FAQ: Frequently asked questions
Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery
- What services does the interlibrary loan offer and who can use the interlibrary loan?
- What is not available via interlibrary loan?
- How do I order a book via interlibrary loan?
- What can I do if the item I am looking for cannot be found in any catalogue/database?
- How can I order journal articles via interlibrary loan?
- How will I be notified of the arrival of interlibrary loans?
- How long is the loan period and can I renew items borrowed via interlibrary loan?
- Can I make reservations for interlibrary loans?
- How much do interlibrary loans cost?
- Are there restrictions to the use of items borrowed via interlibrary loan?
- Why do I have to indicate a subject group?
- Is there a quicker way to order items than the interlibrary loan system?
- What services does the document delivery service offer?
- I have questions about or problems with the interlibrary loan, who can I contact?
What services does the interlibrary loan offer and who can use the interlibrary loan?
Generally, you can order items which are not in stock via interlibrary loan, document delivery services. TU Dortmund members and external users use their library card for interlibrary loan orders.
Further on, interlibrary loan can be used by
- students of the Universities Bochum and Duisburg-Essen
- students of the Universities of Applied Science Dortmund, Bochum, Gelsenkirchen and Südwestfalen.
No use of Dortmund University Library interlibrary loan for
- students of other universities of North Rhine-Westphalia
- minors and persons whose user status is limited to that effect.
The ordered item will be delivered to Dortmund University Library. You will be notified of its arrival and you can collect it at the lending services during business hours.
If you have any questions, please ask our staff at the interlibrary loan.
11.10.2012
What is not available via interlibrary loan?
The terms for interlibrary loan in Germany are set down in the Interlibrary Loan Terms of Use (Leihverkehrsordnung). The terms of use determine which items are excluded from interlibrary loan, for instance:
- Items which are in stock at Dortmund University Library - even if the items have been borrowed.
- Diploma theses, bachelor or master theses (may usually not be borrowed).
- Valuable and rare items.
- Loose-leaf editions and unbound periodicals.
- Electronic resources.
- ...
Questions? Please contact our staff in the Interlibrary Loan Department.
Please note:
- Interlibrary loan fees are handling fees. The fee will be charged even if your order cannot be fulfilled.
- Newly released books: fill in our book suggestion form - sometimes this is the quickest way to get the book.
10.08.2011
How do I order a book or a book article via interlibrary loan?
If an item is not available here, you can order it via interlibrary loan. You can click on Interlibrary loan in the upper navigation line of our catalogue or access the interlibrary loan interface from our home page (left column).
Switch to the English version! After entering your user ID and password, you have access to the interlibrary loan interface of Digital Library (DigiBib).
There are three steps to place an interlibrary loan:
- Identify media item
- Select media item
- Angaben zur Bestellung (give us more details concerning your order)
More information
- If your book cannot be found, you might like to issue a free inter library loan order request for a book.
- You can choose to order the complete book or to order photocopies of a section or chapter.
- "Angaben zur Bestellung": There might be additional costs for the handling of your order, for instance if more than twenty pages have to be copied. In this case, please enter into the appropriate box Kostenübernahme bis maximal (in Euro) what amount of additional expenses you are willing to bear.
- You can track your order in your personal interlibrary loan account in the Digital Library. Your interlibrary loans are also listed in your library account in our catalogue.
- Please note: Items which are in stock at Dortmund University Library cannot be ordered via interlibrary loan!
How do I place an interlibrary loan? (video tutorial)
If you have questions about interlibrary loans, please ask please ask our staff at the interlibrary loan.
10.02.2012
What can I do if the item I am looking for cannot be found in the interlibrary loan database?
If the item you are looking for is not to be found in the database of the interlibrary loan interface, you can enter the bibliographic data into the request form "freie Bestellmaske".
Please note that the handling and delivery of these orders may take longer because they have to be specifically attended to.
16.08.2005
How can I order journal articles via interlibrary loan?
If an item is not available here, you usually know the specifics of the article in question, i.e. the title of the journal, the author and title of the article. First, you need to find the journal, and then you can order the article via interlibrary article delivery. You can click on Interlibrary loan in the upper navigation line of our catalogue or access the interlibrary loan interface from our home page (left column).
Switch to the English version! After entering your user ID and password, you have access to the interlibrary loan interface of Digital Library (DigiBib).
More information
- Enter key words from the title or other title information of the journal, preferably distinguishing terms (e.g. Planta biology). Tip: you can find the entire title of a journal by putting the search term into inverted comma in the box "Journal Title (String)" ("Titelanfang (Phrase)"), e.g. "Nature" or "Journal of business research".
- If your journal title cannot be found, you might like to issue a free inter library loan order request for a journal article.
- "Angaben zur Bestellung": There might be additional costs for the handling of your order, for instance if more than twenty pages have to be copied. In this case, please enter into the appropriate box Kostenübernahme bis maximal (in Euro) what amount of additional expenses you are willing to bear.
- Please note: Items which are in stock at Dortmund University Library cannot be ordered via interlibrary loan! You cannot order articles from electronic journals by interlibrary document delivery.
- All orders can be tracked in your personal interlibrary loan account in the Digital Library.
10.02.2012
How will I be notified of the arrival of interlibrary loans?
You will receive an email or a letter from the interlibrary loan department of Dortmund University Library as soon as the book or article has arrived.
The email notification is free of charge. The items will be held ready for collection at the lending services for ten weekdays after the date of the notification.
07.04.2010
How long is the loan period and can I renew items borrowed via interlibrary loan?
- The loan period is determined by the respective sending library. Usually it is twenty weekdays. Please do not remove the order form enclosed in the book, we need it to handle your interlibrary loan. Dortmund University Library passes on all conditions of the sending library regarding the loan period, conditions of use or copy prohibition of interlibrary loans.
- The exact return date is printed on your issue slip. If a renewal is possible, there is a line saying "Insgesamt eine automatische Verlängerung offen" (i.e. one automatic renewal outstanding), as well as a the date of the renewal on the issue slip. The renewal is effected automatically and always on condition, it can be revoked at any time. A second renewal is not possible.
23.11.2009
Can I make reservations for interlibrary loans?
Media ordered by interlibrary loan have possibly been borrowed in the sending libraries in question. By request, we can reserve the medium for you. The delivery of the medium may than take longer than usual. If you have any questions, please contact our staff of the interlibrary loan department.
13.02.2012
How much do interlibrary loans cost?
Please read up on this on our web page interlibrary loan fees.
08.01.2010
Are there restrictions to the use of items borrowed via interlibrary loan?
The sending library may restrict the use of interlibrary loans. Rare books may for instance be read only in the reading room or you might be prohibited from copying old books. Dortmund University Library is bound to pass these restrictions on to its users.
13.02.2012
Why do I have to indicate a subject group?
When ordering a book via interlibrary loan, you will be asked for a subject group. If the book is still available and has been published during the past five years, a book suggestion will be automatically generated.
- If the library decides to acquire your book, no interlibrary loan fees will be charged. The book is automatically reserved for you and you will receive an email or a letter as soon as the book is available for you at the reservations shelf.
- Other advantages are the reduced delivery time and the book's permanent availibility in the library.
- If the book does not match the library stock the order will be carried out as an interlibrary loan order.
02.03.2012
Is there a quicker way to order items than the interlibrary loan system?
If you need a book or an article at short notice, you can use electronic document delivery services. Depending on what you need you might choose:
- Document delivery - the fast document delivery of the Dortmund University Library
- Subito - document delivery service for books and articles.
Fees and delivery times vary. Please ask our staff of the Document Delivery.
07.07.2008
What services does the document delivery offer?
Via document delivery, you can order
- items from the stock of Dortmund University Library, even if you do not hold a library card:
- Items which need to be returned (books, DVD's...)
- Copies of articles (by post or fax)
- items from other libraries, provided you hold a library card.
- Items must be collected at the lending services of Dortmund University Library.
- Book or journal articles can be ordered as a copy by post or fax.
The fees for document delivery depend on your customer category, to which state the item is to be delivered and on the space of time in which the order should be carried out.
If you have questions please ask our staff at the document delivery department of Dortmund University Library - Document Delivery order form.
06.08.2010
I have questions about or problems with the interlibrary loan, who can I contact?
If you have questions about interlibrary loans or encounter problems placing an interlibrary loan order, please contact our staff of the interlibrary loan department.
07.04.2010
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