What is the Desktop Delivery Service?
The Desktop Delivery Service allows you to request copies of journal articles from Library Search held in the Research Reserve.
Can I access this service off-campus?
Yes, the Desktop Delivery Service is available on and off-campus by going to http://dds.ncl.ac.uk.
Can articles requested via this service be used for teaching purposes?
Due to copyright restrictions you are not permitted to supply a copy of the article to any other person.
Therefore if you are a requesting an article for teaching purposes please submit a CLA scanning request.
What is the Research Reserve?
Unlike many academic libraries, Newcastle University Library has access to state-of-the-art off-campus storage facilities, meaning we can keep less-used material for much longer than some other academic libraries.
Our Team Valley (Gateshead) based facilities have just been refurbished and in total provide us with an additional 29 kilometres of storage space, which we're currently using to house back-runs of journals and books which haven't been consulted for over 5 years (longer in some subject areas).
Click here for more information
Is the service available to registered external users of the library?
Yes, however due to copyright restrictions we are unable to provide you with an electronic copy of the article. We will provide you with a printed copy at 4p per sheet (payable upon collection). We will email you when it is available for collection.
Is the service free of charge?
There is no charge to request and download an article as a member of Newcastle University (staff or student).
However, due to copyright restrictions registered external users are required to collect a copy of the article from the library at 4p per sheet (payable upon collection).
How do I submit a new request?
New journal article requests can be made via links within the Locations/Request tab on Library Search. Items which are available to request will feature a 'Request article scan' link.
Alternatively, requests can be made directly by going to the New Journal Article Request form.
I don't know all of the article details required by the request form, what should I do?
For each request made through the Desktop Delivery Service, the journal article needs to be located on the shelf and then scanned before it is made available to you. It is therefore important that you are able to provide sufficient details of the article you are requesting so that we can locate the journal and find the article itself.
Journal bibliographic information is available on Library Search.
If you haven’t got enough information in order to complete the required fields on the New Journal Article Request form please email lib.store@ncl.ac.uk.
What can I request?
You can request one article per journal issue from the Research Reserve printed journals collection*.
First please ensure that the item is a journal available in the Research Reserve (or Walton Library for Medical academic members of staff) and that it isn't already available electronically (see next FAQ).
Before making a request please ensure you review the copyright declaration on the New Journal Article Request form.
* Medical faulty members of staff can also request from the Walton Library printed journals collection. Students enrolled on a distance learning programme can request scanned copies of journal articles (same restrictions apply) or book chapters (one chapter per book) from any of the Newcastle University Libraries.
Can I request book pages/chapters?
No, this service is currently only available for journals.
Can I request the same thing more than once?
No, this is prohibited due to copyright legislation.
How many requests can I have at one time?
There is no limit on the amount of requests you can have at any one time.
Can I make a request for items held in the Robinson, Walton or Law Library?
If you are student enrolled on a distance learning programme you can request scanned copies of journal articles or book chapters (restrictions apply).
Members of staff within the Medical faculty can request scanned copies of journal articles from the Walton Library printed journals collection.
When submitting a new request choose the appropriate option (if you are not already logged in).
Why do I need to select 'who I am' before making a new request?
This selection is necessary as it helps us determine the best available delivery method for the article you are about to request.
What happens after I submit my request?
Your request will be sent through to the appropriate library store where a member of staff will locate the journal on the shelves and scan the relevant pages. Once your article has been added into the system you will receive an email containing download or collection instructions.
How long will it take for my article to be available?
Requests are usually satisfied within 24 hours (Monday – Friday, excluding bank holidays), however this may be longer during busy periods.
Why do I need to agree to the terms and conditions?
We need to ensure that both you and the University is acting within the copyright laws.
I have special requirements / I'd like to provide additional notes with my request, can I do this?
The Notes/instructions box towards the bottom of the New Journal Article Request form can be used to provide us with additional information.
What happens if there is a problem with my request?
We will contact you via email to your Newcastle University email address, or the email address you provided at the time of making the request if you are an External/NHS User.
I don't know my library card number, what can I do?
If you are an External/NHS User and registered with Newcastle University Libraries you will be required to provide your library card number when making a new request. This can be found at the bottom of your smartcard, e.g. U######## ('U' followed by 8 numbers).
Members of Newcastle University (staff or student) will not need to provide this information when making a request.
I don't have an email address, what can I do?
If you are a member of Newcastle University (staff or student) you will already have an email address – it is associated with your Campus ID.
If you are an External/NHS User making a request through the Desktop Delivery Service it is a requirement that you have access to an email address. If you don't, contact the Robinson Library on 0191 222 7662 and we will aim to offer an alternative solution which satisfies copyright legislation.
I don't know my Campus ID, what can I do?
If you are a member of Newcastle University (staff or student) you must be able to provide your Campus ID in order to make a request. This is the same username you use to log onto University computers.
If you require assistance obtaining your Campus ID please visit the IT Service Desk.
If you are an External/NHS User it is not necessary to provide a Newcastle University Campus ID (select the 'External/NHS User' button when making a new request).
When should I not make a request?
Requests should only be made on journals held within the Research Reserve (and Walton Library for Medical academic members of staff). Visit Library Search to find this information.
A request should not be made when the item is already available electronically.
Before making a request please ensure you review the copyright declaration on the New Journal Article Request form.
How do I view my requests?
Members of Newcastle University (staff or student) can login and view their requests. Go to the My Requests section and login with your Campus ID and password.
All of your requests will be summarised on this page and categorised by status.
The following statuses are used:
- Pending – new requests awaiting scanning
- Ready for download – articles ready for download
- Archived - requests which have been available to download for more than 30 days (for your records only)
- Outstanding requests - additional information is required, these details will have been emailed to you
How will I know when my article is ready to be downloaded?
You will receive an email notification when your article is ready to be downloaded.
How do I download an article?
Click the direct link in the email notification or locate the request within the My Requests section. To download the article you must first review and agree to the copyright declaration.
N.B. electronic download is only available for members of Newcastle University (staff or student).
How long will my article be available for download?
You will be able to access the article up to 30 days from the date it was added to the system. After this time your request will change to 'archived' and the article download will no longer be available.
If you have not downloaded your article 4 days prior to the end of the 30 day expiry period you will receive an email notification reminding you.
What file format is the article?
The article will be available as an Adobe PDF document (portable document format).
To open PDF documents you must have Adobe Reader (or similar) installed on your computer.
I'm having difficulty downloading the article, what can I do?
If you have reviewed the above FAQs relating to the My Requests section and have Adobe Reader (or similar) installed on your computer you can email lib-web@ncl.ac.uk for assistance.
I'm able to download the article but it will not open on my computer, what can I do?
Ensure you have Adobe Reader (or similar) installed on your computer. If you are still experiencing difficulties you can email lib-web@ncl.ac.uk for assistance.
The article I've downloaded is not what I wanted, what can I do?
Email details to lib.store@ncl.ac.uk for assistance.
The scan quality is poor or inadequate, what can I do?
Email details to lib.store@ncl.ac.uk for assistance.
I did not download my article within the 30 day period, what can I do?
Articles are automatically removed from the system after 30 days of them being made available to you (however a reminder email will be sent 4 days prior to this). Unfortunately after this period the article will no longer be available for download and due to copyright restrictions you are unable to re-request the same item.
What do the various headings within My Requests mean?
Pending - new requests awaiting scanning
Details of the request are available for you to review however the article is still awaiting scanning.
Ready for download – available for up to 30 days
You can download the article for this request. It will be accessible for 30 days after it was made available to you.
Archived - requests which have been available to download for more than 30 days (for your records only)
A record of your request is available for your records however any downloads are no longer available.
Outstanding requests - additional information is required, these details will have been emailed to you
Further information is required, in this instance a member of the appropriate library stores team will email you requesting the additional details required in order to satisfy your request.
Can I still access requests marked as Archived?
No, due to copyright restrictions downloads are only available for up 30 days after they were added to the system and first made available to you. A record of your request remains for your records.
One or more of my requests are marked as 'more information required', what does this mean?
The library stores team dealing with your request requires further details about the article you are requesting. You will receive an email requesting additional details required in order for us to satisfy your request.
It's been longer than 24 hours and I've still not received my article, what can I do?
Requests usually take up to 24 hours to be satisfied when the request is placed during business hours Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). However during busy periods this may be slightly longer.
If you would like to follow up on a request please email details to lib.store@ncl.ac.uk for assistance.
I have forgotten my password, what can I do?
If you have forgotten your password or require assistance obtaining your Campus ID please visit the IT Service Desk.
How will I know when my article is ready for collection?
You will receive an email (to the address provided when making the request) once it is available for collection.
It's been longer than 24 hours and I've still not received a collection email regarding my article, what can I do?
Requests usually take up to 24 hours to be satisfied when the request is placed during business hours Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). However during busy periods this may be slightly longer.
If you would like to follow up on a request please email details to lib.store@ncl.ac.uk for assistance.
Why do I need to collect my article from the library, can I not receive an electronic download?
Unfortunately due to copyright restrictions we are only able to offer electronic download to member of Newcastle University (staff or student). This is because in order to securely download the article it is required that you are able to login with a Campus ID and password which are only available for members of the university.
If you are registered with the library as an External/NHS User you can collect a printed copy of the article for 4p per sheet (payable upon collection) from either the Robinson or Walton Library during desk opening hours.
What do I need to bring with me when collecting the article?
Please ensure you bring your university smartcard containing the same library card number you used when making the journal article request as well as the copying cost of 4p per sheet.
I'd like to give some feedback on the Desktop Delivery Service, what can I do?
4 days after downloading or collecting your article you should receive an email asking you to rate the service.
If you haven’t received this email or haven’t made a request but would like to provide us with feedback please click here.
I've received an email asking for my feedback on my recent article request, what can I do?
Please click the link provided in the email and let us know your views on the Desktop Delivery Service.
Your feedback is very important to us as it allows us to continuously improve the services we offer.
Where will my feedback be used?
The information you supply us with will be processed fairly and lawfully in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. It will be used only help Newcastle University Libraries evaluate and continuously improve the services we offer. It will be protected from unauthorised use, kept in a secure manner and retained only as long as is necessary.
This privacy statement applies to the Desktop Delivery Service (It does not apply to any other areas of the Newcastle University website).
If you have any queries please email lib-web@ncl.ac.uk.