Document delivery
Prior to your submission, please try to obtain the document from our media collection (online or print, incl. swisscovery). The search query can be done most conveniently by using Lib4RI’s search box. Should you be unsuccessful in getting a hold of the desired document, the following options to contact our document delivery unit (DocDel) are at your disposal:
Form of delivery (print or electronic), loan period and conditions for the use of the material are up to the lending library. Copyright regulations of the lending library apply.
Usually, we try to send articles, book chapters, standards and patents as PDFs to your institutional e-mail address. However, some material may be restricted to print only. In order to keep fast turnaround times, we order print documents via fax. As this might affect the quality of the copy, please specifically ask for a high quality print if needed. Please note that we can’t guarantee a PDF delivery.
Documents supplied are only intended for personal use and must not be used commercially.
Generally, interlibrary loan periods are at least three weeks. We send the book directly to your institutional address. The due date is given on your receipt but can also be double-checked in your swisscovery user account. Renewals can be requested via e-mail prior to the due date. Please note that automatic renewals as well as renewals via swisscovery are not supported.
Interlibrary loans need to be returned either at your institute’s library or via regular mail to Lib4RI: WSL.
FAQs
Each country, library and publisher has its individual copyright rules and regulations that need to be obeyed. You will receive a print copy if the licence stipulates that we are not allowed to transmit an electronic version of the paper.
We always try to obtain an electronic document as quick as possible. However, if the provider does not have the right to send a PDF copy, we will receive a fax copy. In such cases, the resolution is not as good as with PDF scans. Should you require good quality copies, please specify this in your request. We’ll then specifically ask for a print copy. Please note that shipment will take longer.
Typically, an article is available online one month prior to its print release. Due to usage restrictions and lower rates we might ask you to wait until the document is published in print. Please understand, like most other libraries we are unable to keep your request on hold.
E-books belong to the publisher. They are copyright protected and may only be shared within the licensed institution(s). Should the requested title not be part of our licence agreement you won’t be able to access the e-book. Unfortunately, other libraries aren’t allowed to give us access to their licensed e-books either. In many cases a print edition is directly available to you via swisscovery or can be ordered by us via interlibrary loan. If you consider an e-book title worthwhile to be licensed for your research institute please contact @email.
