Document delivery

The service is usually free but if you request an item for research of a commercial nature, you must include this information when placing your request as there may be an additional charge. You can request as follows:

• Undergraduate students can request up to 4 items per academic year. This is extended to 15 items in your final year. 
• Postgraduate students can request up to 25 items (for taught MA/MSc and PGCE courses) or 50 items (for research MPhil/PhD) per academic year. 
• Staff can request up to 50 items per academic year.

We do not offer this service to external borrowers.

Log in to LibrarySearch, click the Document Delivery Request link and follow the on-screen instructions.

Before making a request, please check LibrarySearch to make sure the item isn’t held in one of the University libraries. Check whether the item is freely available online using a search engine, such as Google Scholar.

If you have any queries relating to your request, please contact the document delivery team.

Articles and book chapters

Articles and chapters from the British Library will be supplied as a PDF file where available (unless you specifically request a printed copy). Once the file is available, you’ll receive an email with the link to the document.

Books, theses, and other loan items

Physical items will need to be collected from the Library Point during a time when the Library Point is staffed.

If you’re borrowing a thesis from another library, an additional copyright declaration may need to be signed at this stage.

• The length of a loan is decided by the library that supplies the item. The loan period is usually around 4 weeks.
• Some books and theses are lent on the condition that they’re only used within the Library.
• Document delivery items will not automatically renew.
• Document delivery items can’t usually be renewed beyond the date indicated. However, if you’d like to check with the lender if a renewal is possible, please contact your document delivery team at either Canterbury or Salomons at least five working days before your item is due back.
• A document delivery loan can be recalled from you at the request of the supplying library. Once recalled, the loan can’t be renewed and must be returned by the due date.

To return a document delivery item you will need to return the item at the Library Point, please ensure that this is during a time the Library Point is staffed. Document delivery items cannot be returned via self-service. 

Document delivery loans incur a £1.00 fine each day the item is overdue, up to a maximum fine of £14.00 per item. If you have any queries about a fine on your account please email library.docdel@canterbury.ac.uk.

You can pay fines:

• at the library point at Canterbury
• on our chip and pin enabled self-service machines
• by using the online payment system. We will apply the payment to your library account by 12:00 noon the next working day.

For fines of £10 or more, you will not be able to borrow further items until the payment has been processed.

If an item you’ve borrowed is lost, damaged or not returned, the lending library will levy a charge payable by you. This may include replacement costs and administration fees.