Interlibrary Loan (ILL) and Hong Kong Academic Library Link (HKALL) allow eligible users to request books, articles, and theses not available at HKBU Library from other local or overseas libraries.
📢 What’s New?
Beginning June 16, 2025, our new resource sharing system allows you to submit both Interlibrary Loan and HKALL requests seamlessly through one single form!
📝 Same form for Interlibrary Loan and HKALL requests
🙋♀️ View the status of all your requests in My Library Account
📕 Better information on the loan period and estimated delivery date
📕 Loan Policy
| Eligible User | Physical Items Loan Period 1 | Eligible for Digital Requests: Articles/Book Chapters | Total Loans/Requests Limit (Includes ILL and HKALL) 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local (UGC Libraries) | Others | |||
| Staff | ||||
| Academic / Teaching / Administrative equivalent | 30 days | 14-28 days | ✓ | 30 |
| Non-teaching staff | 15 | |||
| Emeritus President/Professor | 15 | |||
| Oi Kwan | 15 | |||
| Adjunct Professors / Retired Staff / University Honorary Associates 3 | 15 | |||
| Student | ||||
| Postgraduate | 30 days | 14-28 days | ✓ | 15 |
| Postgraduate (self-funded) | ― | |||
| Undergraduate | 15 days | |||
| SCE Undergraduate & Postgraduate | 15 days | |||
| SCE (Top-up/non-HKBU awarded) | ― | |||
| SCM (HKBU awarded) | 15 days | |||
| CIE | 15 days | ― | ― | |
Notes:
1. Loan period may vary according to the policies of the lending library. For example:
● The due date may be shortened if the item is recalled.
● Items borrowed from other libraries (non-UGC funded and overseas) typically range from 14 to 28 days.
2. Interlibrary loan request is counted towards your overall borrowing loan quota and the ILL loan quota listed above.
● The quota will be taken once an Interlibrary loan request has been placed.
● The quota will be released when the item is checked-in by the lending library or the digital request is fulfilled.
3. Retired Staff Members, Adjunct Professors, and University Honorary Associates may access the Interlibrary Loan service only if they are currently engaged in teaching credit-bearing courses or serving as thesis supervisor for research postgraduate. Access is granted by request via the relevant School or Faculty.
Books borrowed from local UGC libraries can be renewed up to the maximum loan length unless recalled by other users. For items borrowed from other libraries, renewal is subject to the lending library’s policy and approval.
To submit a renewal request, log in to My Library Account. In the Loans section, click on the “Renew” button next to the item.
| Eligible User | Max. Loan Length | |
|---|---|---|
| Local (UGC Libraries) | Others | |
| Staff | The request is subject to the lending library’s approval. Renewal requests must be submitted at least one week before the due date, and you will be notified of the results via email. | |
| Academic / Teaching / Administrative equivalent | 90 days | |
| Non-teaching staff | ||
| Emeritus President/Professor | ||
| Oi Kwan | ||
| Adjunct Professors / Retired Staff / University Honorary Associates 3 | ||
| Student | ||
| Postgraduate | 90 days | |
| Postgraduate (self-funded) | ― | |
| Undergraduate | 45 days | |
| SCE Undergraduate & Postgraduate | 45 days | |
| SCE (Top-up/non-HKBU awarded) | ― | |
| SCM (HKBU awarded) | 45 days | |
| CIE | 45 days | ― |
Physical items may be recalled by users at the lending library, and you will be notified of the new due date by email.
You can cancel your request by logging in to your My Library Account, in the Requests section, click on the “Cancel” button next to the item.
❗ Your request will be cancelled by us if…
- No lending library can be located to lend the item via Interlibrary Loan
- The service charge exceeds the subsidy limit. Let us know by email if you would like to proceed by covering the additional cost.
Service Charges
Most interlibrary loan requests are 👏 fully subsidized by the Library for eligible users. This policy is subject to review.
Overdue Fines
Overdue fines for items borrowed from local UGC libraries will be charged as specified in the table below, with a 3-day grace period applied.
| Loan Type | Overdue Fine | Maximum Fine | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Books | HK$ 2 per day | HK$ 100 | |
| Recalled Items | HK$ 4 per day | HK$ 100 |
For items borrowed from other libraries, overdue fines are determined by the lending library’s policies.
❗ Long overdue books are assumed lost.
Damage / Lost
- Borrowers are responsible for lost or damaged interlibrary loan books, including replacement costs set by the lending library.
- Long overdue books are assumed lost.
- No refunds once any payment has been made, even if a lost item is found later.
- Lost items later found should be returned to the lending library; borrower is not entitled to keep the book even after paying replacement costs.
📝 Submitting a Request
- 🔎 Search for the item by title or keywords via Library OneSearch.
- If you do not see the item in the search results, click “Didn’t find what you were looking for? Click here to search beyond HKBU Library’s collection” to expand your search beyond HKBU collection.
▼ If you still don’t see the item you need, submit the request through an Interlibrary Loan request form:
- Records with the link “Request from other libraries” mean they are not available at HKBU Library and may be requested using the Interlibrary Loan service. Click on the link to proceed.
- The item record will be opened. Sign in with your HKBU account to see the request options.
- Once logged in, the Request from other libraries section will be shown. Choose your preferred format and click “REQUEST”.
🔔 Declaration Form Requirement (Effective 1 January 2026)
To comply with Hong Kong’s updated copyright regulations — Copyright (Libraries, Museums and Archives – Prescribed Conditions for Making Copy) Regulation — users requesting copies via Interlibrary Loan may be required to submit a signed declaration form.
- You will receive an email notification if a declaration is needed for your request.
- The completed form must be returned within 24 hours of receiving the notification.
- Failure to return the form on time may result in cancellation of your request.
This requirement ensures that all copying activities meet legal conditions under the new copyright framework.
You may also submit your request through the Interlibrary Loan request form by filling in the item details yourself. The more information you provide, the quicker we will be able to identify the item and process your request.
🔔 Declaration Form Requirement (Effective 1 January 2026)
To comply with Hong Kong’s updated copyright regulations — Copyright (Libraries, Museums and Archives – Prescribed Conditions for Making Copy) Regulation — users requesting copies via Interlibrary Loan may be required to submit a signed declaration form.
- You will receive an email notification if a declaration is needed for your request.
- The completed form must be returned within 24 hours of receiving the notification.
- Failure to return the form on time may result in cancellation of your request.
This requirement ensures that all copying activities meet legal conditions under the new copyright framework.
Our Interlibrary Loan service is provided in strict compliance with Section 38 of the Copyright Ordinance and the new Copyright (Libraries, Museums and Archives-Prescribed Conditions for Making Copy) Regulation, which took effect on 1 January 2026.
All resources obtained through our resource sharing networks, including HKALL and Interlibrary Loan partners worldwide, must be used solely for research or private study and may not be shared, reproduced, or used for any other purpose without permission from the copyright holder.
By submitting a request, you acknowledge that:
- The requested materials will be used solely for the purposes of research or private study.
- You have never had a copy of the requested materials or the copy obtained has been lost, destroyed or damaged.
- Your requirement for a copy of the requested material is not related to any similar requirement for the copy of any other person.
- You will not reproduce, communicate or otherwise disseminate the copy without a license of the copyright owner or beyond the scope of a permitted act under the Copyright Ordinance (Cap. 528).
- You understand that a reproduction, communication or disseminator of the copy in breach of the undertaking made in above points may constitute copyright infringement and incur legal liability.
To learn more about copyright, visit the following resources:
Effective 1 July 2025, to enhance personal data protection and align with University policy, the Library will retain only the latest two years of loan history. This includes Interlibary Loan (including HKALL) records and history.
If you wish to keep older loan records, please sign in to your “My Library Account” and export your loan history.
🚚 Delivery
Delivery Time
Delivery times vary depending on the item’s location, type, and availability.
Estimated fulfillment times:
- Local libraries: 1 week
- Overseas libraries: 2-3 months
Pick up and Return
- Requested items can be picked up in person at your chosen Library’s User Services Counter or delivered using the Held Book Delivery Service. Unclaimed items will be returned to the lending library without any further notification.
- Return in person at any Library’s User Services Counter.
- Some lending libraries may restrict items to in-library use only. These must be returned to the User Services Counter before leaving.
Repeat Loan Requests
Please ensure as far as possible that you are completely finished with borrowed items before returning them to the Library. Some lending libraries may reject repeated loan requests for the same physical item by the same patron.
Delivery Time
Under normal circumstances, estimated fulfillment times are as follows:
- Local libraries: 3 working days to 1 week
- Overseas libraries: 15 working days to 1 month
Delivery Mode
Standard: PDF format
- After receiving the email notification, click the download link in the email or log into My Library Account to download the file.
- ❗ Articles are accessible for 30 days only and can only be downloaded TWICE. The file will be automatically removed at the end of the access period.
- Make sure you download a copy for future use before the access period expires.
Exception: Paper format
- Rarely, articles may be delivered in paper format due to copyright or quality issues that prevent legible electronic copies being made.
- In these cases, pick up your paper copy at the Au Shue Hung Memorial Library (Main Library) User Services Counter after receiving the email notification.
✉️ Contact us
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the User Services team at libill@hkbu.edu.hk or call 3411-7445.
☝️ You may also…
Want to see a particular item in the HKBU Library collection? Fill out this recommendation form:
HKBU Library offers interlibrary loan services to other libraries worldwide via Rapido and OCLC Resource Sharing.
Interlibrary Loan
User Services Team
Level 3, Au Shue Hung Memorial Library
34 Renfrew Road, Kowloon Tong
HONG KONG SAR
Phone: +852 3411-7445
Email: libill@hkbu.edu.hk
OCLC Symbol: H2K
Last updated: 01 January 2026
