Interlibrary loan requests
The library started offering an online Interlibrary Loan service in January 2008. If items required by members of SRH University Heidelberg are not held by our library or any other library in Heidelberg, we can request interlibrary loans for books and journal articles. We cannot say exactly how long it will take from requesting an interlibrary loan until you receive the item, but you should allow about two to three weeks. Here you’ll find information on how to request an interlibrary loan.
Interlibrary loans via the Library of SRH University Heidelberg
Guidance
The following items are excluded from interlibrary loan requests:
- Items that are available at the requesting library or the library system to which it belongs or
- Items that are available at another public library in the vicinity, even if this library is not eligible for interlibrary loans,
- Items that are available from bookshops at low cost (up to €15).
So please check for availability beforehand using the following local catalogues:
- Library catalogue of SRH Heidelberg UAS
- Catalogue for libraries of Heidelberg University
- Catalogue of the Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg University of Education
- Catalogue of Heidelberg City Library
Please also check to see how much the book costs at bookstores: List of books in print
If none of the above exclusion criteria apply, simply complete the interlibrary loan request form and hand it in at the circulation desk.
Fees according to the Interlibrary Loan Rules:
- A fee of €1.50 per request is payable in cash at the library when placing a request. There is no guarantee that the item will be delivered. This fee includes the costs for the procurement and return of a book or for copies of an article of up to 20 pages. For more than 20 copies, each additional copy usually costs €0.10, unless the supplying library specifies a different amount.
- Any costs charged to the receiving library by the lending library must be paid by the requester.
Collection, loan period, return
You will receive a letter or an email stating that the items you requested have arrived. You can then collect the items requested via interlibrary loan from the circulation desk, where they should also be returned. Items that may only be used within the library will be deposited at the circulation desk for you to use on site during the loan period. The loan period for an item borrowed through interlibrary loan is usually 4 weeks. It is not possible to extend the loan period. If an interlibrary loan book is not returned by the due date, you will be sent a reminder, including a fine.
Document delivery services
After requesting an individual password, you have the option of ordering books or copies of journal articles from major German libraries directly, but for a fee (irrespective of whether they are available at a library in Heidelberg AND without the Library of SRH University Heidelberg acting as an intermediary).
