Library services for disabled users
The Library Disability Team offers two services which can be accessed directly via the website:
Item retrieval allows a user to have items collected from the shelves by a member of staff from any branch library
The Photocopying and scanning service is for people who may need material copied in another format
In many cases you may find it is cheaper and quicker to copy articles yourself on the photocopiers and scanners available within the library. However, you can also request that library staff make photocopies or scans from books or journals held at the University of Bristol (subject to UK copyright law) which can then be posted, held for collection or emailed to you.
- Who can use these services?
- How much does it cost and how do I pay?
- How do I make a request?
- Copyright declarations
- How soon will I receive the item/s requested?
- What if the Library does not hold the item/s requested?
Who can use these services?
These services are open to any disabled student or staff member who may need extra support accessing the library and its facilities. You will need to have registered with the Library Disability Team first.
How much does it cost and how do I pay?
Item retrieval
Item retrieval is a free service, and users can request up to 5 items per day. To use the service, simply complete the Item Retrieval Form.
Photocopying and scanning
We can make an accessible copy of up to an entire book for eligible library users. This may include enlargement and electronic versions. We can also provide a photocopying service for students who need a chapter or article from a book or journal. Charges may apply for these services.
If you are in receipt of Disabled Students Allowance (DSA), this funding will cover the costs of scanning and photocopying.
If you are not in receipt of DSA then a charge of 10p per page for photocopying and £8 per hour for scanning will be charged to your library account to cover administration costs.
How do I make a request?
Before making a request you will need to have registered with the Library Disability Team in order to discuss the support we provide and your eligibility.
Once you have registered with us, you can access the following forms. (Please make sure you provide full references to help us retrieve items as quickly as possible).
If you have any difficulties accessing these forms you can send an email to lib-disability@bristol.ac.uk containing full details of the items you require, including:
- author
- title
- journal/ issue
- classmark (if known)
- edition or year
Copyright Declarations
To comply with copyright legislation for requests required for the purpose of non-commercial research, we must have a signed copyright declaration before we can give you your photocopy or scanning of an item. Electronic signatures are not yet valid for copyright declarations, so we need a handwritten signature to comply with copyright legislation.
If you are collecting your photocopy from the library you will be asked to complete a copyright declaration form on collection. If you require your photocopying or scanning to be posted or emailed to you, we will send you a copyright declaration form. This will need to be signed and returned before we can complete your request.
Any copy obtained for you is for your own personal use. It must not be given to any other person.
How soon will I receive the item/s requested?
Please allow up to a week for item retrieval and photocopying requests to be completed. Scanning requests may take longer depending on your requirements, but we can give you an estimated timeframe on submission of your request.
We deal with all requests in the order in which we receive them. Please note that it is currently not possible to prioritise any requests as 'urgent'. We endeavour to get materials to you as quickly as possible; if we have any problems meeting your request we will notify you.
All photocopies will either be posted to the address you provide on the form (once we have a copyright declaration) or an email will be sent to you to confirm that it is ready to be collected.
What if the Library does not hold the item/s requested?
If you need materials that are not in Library stock, you will need to complete an Inter-Library Loan request in the usual way.
Note: some of the documents on this page are in PDF format. In order to view a PDF you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader