Ordering options
Who may use interlibrary loan?
Interlibrary loan is available to users who have a valid library card from the University Library.
What types of material may I request?
Before submitting an interlibrary loan request as a user of Heidelberg University Library, you must verify that the requested item is not available in the University library or any other libraries in Heidelberg.
Please check all relevant catalogues containing the various collections of Heidelberg University and other Heidelberg libraries thoroughly before submitting a request. There are several catalogues, each of which contain different sets of the Library’s holdings depending on the year of publication and the type of publication. Items which are part of a non-lending on-site collection are not available through interlibrary loan. This also applies to items which are currently borrowed. If the item you seek is not in its proper location or is missing, please contact our information department.
What materials are not available through interlibrary loan?
As a general rule the following items are excluded from interlibrary loan requests and, respectively, deliveries:
- Items which are available from a bookseller at a low price
- Items containing basic or merely practical knowledge (including travel guides and self-help books)
- Loose-leaf material
- Theses such as Bachelor's thesis or Master's thesis etc. (with the exception of doctoral theses and postdoctoral theses which can usually be borrowed)
- DIN/ISO-Standards (cf. Normen-Infopoints)
- Titles not yet published as well as titles which are in acquisition or book processing
- Rare material, particularly items published before 1701
- Items having an unusual size
- Non-book items that might be damaged if sent by mail (e.g. DVDs, CD-ROMs, records, maps, plans, etc.)
- Records of television programms
- High-use items such as reference books
- Free online material
- E-Books: Complete e-books are not (yet) available. Possibly a particular chapter or article can be requested as a copy. This depends on the individual license agreement.
- Some libraries do not lend journal volumes.
- Test material (psychological or medical tests), maybe available only for experts.