Interlibrary Loan
Literature that is not available in either Erlangen or Nuremberg libraries can be ordered via interlibrary loan. Interlibrary loans between German libraries are governed by the Leihverkehrsordnung (only available in German).
Can’t find the title you’re looking for in the Erlangen-Nuremberg University Library (UB) catalog? To order the work via interlibrary loan, proceed as follows:
- In the results display, go to the tab “Union catalog: Interlibrary loan.”
- Select the results you are looking for.
- Klicken Sie im Reiter „Bestellung/Verfügbarkeit“ auf den Button SFX.
- For the first item, “Order via the local catalog, FAUdok, or interlibrary loan,” under “Please select your home library here,” enter the location where you will pick up the ordered item.
- Log in with your UB ID and password.
- If necessary, add further information in the order form, such as a latest delivery date, information on print runs, or other details.
- Submit the order.
You will receive an email notification as soon as the ordered work is ready for collection.
No results in the union catalog?
Order the required literature in the catalog at the top right via “Request” or under “Further help / Request for interlibrary loan.”
Pickup location Science and Technology Branch Library (TNZB)
If the costs for an essay order are covered by a chair or institute, please enter the abbreviated name of the chair or institute in the “Chair holder/cost center” field when placing your order.
Costs
Books and other media that must be returned: generally free of charge within Germany. Higher processing and postage costs may apply for interlibrary loans from abroad. The copyright fee for copies is €3.50.
Interlibrary loan fees must be paid at the payment terminals.
Media Excluded From Interlibrary Loan
- Works listed in the catalogs of the University Library of Erlangen-Nuremberg (UB) – even if they are currently on loan or belong to the reference collection.
- Works in other freely accessible local libraries (for example, for Erlangen users, the holdings of the city library; for Nuremberg users, for example, the holdings of the library of the Technical University of Nuremberg and the City Library)
- Electronic documents licensed by the University Library or freely available (e-journals, e-books, full-text databases)
- Complete journal volumes (exceptions possible in justified cases—otherwise, order a copy of an article or table of contents)
- DIN standards, VDI guidelines, and foreign standards
- Books available in bookshops for a maximum of 15 euros
- Non-scientific literature such as fiction, guidebooks, non-fiction books (there is a wide selection on these topics at the Public Library Erlangen and Nuremberg City Library), popular magazines, and newspapers.
Track the Processing Status of Interlibrary Loan Orders
via the library account in the catalog: “Orders” (for books) and “Interlibrary loans”
Delivery time approximately 10 days
Media Pickup
Requested items and other notifications will be held on the pickup shelves or at the circulation desk of the selected pickup location for 10 business days and will be released upon presentation of a library card. Unclaimed items will be returned. Fees apply to international interlibrary loans and copies of articles.
Loan Period
- The loan period for a medium is usually one month; please pay particular attention to any loan periods that differ from this! The end of the loan period is noted on the loan receipt and can be checked at any time in your library account in the catalog.
- Special terms of use (for example no copying, use in the reading room only, no renewals, etc.) must be observed.
- The barcode labels and inserts (e.g., for use in the reading room only) attached to the books must not be removed.
Loan Extension
- It is possible to renew the loan period via your library account before the loan period expires, provided that the lending library allows this.
- If the loan period cannot be extended in this way, the item must be returned before the loan period expires to avoid late fees.
- During the renewal period, the book may be requested back at any time.
- Late returns will incur late fees.
International Interlibrary Loan
If you have any questions about international interlibrary loans, please contact your local interlibrary loan office.
If you have any questions or problems, such as error messages, please Ask A Librarian
Document Delivery Services
With direct delivery services, you can order literature for a fee, which will be delivered directly to you. To do this, you need to register once with the respective service and place your order there. The delivery fees are usually higher than for interlibrary loans. You can find more detailed information on the costs and duration of the services on the websites of the respective providers.
- subito – Document delivery service of research libraries in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
- British Library On Demand
- TIB document delivery – a service of the German National Library for Science and Technology and University Library
- ZB Med, Leibniz Information Centre for Life Sciences
Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery Services
Are there any alternatives to interlibrary loan?
As an alternative, you can use the subito document delivery service.
This fee-based, nationwide service allows academic library customers to quickly and easily order copies of articles from print journals or books. Subito also supports book loans.
Searching – Borrowing & Ordering – Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery Services – Document Delivery Services
Are there any restrictions on using the media I ordered via interlibrary loan?
A lending library may impose restrictions on media delivered via interlibrary loan to another library. For example, the library may limit use to the reading room or prohibit copying. The University Library of Erlangen-Nuremberg must inform its users of these restrictions.
Can interlibrary loan periods be extended?
Whether or not you can extend the lending period depends on the library that sent us your book. If the lending library generally allows extensions, you can extend the lending period via the catalog.
How can I check my library account?
You can check your borrowed media, orders, and reservations at any time through your personal account. After logging in, click Account/Renewal in the catalog.
The Loans, Requests, Reservations, Fines, FAUdok, and ILL: Copies and E-Books submenus will inform you of the current state of your account.
How can I find out if my order has arrived?
We will notify you via email when your order is ready for pickup.
Sometimes, we will ask for more information about your order or inform you that we cannot provide the medium you need.
If we do not have your email address, we will leave a note at the service desk where you ordered the medium. If this is the case, please check with the service desk regularly to see if there is a message waiting for you.
You can find an overview of your current interlibrary loan orders in your library account. Book orders are listed under “Orders,” and copies of media are listed under “ILL: Copies/E-Books.”
How do I order a book via Interlibrary Loan?
In general, orders can only be placed online. There are two options:
Search the local catalog
If your search of the university library stacks did not yield the desired results, click the “B3 Union Catalog: ILL.”
Select a result and click Get Document, then click the SFX button.
Via Holdings in the Bavarian Library Network, you will first reach a login screen (if you are not already logged in), followed by the order page.
There, you can select the latest delivery date, the edition to be delivered, and other specifications. We ask that you fill out the order form as completely as possible.
Perhaps the step-by-step guide will help.
In some cases, the above method does not deliver satisfactory results.
You can then try the following:
Using Gateway Bayern
Log in before entering a search request.
If you find your title, press SFX, then Holdings in the Bavarian Library Network.
If your search is unsuccessful, you can use the Interlibrary Loan link from the Additional Services menu to order a book from another library. Please fill out the order form as thoroughly as possible.
How do I order a copy from a book?
Please refer to the following manual, which will walk you through the step-by-step process of ordering a copy of a book via Interlibrary Loan:
How do I order a copy from a journal?
Please refer to the following manual, which will guide you step-by-step through the process of ordering a copy of a journal via Interlibrary Loan:
How long can I keep interlibrary loans?
The length of time you can keep an interlibrary loan depends on the library that provided the book. There are no uniform regulations regarding this matter.
In most cases, the loan period is four weeks, but it can be much shorter.
How long will it take for my interlibrary loan to arrive?
Delivery time depends on how long it takes to find your book in the stack and its availability. Accordingly, delivery can be slow or quick.
On average, delivery within Germany takes 10 days.
To what extent may the library make copies from journals and books available via interlibrary loan?
According to §60e of the German Copyright Law, the university library may provide paper copies of up to 10% of a medium.
However, articles from professional or scientific journals may be provided in their entirety.
However, the delivery of individual articles from newspapers, general-interest magazines, or newsstand magazines (for example, Der Spiegel or Focus) is not permitted.
What can I order via Interlibrary Loan?
Through the interlibrary loan service, you can request books and other media, as well as articles from books and academic journals, that are not available at the University Library of Erlangen-Nuremberg (UB) or any other local library. The UB will then attempt to obtain the materials from other libraries.
Please note the following when ordering a scan or printout from a medium::
- You may only use them for private, non-commercial purposes.
- Complete journal articles can be provided as scans or printouts.
- However, you may only receive a scan or printout of up to 10% of a monograph.
The following types of media cannot be ordered via Interlibrary Loan:
- Articles from popular magazines such as Focus, c’t, and Time Magazine
- Newspapers
- Media that can be purchased for up to €15 at a bookstore
For more information, please visit the interlibrary loan page.
What is the cost of an interlibrary loan?
Ordering books via Interlibrary Loan is free within Germany.
However, a copyright fee of €3.50 will be charged for copies of articles from books or journals.
The fee for ordering media internationally is higher. The interlibrary loan desk teams will inform you of the fees.
When can I pick up my delivery?
The requested items will be held on the pickup shelves or at the service desk of the selected pickup location for 10 business days.
Copies of articles for non-commercial use are delivered electronically. You will receive an email notification with a download link, which will allow you to access the PDF documents within 40 days. Your library account will be charged for the incurred costs; payment can be made at the payment station.
In cases where electronic delivery is not possible, article copies will be held for eight weeks at the circulation desk or counter of the selected pickup location.
All orders will be released only upon presentation of an FAUcard or library card.
Unclaimed items will be returned, and unclaimed copies of papers will be destroyed. The library user will be responsible for any resulting costs.
Who should I contact if I have questions?
For all matters regarding the library, literature research, and how to employ the various services available, our staff at the Information Desks (one each at their respective library) will gladly assist you with your problem. For contact information, please refer to Locations.
If you prefer, you can also contact us via Ask a librarian