Requesting Items

Intercampus loans service

The intercampus loans service allows UNSW Canberra staff and students to request items from any of UNSW Sydney's libraries. Requests can be made for items on the shelf or on loan.

When the item arrives at the Academy Library, clients will be notified via their official UNSW staff or student email address. If you're on campus, you can collect the item/s from the Academy Library Service Desk. Requested items will be held for collection for seven days. If you're off campus, the item/s will be posted to you.

Please note some collections are unavailable for request. These include physical course readings items, some audio-visual resources, and map collection items. Materials not available from the UNSW Library collections may be acquired from another library via the Interlibrary Loan/Document Supply (ILL/DSS) service.  

Recall service – access library items on loan

The UNSW Library allows UNSW staff and students to recall collection items currently on loan to other borrowers.

When you recall an item, we notify the current borrower that they have seven days to return the item. Loan periods change to four days when an item is requested by more than one client and this may reduce further if more recalls are placed. Fines apply for the late return of recalled items. 

Once an item you have recalled has been returned, you will receive an email advising when you can collect your loan from the Academy Library Service Desk. UNSW staff and students will be sent a notice to their official UNSW email address. Requested items will be held at the Library for collection for seven days. 

Recalling a library item  

If you have identified an item in the Library Collection that you would like to access and it's on loan, you can place a recall on this item. 

  • Sign in to myLibrary to activate this feature in your Library Collection results.
  • The Request option appears at the top of the 'Get It' section as an active link – i.e. Request Options: Request
  • Click through and fill in the mandatory details.
  • If you're not signed in, the Request link in the 'Get It' section is not activated until you follow the option to Sign-in for more options. 

Interlibrary loan & document supply service

Depending on your borrowing privileges, you may be able to request materials not available in our UNSW Library collections via the UNSW Library’s Interlibrary loan & document supply service.

Physical items (interlibrary loans) which can be requested are books, book chapters, journal articles, audio-visual materials, reports, conference papers, archival and other materials not held at UNSW Library or electronic document supply of items (such as scanned chapters and digitised articles).   

To submit a request, please use the UNSW Interlibrary loans request form.

  • No charge to UNSW Staff and Students and usually take 5-10 working days to process.
  • Loans sourced from overseas libraries can take up to 4 weeks to arrive.
  • Only core requests are supported (no express services provided).

For assistance with Canberra Interlibrary loan requests, contact lib.resourcesharing.cbr@unsw.edu.au or call +61 0434 369 043.

Requesting and collecting an interlibrary loan (ILL) item

1. Check that the item is not held in the UNSW Library collection.

2. Sign in directly to the ILL request form to submit a request.

3. You will be notified via your official UNSW email when a requested item is available:

  • Collect books from the location nominated in your request.
    • UNSW Canberra Academy Library collection point is the Service Desk.
    • Library Use Only items can only be collected from the Service Desk during staff hours and must be used in the Library.
    • Supervised Access Only items can only be collected from the Service Desk during staffed hours and must be used under supervision.
  • Digital copies will be sent to your official UNSW email.
    • You need to keep all records of the digital copies supplied via ILL.
    • Journal article and book chapter ILL details will not be retained in myLibrary.
  • You will receive a cancellation email to your official UNSW email if the item cannot be sourced.

Loan periods and renewing an ILL item

Due dates and renewal conditions are noted on the ILL book strap and can also be viewed in myLibrary under 'Loans'.

  • If an item is renewable, contact the Library via email or phone - InterLibrary Loan items cannot be renewed via myLibrary.
  • Interlibrary loans can be recalled at any time - you will be notified via email of the recall and due date change.
  • There is a $1.00 charge for every day the loan is overdue - for more information see Fines.

Returning an ILL item

Return your interlibrary loans by post or in person at any UNSW Sydney Library or the UNSW Canberra Academy Library.

  • The ILL book strap must remain on the item.
  • Losing an ILL, defacing, mutilating, damaging interlibrary loan items in any way will result in replacement cost fees being charged to the client - the cost is determined by the lending library.

To view your current and past book ILL details, sign in to myLibrary and under 'Loans' select 'Active loans' or 'Previous and historic loans'. Journal article and book chapter ILL details will not be retained in myLibrary. All email communications are sent to your official UNSW email and do not use personal email addresses.

Copyright

All interlibrary loan requests submitted by UNSW staff and students must be made in accordance with the Australian Copyright Act. Under the Act, libraries can supply a copy of an article or other work as long as the copy is only used for research or study and the amount copied is in accordance with the limits prescribed by the Act.

The limits are as follows:

  • 10% or one chapter of a book (whichever is greater)
  • One article per periodical issue, or more if those articles are on the exact same subject.

The Library reserves the right to refuse an interlibrary loan request if it believes that fulfilling the request would breach the Australian copyright law. For more information see Copyright.

Contact us

Service Desk hours: from 08.30 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday
Email: lib.resourcesharing.cbr@unsw.edu.au
Phone: +61 0434 369 043
Postal address: 
Academy Library, Document Services Unit
UNSW Canberra, PO Box 7955
CANBERRA BC   ACT   2610
AUSTRALIA