Inter library loans are requests for items not held in our collections. These requests can include loans of books or copies of journal articles, book chapters or conference papers.
The inter library loan service is open to Staff, PG researchers, PG Taught students, and final year UG dissertation students or those undertaking research project work. A maximum of 20 requests per person can be supplied per academic year.
To request an inter library loan, please complete the form by clicking the button below.
Please note: Inter library loans cannot be renewed.
Requesting Inter library loans
Following the removal of many restrictions put in place due to Covid-19, we are again able to offer an inter library loan service for physical items, in addition to the continuing digital service for articles and chapters.
Please allow additional time (up to 10 days) for your loan request to be supplied. Items may be restricted to in-library use only however we will advise you of this in advance where possible.
Items lent by partner libraries must be returned by the due date and in the condition in which they are lent. A replacement fee will be charged to you for any lost or damaged books and this could be set by the lending library at the British Library standard fee of £214.50.
If you are unsure what you can request please contact the Content and Collections Team.
Scroll down for key FAQs or search Just Ask:
Who can request
What you can request
Article requests
How long it takes & how long you can have it
How long can I borrow an inter library loan for?
How to track your Inter library loan request
Theses
The British Library is currently experiencing a major technology outage as a result of a cyber-attack.
Please be assured that we are continuing to fulfil Inter-Library Loan requests from alternative suppliers.
Some British Library systems and services, including EThOS, remain unavailable. For more information, please visit the British Library’s temporary webpage or blog.
Users with a British Library password are recommended to change this on any websites they use it for.
Please also be vigilant for phone calls or emails that may be phishing attempts. Check the sender details in emails and follow the standard protocols for checking phishing emails that can be found on this page.
Please find here a list of links to other services which may be of help or interest when trying to source material for your studies, and for help accessing the services of the British Library.
This link opens in a new windowSearchable index of UK theses with full text available to order.
The most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, spanning from 1743 to the present day and offering full text for graduate works added since 1997, along with selected full text for works written prior to 1997. It contains a significant amount of new international dissertations and theses both in citations and in full text.
If you wish to access full text theses, please make sure the "Full text" option is ticked under the search bar.
