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Interlibrary loans

Interlibrary loan request

Request an interlibrary loan.

What are interlibrary loans?

Interlibrary service is a process of sharing resources between libraries. Interlibrary loans open the resources of the complete library network for you. If the material you need is not acquired in Helmet libraries or in the scientific or special libraries in the Metropolitan area, you can request it as an interlibrary loan from elsewhere.

You can request books, sound recordings, movies, sheet music and microfilms as interlibrary loans. Volumes of periodicals are usually not sent as interlibrary loans. Instead, photocopies of articles from the periodicals can be requested. A book or other material belonging to the collections of some library in the Metropolitan area cannot be requested as an interlibrary loan, even if it is on loan at the moment. If the item you are looking for is on loan, you have to make an ordinary reservation. Interlibrary loans are not meant to bypass local reservations.

You are able to request an interlibrary loan if you have a Helmet library card and your user rights are valid. You can make the request on the interlibrary loan request form or at the nearest library.

By placing an interlibrary loan request you agree to pay the interlibrary loan fee (cf. interlibrary loan fees). Ordered materials are send to your chosen Helmet library if possible. Interlibrary loans are always subject to the loan periods and other user rules set by the owning library. Some materials are not sent as interlibrary loans, and some are only to be used in the reading rooms of the receiving library.

Coursebooks are not easily accessible and most university libraries only lend them to their own students. Therefore, please mention at the bottom of the request form where you study.

So far it is not possible to see your interlibrary loans in Your record at Helmet web library and you cannot renew them as self-service. Please request for renewals by email.

Fees for interlibrary loans

Espoo City Library

  • Interlibrary loan from Finland 7 €
  • Copy/print: 0,85 €/copy/print or as billed by sending library

Helsinki City Library

  • Interlibrary loan from Finland or other nordic countries 4 €
  • Interlibrary loan from the British Library 25 €
  • Interlibrary loan from other countries 14-25 €
  • Copying: as billed by sending library / at least 4 €

Kauniainen Library

  • Interlibrary fees: as billed by sending library / at least 4 €

Vantaa City Library

  • Interlibrary loan from The National Repository Library: free of charge
  • Interlibrary loan from Finland: 7 € / loan
  • Interlibrary loan from other nordic countries: 10 € / loan
  • Interlibrary loan from other countries: as billed by sending library, at least 7 € / loan
  • Copying: as billed by sending library

Interlibrary service contact information

Espoo City Library

Helsinki City Library

Kauniainen City Library

Vantaa City Library

Russian Library

Interlibrary loan request

Before placing an interlibrary loan request, please check Helmet, Finna, and Melinda catalogues whether the required publication is available in the Helsinki Metropolitan area libraries. Interlibrary loans cannot be made if the required publication is available in any Helsinki Metropolitan area libraries.

Interlibrary loan request is binding, in other words, by placing an interlibrary loan request you agree to pay the interlibrary loan fee (cf. interlibrary loan fees). The fee for a photocopy is set by the sending library. You will also be charged for uncollected interlibrary loans.

Ordered materials are send to your chosen HelMet –library and you will be informed when it has arrived by either e-mail or by telephone. Borrowed materials must be returned to the library where they have been checked out (N.B. in Espoo borrowed interlibrary loans can be returned to any library).


Orderer Information

Method of Delivery *

Material Ordered (Fill in the relevant parts)

Can be ordered (please see Fees) *