Here you will find key services and resources that will help support you during your academic life at GCU.
This service is currently available to all GCU staff and students registered at our Glasgow and London campuses, but it is expected that most information requirements for undergraduates will be available in our collections or locally.
Students on distance learning courses can apply for journal articles or book chapters; we don’t provide a book postal service.
We do not accept requests from students at our partner institutions, alumni, community users, mentors or SCONUL Access members.
*If you require multiple articles, chapters or papers from the same source, please request the whole item.
Items must be for your personal use and needed to support your coursework, teaching or non-commercial research at GCU. We will not supply items for private study, leisure or hobbies.
We will not process requests for items which we hold in stock, are available locally, accessible online or only available from sources outside the United Kingdom.
If you are a GCU researcher or a member of staff looking for a thesis, please see our theses webpage.
We do not charge for this service.
Requests can be placed directly from Discover by either:
or
Using our Inter-library loan request form which you will find on the ribbon in Discover. You must log in to use this form and input the information about your request.
We do not currently impose a limit on the number of items you can request.
Under copyright law, you would normally have to pay the copyright owner a fee for their work. However, you will be exempted from this by library privilege if you require a copy for non-commercial research or private study. In order to use library privilege, you must agree to the copyright declaration when placing your request.
If the British Library can meet your request but there is a waiting list, we will calculate when you are likely to receive the item. If this date is after the “not needed after” date, we will try to source the item from an alternative lender. If we cannot get the item before your deadline, we will let you know.
It will take approximately three working days to receive items supplied electronically by the British Library. Hard copy items from the British Library take approximately seven to ten working days. Material borrowed from other libraries may take longer to source and receive.
Yes, you can do this by signing into Discover. Click your name in the top right-hand corner and then click Library Account. Choose Requests and the status will be displayed beside each title.
It may be possible to cancel the request before the lender has issued the item. You can do this by signing into Discover. Click your name in the top right-hand corner and then click Library Account. Choose Requests and Cancel beside the relevant title.
Electronic items supplied by the British Library will be delivered via DRM Lite to your GCU email address. Before using this service for the first time you must register for a British Library On Demand account. For further information please visit our DRM Lite page.
Paper copies of articles supplied by the British Library will be delivered to your UK home address (students) or department (staff).
Paper copies of articles supplied by other lenders will be scanned by GCU staff and sent to your GCU email address.
Books (and reference-only items) will be issued from the Library Desk during the hours the library is staffed. You will receive an email when your item is available to collect.
Most requests are fulfilled by the British Library. You can normally borrow an item for four weeks; however, if the British Library asks us to return it earlier, we must do so or risk losing our right to borrow.
Other lenders may offer a different loan period but are normally around 4 weeks. We must adhere to their regulations.
Items may be supplied for use in the library only.
Electronic items supplied via DRM Lite: Once you have saved the item, you will have access to it for up to 3 years from the date of supply, after which you will be locked out of the item permanently. If files are not saved, access from the download link will expire after 30 days.
Photocopies and scans do not need to be returned.
Yes, at the discretion of the lender. You can request a renewal through your library account. To do this, sign in to Discover. Click your name in the top right-hand corner and then click Library Account. Choose Loans and Renew beside the relevant title.
We may refuse a renewal due to cost where the loan has already been extended.
Yes, items can be recalled by the lender at any stage. In this event, you will receive an email requesting that you return the item to the library desk by the new due date.
You can make one printout of an electronic item and copy:
Items are supplied for personal use only. If you need an item to share or use as part of your teaching, please use our scanning service.
For further advice, visit our copyright pages or email libraryresearch@gcu.ac.uk.
Please return items to the library desk during staffed hours.
We do not currently charge fines on overdue inter-library loan items.
Please email ill@gcu.ac.uk as soon as possible. You will be charged the replacement fee requested by the lender. The British Library currently charges a minimum of £174.50 per item.
For further help phone 0141 273 1200 or 0141 273 1209, or email the Inter-Library Loan Team at ill@gcu.ac.uk.
