Books or articles that are not available from the Vrije Universiteit Library can be ordered, for a fee, from other libraries and suppliers in the Netherlands or abroad.
This service is available to everyone with a VUnetID or a VUmc-ID and to all other borrowers with a valid library card.
Prices
All ILL requests are subject to charges:
| Document | Price | Average delivery time |
| Article or chapter up to 100 pages | € 6.50 | 1 to 2 workdays |
| Books (loan period: 4 weeks) | € 13.00 per item* | 1 to 5 workdays |
| Article from abroad | Starting from € 13.00 | 1 week |
| Book from abroad | Starting from € 13.00 | 2 to 3 weeks |
*A book may consist of multiple items. Each item will be charged separately.
Payment
ILL loans for students and other borrowers can be paid for by pin transaction only; cash payments cannot be accepted.
VU and VUmc employees are billed through their respective departments.
How to request a document
There are various ways to request a document:
• Documents that are not available in our own collection can be ordered through LibSearch by pressing the button ‘Request item through Inter Library Loan’.
• Via an e-resource, for example PubMed, by first clicking on the VU-Link icon next to the found item. In the following screen, you can click on the ILL form.
• If you cannot find any references in any of the VU’s own catalogues, open ‘My ILL requests’ page in LibSearch and fill in the request form.
Books or articles may not always be available through our regular suppliers in the Netherlands. In most cases, the item can be delivered through our international suppliers. Delivery times for items ordered abroad are usually longer and the costs involved are higher. You can indicate the maximum cost you wish to pay on the request form.
Request status
Some ILL requests may not be immediately available. You can track the status of your request through My ILL request in LibSearch.
Delivery
As soon as an item has been delivered, the applicant will be notified by email. Articles and book chapters are delivered digitally via a link in your personal ILL environment in LibSearch, and are accessible for 30 days. For students and other borrowers the cost will be charged to their UB account. Books can be collected within 4 weeks from the University Library desk.
Once a request has been made and accepted by the supplier it can no longer be canceled. Costs incurred are always charged to your University Library Account or to your respective department.
Borrowing
An ILL book may be borrowed for 4 weeks, after which it can be extended for a maximum of 5 times, unless the borrowing library requests its return.
Contact
Main Building VU, service desk 1st floor, room 1C-02
Tel: (020) 598 5200
Email: ibl.ub@vu.nl