Resource Sharing and Inter-library lending

What is Resource Sharing?

The Resource Sharing and Inter-library loans service provides access to items not held by the Open University Library.

Please use Library Search to check whether we have an item in stock before ordering it via Resource Sharing.

Who may use the service?

You will need to be registered with the library before you can use the service.

See: Joining the Open University Library

• Open University staff involved in module production and/or University Research.
• Associate Lecturers may use the service for personal research as part of their role at the OU. Please note that further copying and/or sharing with students is not permitted.
• If you need to obtain materials not owned by the OU Library for module production and/or student use, please contact your Academic Library Liaison team.
• The Resource Sharing service is limited to the following students: MPhil/PhD/Professional Doctorate research students.

If you are not eligible to use Resource Sharing there may be services available from libraries near you or you could use the Suggest New Titles facility. Please note that we give preference to purchasing ebooks unless you specifically require a print copy.

If you have any enquiries about the Resource Sharing service, including your eligibility to use it, please contact the Library Helpdesk

How do I access the service?

New Resource Sharing Requests can be submitted by using the Blank Request Form in Library Search.

Resource Sharing requests can be viewed by signing into your Library Account in Library Search.

Frequently asked questions

If an item is available electronically via Resource Sharing it may be obtained quickly. If it has to be borrowed physically from another library, via inter-library loan, this can take much longer. The loan periods for inter-library loans are set by the institutions who lend them, not by The Open University.
You can get help with Resource Sharing by contacting the Resource Sharing team

• How do I make a loan request?
• How do I make a book chapter request?
• How do I make an article request?
• What happens to my request when I submit the form?
• Electronic copy (SEDs)
• Timescales and Exceptional circumstances
• How long can I keep the item?
• Why do I need to authorise a copyright declaration?
• Renewals, overdues and returns
• What if I send back an item and it gets lost in the post?
• Supplying to other institutions

How do I make a loan request?

1. Check our online electronic resources and the Library Search to make sure the item is not held by The Open University library
2. Open the Resource Sharing Blank Request Form.
3. Select the book option
4. Complete the form with the book’s details. Please ensure that you select Physical as the format for book loan requests. The fields marked with a red asterisk are essential.
5. Once you’ve added the book’s details, add your Pickup location and Request reason.
6. Finally, make sure you tick the declaration authorisation box. Then click the Send Request link at the bottom of the form to submit your request.

How do I make a book chapter request?

1. Check our online electronic resources and the Library Search to make sure the item is not held by The Open University library
2. Open the Resource Sharing Blank Request Form.
3. Select the book option.
4. Complete the rest of the form, including the chapter number/title and page numbers (if known). The format will automatically switch to Digital when the ‘I only need a specific chapter or pages’ box is ticked.
5. Make sure you tick the declaration authorisation box. Then click the Send Request link at the bottom of the form to submit your request.

How do I make an article request?

1. Check our online electronic resources and the Library Search to make sure the item is not held by The Open University library.
2. Open the Resource Sharing Blank Request Form.
3. Select the article option.
4. Complete the rest of the form, including the page numbers (if known). The format will automatically switch to Digital when the Article option is selected.
5. Make sure you tick the declaration authorisation box. Then click the Send Request link at the bottom of the form to submit your request.

What happens to my request when I submit the form?

The form goes to the British Library first. We only see the form if it is bounced back from BL because they cannot supply the item. An automated e-mail is sent to the patron to let them know that there may be a delay as we will be searching National and International catalogues to fulfil the request.

Electronic copy (SEDs)

Electronic documents are available online, via the British Library platform, on any device.

The email will arrive to your Open University email address. When you are connected to the internet, click on the link and you will be invited to create an account, with username and password. You will only have to do this once. After you have created your account you will be able to log in on multiple devices to access the document.

Once you have downloaded the article you cannot share it with another user. You can only print the document once. This is due to Copyright Law.

Please note that:

• This works only with Adobe Reader 10 or above, and documents will not open with any other PDF viewer.
• The article is not automatically saved and you must click ‘File>Save As’ and name it to a drive or memory stick to save it. If you ‘save’ the document, you should have access to it for three years from the date of supply. If files are not saved, access from the download link will cease after 30 days and the item will need reordering. Upon expiry, you will be locked out of the article permanently.
• If you have forgotten your BLDSS/On Demand Username or Password, there are links to have reminders sent from the BLDSS/On Demand home page.
• If your password changes, you may continue to access saved documents using your latest Password. However, you may need to clear the remembered account information in Adobe Reader.
• To ensure access to documents previously downloaded with FileOpen or Adobe Digital Editions for up to the three year expiry time, you will need to maintain FileOpen or Adobe Digital Editions on the machine the document was originally downloaded on.

The Document Delivery team cannot access the server where the article is held so if you have any problems please contact the British Library’s Customer Services on 01937 546060.

Timescales and Exceptional circumstances

If an item is available electronically via Resource Sharing it can often be obtained quickly but if it has to be borrowed physically from another library, via inter-library loan, this can take much longer. The loan periods for inter-library loans are set by the institutions who lend them, not by The Open University.

If the British Library (BL) is able to fulfil a request it should arrive within five working days. If the BL cannot supply the item we will forward the request to another UK institution. If we are able to source the loan from another UK library it can take up to three weeks to arrive. If the item cannot be loaned from within the UK we will approach international libraries. It can take several weeks to fulfil these requests.

In addition, there will be times of the year which are busier than others and this will impact on delivery times. Many libraries temporarily close their inter-lending sections owing to staff shortages or limit their service during the summer, in the run up to Christmas and New Year break.

How long can I keep the item?

Each Library has its own loan period, but it is normally 4-6 weeks. The slip that comes in the book will give the due date for it coming back to us.

Why do I need to authorise a copyright declaration?

• Only one article from the same issue of the same journal can be requested under UK Copyright Law
• All document delivery copy services are subject to the relevant copyright restrictions in line with UK and EU law
• If you are requesting an ELECTRONIC COPY, check whether your request is considered commercial or non-commercial
• You must complete the Copyright verification for each article or chapter request

Renewals, overdues and returns

All Resource Sharing items must be returned to us on time. You may be charged overdue fees for late returns.

We don’t impose fines on our stock, but other libraries may do so. If the book is lost, then the patron is responsible for a replacement and / or Admin costs. That is why we recommend a postal option that gives insurance / proof of postage and receipt when patrons return items to us. Any fines that are accrued are the responsibility of the patron and not the OU Library.

• Renewals are not automatic and are subject to agreement with the lending library. Please contact the Resource Sharing team to request a renewal. If the item can be renewed or needs to be returned to the lending library you will be notified by email.
• If renewals are not possible, we will write No Renewals on the book slip.
• If an item is recalled you will be asked to return it immediately
• If an item is not returned on time the British Library will charge £160. This charge will be passed directly to the Library user.
• Other libraries may charge their own overdue fees. The cost of these fees may vary. These charges will be passed directly to the Library user.

Items returned by post must be sent by recorded delivery to the address below:

Resource Sharing
The Open University Library
The Open University
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA

What if I send back an item and it gets lost in the post?

If you have the proof that you have posted the item back to us then we may be able to negotiate with the loaning library.

Supplying to other institutions

We do not supply items to individuals but will supply loans and copies to other institutions via Inter-Library Loan/Resource Sharing services. You can get help with Resource Sharing by contacting the Resource Sharing team