Access Services & Borrowing Privileges: Document Delivery Service

What is it?

Document Delivery is a scanning service provided by the Circulation Departments at Walsh Library, Quinn Library, and Westchester Library. This service allows a current faculty member or student to submit up to three (3) requests to be scanned and emailed to them per day. These requests are limited only to items physically owned by Fordham Libraries (such as print periodicals or book chapters), and they are intended for individual use for the purpose of private study, scholarship, or research. Requests for items available electronically via online databases, e-journals, or e-book collections will not be filled.

How does it work?

To submit a request, please fill out the Document Delivery Form with the complete citation, including page numbers, of the item to be scanned by staff. The scanned documents are sent to Fordham email accounts only, so please check there for the completed requests.

Document Delivery requests must meet copyright guidelines in order to be processed, and we attempt to fill all requests in the order they are received. Requests generally are fulfilled within three (3) business days, pending the availability of staff and access to the physical items in the collection.

To request scans, please complete the Document Delivery Form. 

In order to fulfill scanning requests, Fordham Libraries must adhere to the copyright and fair use guidelines set forth in Title 17 of the U.S. Code.

What does this mean?

Current faculty and students are limited to requests for one (1) book chapter per book and one (1) journal article per issue. Fordham Libraries staff are prohibited from electronically scanning more than that amount per copyright and fair use guidelines.

Current faculty and students are limited to three (3) total requests per day, and each request may take up to three (3) business days to process, pending the availability of staff and access to the physical items in the collection.

What should you request?

Current faculty and students may request one (1) book chapter per book and one (1) journal article per issue. 

The book or journal should meet the following criteria:

• The book chapter is not available as an e-book in the Fordham Libraries' catalog or in any of the e-book collections.
• The journal article only is available as a physical copy and is not available digitally in Fordham Libraries' online databases or e-journals.
• The book is not a Reserve title on any of the campuses.
• The request meets copyright guidelines.

If the item is available in Fordham Libraries' electronic holdings, the request will not be processed.

How to locate items?

To determine if a book or journal is owned by Fordham Libraries, please search the following resources before submitting your request:

What if the request doesn't meet the criteria?

There will be times when you need to access more than one chapter of a book. In that case, if Fordham Libraries owns an available print copy and you can access the campuses, you may place a hold to pickup the item at the campus library that is most convenient for you. However, if Fordham Libraries does not own an e-copy of a book needed for research and you are exclusively off campus, please submit an Order a Book form for the electronic edition of the title.

If you need access to a journal that Fordham Libraries does not subscribe to or if the physical copy of a book is checked out, Interlibrary Loan is available to current faculty and students. Simply create an account, if you have not done so already, and submit a request with the complete citation. More information can be found on the ILL webpage.