Document Delivery Service

Delay to the supply of document delivery items
There are problems affecting the supply of books and documents from the British Library. More information

What is document delivery?

If you need an item that is not available at one of the University of Kent libraries, we will try to borrow it for you from elsewhere. This type of service is sometimes known as interlibrary loan, interloan, or document supply.

The service is available to:

  • all members of the University of Kent; charges may apply, see below.
    Medway staff and students should use the Drill Hall Library's Inter-library loans service.
  • external borrowers (paid membership); extra charges apply, see below

Material ordered by students on taught courses should be relevant to their course and recommended by course convenors/supervisors.

Charges

Staff and students

The service is free to staff and research postgraduates requesting material for teaching and research. It is also free to students on taught courses provided the material is relevant to their course and recommended by course convenors/tutors. Such requests are charged to subject book funds or university cost codes. The School of Psychology and Kent Law School do not fund undergraduate requests.

If your request is not specifically relevant to your research or course of study, of if your school does not fund the request, you will be charged at the rates below. The charge will be added to your Library account when the Library receives the item. While charges in your Library account exceed £10 you will be unable to renew items online.

  • Article/book chapter: £8.00
  • Loan: £12.50
  • Material sourced from outside the UK may cost more

External borrowers

If you are a non-member of the university and hold an external borrower card you will be charged for each item at the following rates:

  • Article/book chapter: £12.00
  • Loan: £16.50
  • Material sourced from outside the UK may cost more

Renewals

There is a £5 charge for renewal, which will be added to your Library account. See 'Returning and renewing document delivery items' below for more information.

How to make a request

Search the Library catalogue or journals database to check that the item you need is not available at the Templeman Library. If the item is held at the Drill Hall or Tonbridge Centre Library use the inter-site loan service to request the item.

To make a request via the Library catalogue click Document Delivery and follow on-screen instructions. You need to log in with your Kent IT account details. Choose:

  • Document delivery book to request books, reports or theses (see below for UK theses information)
  • Document delivery article/book chapter to request journal articles or book chapters

UK theses

Many UK theses are now available to download or order free of charge on the British Library EThOS site. To search and order you must first register. If the thesis you require is not available on EThOS or shows a £40.00 charge, please apply to Document Delivery in the normal way. Your school or department may fund access to the thesis.

When your item arrives

You will be emailed when your material arrives and are advised to collect it as soon as possible from the Loan Desk (Level 1 West).

All items must be collected by the person who has requested them. For photocopies a copyright declaration must be signed to comply with UK Copyright Law.

Confined items

Some books and theses are lent to us on the condition that they are consulted within the Library. Confined items should not be used in the cafe, retained in carrels or left unattended at any time.

You will have to sign for a confined item each day and return it to the Loan Desk before it closes, see Templeman Library opening hours.

Returning and renewing document delivery items

Be aware of the return date; the overdue fine is 50p per day. Please return document delivery items to the Loan Desk, see enquiry point opening hours.

Most items can be renewed: email documentdelivery@kent.ac.uk at least three days before the loan is due; you cannot renew items online. There is a £5 charge for renewal, which will be added to your Library account.

Charges for lost, damaged or unreturned items
  • loans from the British Library: at least £133.50
  • loans from other libraries: at least £50.00

Contact us

Document delivery staff will be happy to give further advice and help: