Interlibrary loans

The Library participates in the national and international interlibrary loan systems, and supplies books and photocopies to hundreds of libraries each year. Please note the restrictions below.

Electronic delivery service

The Wellcome Library offers a default electronic delivery service for all ILL photocopy requests. If you experience any problems or need a printed copy posted to you please let us know.

Charges

For libraries within the UK

To borrow books or request photocopies, apply directly using your British Library billing account number. We can accept requests by post, fax, email and by telephone. We are no longer able to accept any pre-paid British Library forms. Please include as much information as possible about the item that you require. As a general rule, we encourage users to come in and use the Wellcome Library, and do not loan items to other libraries within the London area.

International interlibrary loans

The Wellcome Library also loans books and supplies copies to libraries all over the world. We provide online catalogues, and we are a member of OCLC (Online Computer Library Center), a US database containing over 30 million records. To apply, please post, fax or email an official international request form, and include as much information as possible.

Restrictions on borrowing

1. Books that are in a fragile condition.

2. No rare materials (including all pre-1851 material).

3. Material that has been donated to the Wellcome Library is not available for loan.

4. All loans are for reading in the borrowing library only. The Wellcome Library does not lend books for home reading.

5. The lending periods are three weeks for UK loans and six weeks for the rest of the world.

6. The restrictions on photocopying also apply to interlibrary loans.

Contact

Interlibrary Loans
Wellcome Library
183 Euston Road
London NW1 2BE, UK

T +44 (0)20 7611 8717
F+44 (0)20 7611 8369
E ill@wellcome.ac.uk