Request from another institution, University of Sydney Library

Request an item from another institution
(Resource Sharing)

If we don't have an item in the University of Sydney collections, staff and students can request it from another institution.

If you need an item that is not available from within the University of Sydney collections, you may be able to access a physical or digital copy from another institution through Resource Sharing.

Other institutions are libraries or other information institutions from outside the University of Sydney. We work with them to make their collections available for University of Sydney students and staff to borrow.

Need to submit a unit of study list?

Requesting an item from another institution

Start by using Library Search to search for the item you need from our collections. If you can’t find the item, select “Include results from other institutions” to also see items available through other institutions.

Select the item you need. See the access options under “From another institution”. You may be able to borrow a physical copy or request a digital chapter or article from another institution. Requested physical items will be delivered to a University of Sydney Library of your choice for you to collect. Requested digital items will be sent to you via email.

If you can’t find an item

If an item is not available from the University of Sydney Library or from another institution, make a Special request for an item not found and we’ll do our best to get it for you.

How many items you can borrow

University staff and Postgraduate students can borrow up to 70 items from other institutions or by special request per calendar year.
Undergraduate students can borrow up to 10 items from other institutions or by special request per calendar year.
All requests are subject to Australian Copyright Legislation, which may limit how much you can request from a book or journal.

How long you can borrow an item

You can generally borrow items from other institutions or by special request for 3-6 weeks. However, this may vary depending on the library lending the item.

Generally, items borrowed from other institutions or by special request cannot be renewed. If you require an item beyond its due date, please contact us to discuss your options.

Charges

Borrowing items from other institutions is free. If you make a special request for an item not found, you may be charged if there if there is a large cost for us to access the item for you. We'll let you know if there will be a charge for an item you have requested before it is processed.

Processing times

From other institutions

Digital chapters or articles will generally be sent to you within 24 hours.
Physical items (eg. books) are usually ready within 1 week, depending on the availability of the book.

Special requests for items not found

Digital chapters or articles will generally be sent to you within 7 working days, depending on the library we’re requesting from.
Physical items (eg. books) are usually ready within 1-3 weeks depending on the availability of the book, and the location of the library lending us the book.

Special requests for some items may take much longer, depending on how difficult it is to find the item, or if the item is coming from outside Australia. You will be notified by email when an item you’ve requested is ready or you can check the status of your request through My account.

Information for other libraries

The University of Sydney Library offers Resource Sharing, InterLibrary loans (ILL) and Document Delivery services to other Libraries and information institutions.

Find out more

Request an item from another institution(Resource Sharing)

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