Q. The Library doesn't have the book I want, how can I get it?

If the Library does not have the book you need, you may be able to use one of the following services:

Document Supply / Inter Library Loan

If you are a current student or member of staff, we may be able to source the item for you from another library. You can request books, book chapters, articles, and theses via the Document Supply service. To check whether you are eligible for Inter Library Loans, please see Who can request Inter Library Loans?

Requests can be submitted from the Can't Find It? page in Library Search. For detailed instructions, please visit How do I make a Document Supply / Inter Library Loan request?

Inter Library Loans should be used for non-commercial research or personal study.

Chapters and articles are supplied digitally and sent to your university email. You can keep these copies for your own personal use.

Books must be collected from the Information Hub and are issued to your library account for the loan period specified by the lending institution.

Local library services

You may also be able to get the item you need from your local public library service. The two services closest to the university are:

Leicester Libraries

Anyone can join Leicester City Council Libraries for free. For more information, please visit the Leicester City Council website. You must apply for membership before you can loan and reserve items. Search the Leicester City Council Libraries catalogue to check if they hold the item you need.

Leicestershire Libraries

Anyone who lives, works or studies in Leicestershire can join Leicestershire County Council Libraries for free. For more information, please visit the Leicestershire County Council website. You must apply for membership before you can loan and reserve items. Search the Leicestershire County Council catalogue to check if they hold the item you need.

Other libraries

The Jisc Library Hub Discover catalogue contains records for more than 100 academic, national and special collection libraries across the UK and Ireland. If you have access to other libraries (for example, via the SCONUL scheme), Library Hub Discover is a useful way to check whether these libraries may have the item you need.