Information Services

Scan & Deliver

Staff and students of the University of Edinburgh can request scans of one book chapter or 10% (whichever is the greater) or one journal article via DiscoverEd.

What is Scan & Deliver?

Scan & deliver is a Library service for staff and students at the University of Edinburgh that you can use to request scans of printed materials held by the Library.   

What can I request?

You can request one chapter or 10% (whichever is the greater) of a book, one journal article or one short story or poem or play of not more than ten pages in an anthology. 

Scan requests can be made for items held at the following University Libraries:

  • Main Library
  • Art &Architecture Library
  • Edinburgh College of Art Library
  • Law Library
  • Moray House Library
  • New College Library
  • Noreen and Kenneth Murray Library (Murray Library)
  • Royal Infirmary Library 
  • Scottish Studies Archives & Library
  • The Lady Smith of Kelvin Veterinary Library
  • Western General Library
  • University Collections Facility

How do I make a request?

Submit your scan request via DiscoverEd. Search for the item you would like us to scan. If Scan & Deliver is available, a link will be available on the item record, ‘Scan and Deliver (digitised extract not full copy)’ . Follow the link, provide the information requested, read the copyright declaration and check the box to agree to the copyright terms. The box needs to be checked before you can submit your scan request. 

Is there anything that’s not available to be scanned?

Yes, items which are part of Special Collections can’t be requested for scanning. If you don’t see the ‘Scan and Deliver (digitised extract not full copy)’  link on the item record in DiscoverEd, the item is not available to be scanned.

What information do I need to provide?

Try to provide as much information in your request as you can. You will be asked to provide a chapter number and/or title and page numbers. There is a notes field where you can add any other relevant information. If you don’t know the page numbers or chapter title required, try checking bookseller websites for table of contents information. Be aware the page numbers may vary with editions. 

The Library won’t be able to provide a scan if we don’t have sufficient information. 

Are there any limits to what I can request?

Yes. We can’t provide multiple chapters of the same book to the same person.  We can only provide one chapter or 10% (whichever is the greater) of a book.  You can make four requests at any one time. When one request has been fulfilled, you’ll be able to make a new request.  You can see details of any current Scan and Deliver requests on your DiscoverEd user account.

How will I receive my scan?

You will receive a notification email from the Library which contains a link to the scan and a password. The link will expire after 30 days and there is a five click limit on the link. This will be familiar to you if you’ve used our InterLibrary Loans service before. 

How long will it take to provide my scan?

We’ll prioritise requests based on date received. How quickly we can provide a scan will depend on the overall number of requests we have, staff availability and access to print materials. 

Scans for teaching

The scans provided by Scan & Deliver are for personal use only. Course organisers should continue to request scans for teaching via the Resource Lists service (if there is a list for the course) or  by contacting the E-reserve team.  

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