Document Supply Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page is designed to allow you to directly access the answers which we would normally provide to frequently asked questions.

Otherwise please Contact Us. Business Hours are from 9.00am - 5.00pm AEST, Monday to Friday.

Do you hold this item?

Our catalogue provides information on our holdings. In many cases, the catalogue will also provide information on whether we hold particular issues of journals at the bottom of the catalogue record.

How do I obtain articles from PubMed's Loansome Doc?

Loansome Doc is a service which allows you to order articles through the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s PubMed.

The National Library is a Loansome Doc supplier. Orders sent through Loansome Doc from Australia and the Pacific Region can be supplied by the National Library's Document Supply Service. If you are from outside this area you will need to find a health library in your area.

For more information about how to register please read the National Library's Loansome Doc information page.

How long is the loan period?

Material sent on loan to libraries generally has a maximum loan period of ten weeks with no extensions. The only exceptions are high use material which have a maximum loan period of five weeks, with no extensions or Braille material which can be lent for a six month period, with a six month extension. Please see Borrowing Conditions page for more details.

How to contact us?

Enquiries: +61 2 6262 1421
+61 2 6262 1269
Fax: +61 2 6273 2719
Email: docss@nla.gov.au
Ariel® 203.4.200.194
Internet: http://www.nla.gov.au/dss/

What are Document Supply Service's business hours?

We operate from 9.00am until 5.00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time, Monday to Friday.

How much do the services cost?

Our service fees are modest and are on a cost recovery basis only. Libraries requesting from us please see the Charges page for details. For individuals and businesses please see the Copies Direct page.

Is a particular item available for loan?

The majority of monograph material held at the National Library is available for loan. Some of the material, however, is part of special collections and is not available for loan. The prefix to the National Library call number indicates which collection an item belongs to and this information can generally be used to determine whether an item may be available for loan. Some serials such as conference proceedings, yearbooks, annuals, working paper, etc are for loan. This list is not comprehensive so if the call number for the item you need is not listed just send in your request and we will respond quickly if the item is not available for loan. Alternatively, please contact us.

Does the National Library accept ALIA vouchers?

The National Library's Document Supply Service ceased accepting ALIA vouchers as payment for interlending and document delivery as of 1 July 2000. The National Library considered this matter very carefully, bearing in mind that the voucher system has served the Australian library community very well for many years.

Libraries using the National Library's Document Supply Service can now choose from the following methods of payment:

  • Libraries Australia Document Delivery (LADD) Payments Service
  • Monthly account (payable by cheque, credit card or EFT)
    Monthly invoices will be issued for any requests supplied which do not include credit card details or which are not received through the Libraries Australia Document Delivery Payments Service. Invoices will be issued, regardless of the level of activity. ALIA vouchers will not be accepted as payment for monthly invoices.
  • Credit card
    Libraries not wishing to receive monthly invoices may prefer to pay by credit card. This method of payment is recommended for libraries that do not request regularly from Document Supply Service. Credit card details must be supplied with the request. The following Credit cards are accepted , Bankcard, Mastercard, VISA and American Express.

A key issue in the National Library's decision was the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax. The GST will be payable on all loans and most documents supplied by the National Library, and DocSS will issue GST-compliant tax invoices where applicable. The Libraries Australia Document Delivery Payments System also complies with GST requirements. Many libraries will be able to reclaim the GST for interlibrary lending and document delivery.

ALIA has issued a statement that vouchers are still available. If you have any queries regarding the use of vouchers please contact ALIA, PO Box E441, Kingston ACT 2604, Telephone (02) 6285 1877, Fax (02) 6282 2249.

Does the National Library accept IFLA vouchers?

The National Library accepts payment made using IFLA vouchers for libraries outside of Australia.

All payments are to be made in equivalent Australian Dollars.

To work out current exchange value of Australian Dollars please use the Universal Currency Converter.

Does the National Library lend material to individuals?

The National Library does not lend any material to individuals. Individuals who wish to borrow or use National Library material outside the Library building should contact their institution library or public library to arrange for them to borrow the material on their behalf.

The National Library will, however, provide copies of material to individuals and business, subject to compliance with the Copyright Act, 1968. Please contact us for more information.

How long does it take to process a request (turn-around time)?

Requests using our Core service take up to 5 days to process. If you require your document or loan faster you might need to use our Priority (48 hour turn around), Rush (12 hour turn around) or Express (2 hour turn around) service.

Turn-around time is measured from the time of receipt of request to time of despatch and may depend on how much verification is required.

Tell me about the National Library Catalogue!

Our catalogue will provide information on our holdings. In most cases, the catalogue will also provide information on whether we hold particular issues of journals.

You can access the National Library's collections through a variety of ways, such as this website, or by coming along to the National Library building. The National Library's collections are also included in L:ibraries Australia.

What does that call number prefix mean?

The prefix to the National Library call number indicates the collection to which an item belongs.

The prefix may be followed by an indicator of size e.g. q (quarto), p (pamphlet), f (folio), ef (elephant folio). The prefix will then be followed by a Dewey number or a shelf number. When sending your request it is important that you include the full prefix and call number. Not doing so could cause delays in supply of the material.

The following list shows our most commonly used prefixes with information on whether the material is available for loan. This list is not comprehensive, if the prefix for the item you need is not listed please send in your request, if the item is not available for loan we will respond quickly. Alternatively, you may contact us for more information.

[no prefix] Mostly overseas material and generally available for loan.
Braille Braille material; available for loan.
F Pre 1850 Australiana; not available for loan.
Ferg Ferguson Australiana; not available for loan.
FLM Film or video held at ScreenSound Australia in Canberra. Usually available for loan - must be requested directly from ScreenSound Australia .
JAF Ferguson Australiana; not available for loan.
Mc or McN Microfiche; available for loan.
Mfm or MfmN Microfilm; available for loan.
MS Manuscript material; mostly available for loan.
N Legal Deposit copy of an Australian publication. Most 1950+ Australian monographs are for loan. Some pre-1950 monographs however may be for loan. Serials such a conference proceedings, yearbooks, annuals, working papers, etc may be for loan.
NL or N+ Lending copy of Australian material; available for loan.
NX Australian hardcopy newspaper; not for loan but photocopies of articles provided.
OC Chinese monograph; available for loan.
OJ Japanese monograph; available for loan.
OK Korean monograph; available for loan.
ORAL TRC Oral History transcripts collection; available for loan.
p Pamphlet; available for loan.
PIC Pictorial material, please contact the Pictures Reading Room directly for this material.
RB Rare Book; not for loan. Other non rare editions are lent in preference if held.
RF Reference material; not for loan.
S Overseas periodical material. Generally not for loan, photocopies of articles can be requested. Individual titles in monographic series can be loaned.
SR Strong room material, not for loan. Photocopies may be provided for some materials.
SRR Strong room restricted. Not available for loan, cannot be accessed at all until restriction period has ended.
YY Non-Australian monographic material; available for loan.
X Overseas published hardcopy newspaper; not for loan but photocopies of articles provided.

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