If you require items which are not available from our collections, you can access them via the inter-library loans request service (ILL) which is administered through the British Library.
Before submitting a request, please check FINDit as you cannot submit an ILL if we have the items in our collections.
Due to copyright restrictions we are unable to obtain an entire ebook but can place a request for physical copies of books.
Requests can be made by completing the British Library request form on FINDit. Ensure you have Signed in to access the form.
Track your ILL requests through My Account on FINDit. When a request is available for collection, you will receive notification via your University e-mail account.
Students can request up to 5 free requests per academic year. After this there is a charge of £3.00 for each completed request. This does not reflect the total cost of the transaction (£17.55), the remainder of which will be met by the Library. You will still be charged even if you do not collect your ILL (providing the request is met within our standard of 10 working days). The charge is added to your library account and should be paid as soon as possible via the online store. Please note that anyone with fines/charges of £10.00 or above is automatically blocked from using this service.
The ILL service is free of charge for USW staff and research students.
University staff, researchers & students can access articles from the British Library’s rich collections using the Secure Electronic Delivery (SED). Submitted requests are delivered to your desktop, and can accessed anywhere with an internet connection. Electronic delivery eliminates postal delays and offers you a fast and efficient service. Find out how to access the SED service.
Theses may be requested directly via the British Library’s ETHOS – Electronic Theses Online Service (external link). Theses from participating institutions are available for full-text download or can be requested to be digitized before supply. The majority of institutions participating in EThOS have agreed to pay for digitisation of their theses. However, some institutions may not have the budget to fund the digitisation. Occasionally, users of EThOS are asked to fund digitisation of theses from these institutions themselves.
You can also access free legal open-access content, information provided by the British Library.
Inter-library loans
tel: 01443 482638
e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]