Here we bring you the Customer Service Update for April 2013.
Introducing a new Document Supply pricing model (May 2013)
BLDSS: Online Ordering launched! (April 2013)
Immediate Download (April 2013)
Items not Immediately Available (April 2013)
Proxy Order Service Charge (April 2013)
Extended Searching (April 2013)
Requesting Items by ARTEmail (April 2013)
Public Holidays Closures (April 2013)
Introducing a new Document Supply pricing model (May 2013)
The British Library Document Supply Service pricing model is about to change. The major benefit arising from this will be a substantial reduction in the price of requests satisfied from our electronic collections. This will allow customers to make the most of our rapidly increasing digital collection and help us to deliver a higher quality, faster and more cost effective service.
From 1 August 2013, the Document Supply Service will be priced according to the cost of sourcing and supplying an item. This will mean an increase in the price of requests satisfied from print, but a considerable reduction the price of requests from electronic sources.
The new pricing model enables fast delivery of electronic items at a competitive price. Furthermore, the benefits of this change for our customers will multiply in the future, as the amount of content we store and supply electronically increases in response to current trends in publishing and our own efforts to expand the amount of content we can store and supply electronically.
For more information, please see the Pricing section of our website or visit our Q&A
BLDSS: Online Ordering launched! (April 2013)
We're pleased to announce the new British Library Document Supply Service (BLDSS) has now launched and is fully operational. You can now visit BLDSS, search items available for Remote Supply, view detailed availability, pricing and delivery time information, place and track an order, and manage your Account preferences online.
INCD Customers (April 2013)
Overseas academic institutions registered to use the International Non Commercial Document supply service (INCD) should note that ordering via the BLDSS online interface is not currently available. Any documents ordered via the online interface using your INCD account will attract a copyright fee at the publishers’ full commercial rate.
Immediate Download (April 2013)
Searching for, and ordering documents via the BLDSS Online Interface allows you to access over 8 million copyright compliant journal articles available for immediate download.
Library Privilege service customers within the UK are also able to benefit from access to electronic content available for immediate delivery by selecting the standard service option when placing their order via the interface.
Loan Renewals (April 2013)
Although the BLDSS online interface offers a quick and easy way to request a loan renewal, customers should seldom need to use this functionality as BLDSS will automatically renew an item if it has not been returned by its due date.
The only time you may wish to request a renewal is to ensure that a waiting list is not created in the 7 day period between receiving an Automatic Renewal pending message and confirmation of the renewal. Submitting a renewal request after receipt of the Automatic Renewal pending message will ensure that the item is renewed for a further 6 weeks from the date of your renewal request.
Items not Immediately Available (April 2013)
Where an item is not immediately available for any reason and we are unable to fulfil your request, we will suggest you reapply at a later time.
The Reply Code used by BLDSS to suggest you reapply is CAT*REAPP followed by a number of days or weeks.
Customers who specify that their requests should not be added to a waiting list should an item be on loan will receive a CAT*REAPP message. The number of weeks suggested in which to reapply reflects the end of the loan period. Please note however that subsequent loan requests may be received in the period before you reapply which may impact on availability.
In the case of 2 hour requests which we are unable to supply within the timeframe as the stock is stored offsite, we will send you the message CAT*REAPP 1 day. (Please note however that due to a system bug these messages are currently being received as CAT*REAPP 0.) This message in response to 2 hour requests should be interpreted as to reapply using the 24hour service.
Proxy Order Service Charge (April 2013)
The BLDSS online interface provides all of our customers with a quick and easy way to check availability of items and place orders.
Customer Services, Orders are also available to place orders on your behalf during core business hours. However, a Proxy Order service charge of £2.25 to cover administration costs will apply to each order we place on your behalf.
Extended Searching (April 2013)
Should you require an Extended Search, please continue to request via ARTEmail. We will issue a note when BLDSS’ two new services – Get It For Me and Find It For Me are launched.
Requesting Items by ARTEmail (April 2013)
We strongly advise all customers ordering by ARTEmail to include their own reference numbers when submitting requests. As BLDSS does not assign an orderline number to your request until is matched to a stock item and becomes a Confirmed Order, you will find it much easier to track your orders if you assign your own reference number when you place your orders.
Customer reference numbers should be placed immediately after the TX on the TX line, with a space after the reference number and before the first Message Keyword Code. Any letter/number combination can be used, but please avoid using punctuation symbols other than / and -
Some examples of customer TX lines are:
TX87-9999/0001 LOAN HOME
TX9MAR13-0001 SED99 WLX
TXRZABC12345 PHOTO
All Document Supply services will be closed on the following dates:
Early May bank holiday - Monday 06 May
- The Boston Spa Reading Room will close at 16:30 on Friday 03 May, re-opening at 09:00 on Tuesday 07 May
- We will not process any requests received after 02:30 (UK time) on Saturday 04 May until our document supply service reopens on Tuesday 07 May at 08:00 (UK time). This includes any requests for the 2 hour service.
- Any 2 hour or 24 hour requests received at the British Library after 02:30 on Saturday 04 May will be timed from 08:00 on Tuesday 07 May.
Monday Spring bank holiday – Monday 27 May
- The Boston Spa Reading Room will close at 16:30 on Friday 24 May, re-opening at 09:00 on Tuesday 28 May
- We will not process any requests received after 02:30 (UK time) on Saturday 25 May until our document supply service reopens on Tuesday 28 May at 08:00 (UK time). This includes any requests for the 2 hour service.
- Any 2 hour or 24 hour requests received at the British Library after 02:30 on Saturday 25 May will be timed from 08:00 on Tuesday 28 May.
Click here for a summary of previous Customer Service updates.
