Please note: we will no longer be offering a Scan and Deliver service beyond the 20th of December, 2024. Resources we hold in print can be viewed in our libraries. For items not in our collection please use the Request a Resource service.  

We are offering a Scan and Deliver service which will enable current staff and students at University of Essex to request a single book chapter, journal article or set of pages (up to 5%) from our print collection to be scanned and sent as an email attachment.

It is a contact free way of accessing print material for personal study and research, for those who are unable to come to campus. Any requests are for personal study/research purposes and non-commercial use. We are unable to supply scans for reading lists or sharing in class.

You can place a scan request from the library search. When you have found the item you require, click on the title and then click on Scan & Deliver under 'Get it'. You will need to sign in before you will see this option.

Scans will be made of print material available on the shelf at Colchester only, from the Student, Main, Store or Special Collections, where it is not already available as part of our digital collections. We are unable to scan items on loan, plays or music, or material located at Loughton or Southend. Scans from Special Collections may be unavailable if particularly delicate or fragile or due to volume of material, and some may be redacted due to confidentiality and copyright.
If you require a scan in an alternative format for accessibility reasons, please use our ‘Request Accessible Copy Form’. You need to be registered with the Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity Service to use this service.

Scans will be subject to fair dealing copyright:

You can request:
One chapter of a book 
One article in a single journal issue
or 5% , whichever is greater

If you require more than the copyright restrictions allow,  please consider using our request service or make a purchase suggestion for an online version. 

Scan requests will be checked by library staff (Monday – Friday) for availability and copyright limits. Requests may be rejected if it is already available in our online collection, is over the limit of copyright or if the book is unavailable for scanning. We aim to get your scans to you within 5 working days. Please check your University of Essex email for request acceptance and supply. 
We will email you when the scan is ready to view. We recommend to download and save your scan to your device for continued use. 
To use this service please search our library catalogue on our website to locate the item you need. If it is available online in our digital collection please login to view the resource. If it is not available online, check it is showing as ‘available’ in Student, Main or Special Collections at our Colchester library. 
If you want to track the progress of your request, you can contact us by emailing libline@essex.ac.uk

If you have already used our Scan and Deliver service and would like to tell us about your experience please leave us some feedback.