make four types of requests:

  • Article or conference paper by e-mail
    Please note that copyright restrictions apply. We can only provide one article from per issue.
  • Chapter from a book by e-mail
    Please note that copyright restrictions apply. We can only provide one chapter per title.
  • Whole book on loan from another library
  • Whole journal issue on loan from another library

What is DRM Lite?

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).

Who doesn't need to register with On Demand?

Our external and alumni members do not need to register. 

What happens if I forget my British Library username and password?

The British Library maintains your registration details.  

You can request your username and password here.

I have completed the registration process but my username and password are not recognised?

It can take a few moments for your registration details to be processed at the British Library. Please wait five minutes and try again. 

What software do I need? 

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. 

Will all my requests be fulfilled electronically?

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. 

How many times can I print the document?

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. 

Can I share my article or book chapter with my classmates/students?

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.

What happens if I place a request and I haven't registered with On Demand?

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. 

Can I make an Inter-Library Loan request if I'm an alumni or external member?

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.

Contact us.

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