We are connected to a nationwide interlibrary loan system with other public and academic libraries. Items are delivered straight from the lending library to us, with no other libraries in between. It cannot be done faster.

That means we can get academic literature (books and journals) for you from other libraries for non-commercial purposes — for school, teaching, research, training, professional development and work.

The basis for this is the "Ordnung des Leihverkehrs in der Bundesrepublik - Leihverkehrsordnung (LVO)" as amended. You can search our partner libraries at the South-West German Library Network:

swb.bsz-bw.de

Before placing an interlibrary loan request with us, though, do make sure we really do not hold the item ourselves:

katalog.owbib.de

If you have trouble searching online, just get in touch with us.

Questions about interlibrary loans

Which items can be obtained?

Items and journal articles that we do not hold can as a rule be obtained from other libraries for non-commercial purposes. Our online catalogue is there for you to check. For journals, only individual articles as copies, or bound volumes, can be ordered.

Which items can not be obtained?

As a rule the following are excluded from ordering and delivery:

• reference-only stock
• heavily used stock (reading room literature, textbook collections, reference libraries)
• new publications that cannot yet be expected to be lendable
• inexpensive works available through the book trade (at present up to 15.00 €)
• works conveying elementary or purely practical knowledge (including travel guides and self-help literature)
• repair manuals, DIN standards (there are standards info points for these), patent specifications
• loose-leaf editions
• master's, bachelor's, diploma, qualifying and examination theses
• works published before 1900, and works of particular value
• works of unusual format (newspapers, for instance)
• items not in book form (DVDs, CD-ROMs, slides, records, maps, plans and so on), since their nature puts them at risk in the post
• television recordings
• sources freely available on the internet
• e-items

What details are needed to order?

For books and other items:

• author
• title
• place of publication
• year of publication
• ISBN

For journal articles:

• name of the journal
• place of publication
• volume
• issue number
• author and title of the article
• page numbers

The more precise the details, the faster we can get the item for you.

What does an interlibrary loan cost me?

A fee of 1.50 € applies to each item successfully ordered. For copies of journal articles there are additional copying costs of 0.10 € per page.

How long does it take for items to arrive?

Unfortunately we have no direct influence over how long it takes. As a rule the item arrives within a few days. Depending on how busy the lending library is, it can sometimes take up to a week or longer before it is ready for you to borrow.

How do I find out that the items are ready to collect?

We give you a call or send an email as soon as the book you want has arrived and is ready for you to collect.

How long may I keep the items?

The loan period is set by the supplying library. As a rule our regular loan periods apply. Loan periods can be renewed once, but the lending library has to agree. In that case please contact us in good time so that we can look into whether a renewal is possible.

What to do if you have further questions or problems?

You are always welcome to get in touch. Outside opening hours you can reach us round the clock by email at info@owbib.de. We do our best to answer as quickly as we can, in the evenings and at weekends too.

If you notice a mistake or an inconsistency on our website, please let us know. Thank you!