Document Delivery from the Polymer Library

Full-text Document Delivery

  • Virtually every item abstracted on the Polymer Library database can be ordered from our document delivery department - that's over 2.5 million pages of original literature!
  • A growing number of items (more than 22,000) can be downloaded instantly in pdf format, from publishers such as SPE, Kluwer, Institute of Physics Publishing and iSmithers Rapra itself.
  • Other documents are photocopied and can be sent via e-mail, fax or first class post - whichever is most convenient for you.
  • We aim, and usually achieve, an order turnaround of less than 24 hours*. Many documents are in fact despatched within just hours of the order receipt.
  • You can read comments from our satisfied customers here...

* Excluding weekends and UK bank holidays. There may also be some disruption over the Christmas period.


Document Prices

Handling Fee
If you have a Polymer Library Account you will make a saving of over 30% on the handling fee. This will be £7.50 instead of £11.

Copyright Fee
In accordance with our transactional Document Delivery Licence we also have to charge customers a copyright fee. This fee will be forwarded to the Copyright Licencing Agency (CLA) who will in turn forward it to the copyright owners. The fee varies depending upon the price a publisher has set for a particular journal and is displayed on the ordering information page for an individual item.

Photocopies can be sent to non-commercial establishments without the payment of a copyright fee. Please download this Request and Declaration form which needs to be signed and returned by fax to our document delivery department.

VAT
VAT (Value Added Tax) will normally only be added to UK orders. Customers in all other EC countries are required to supply their VAT registration number in order for VAT not to be charged.

Fees for downloadable PDFs
Some pdfs can be downloaded immediately. This is for items where we have an agreement with the publisher to store their articles. There is no separate handling fee and copyright fee for these items, all customers must pay the price displayed.


How to Order

Ordering Online from the Polymer Library Database
When viewing an abstract in the Polymer Library you will find an 'Information about ordering' button at the top of the page. If you click on this you will be taken through to our secure online ordering facility where you can either pay using your account or via credit card. The screen will display our handling charge and the relevant copyright fee. By placing the order you accept the charges as displayed. If we are not able to supply the document at the price displayed we will contact you.

Ordering Online without Searching the Polymer Library
If you do not have an account, or are an account holder and have the details of your document but do not wish to be charged for viewing the abstract, please submit your details using the online order form. If the combined copyright and handling charge for one document is in excess of £30 we will contact you for authorisation before proceeding with your order. For amounts under £30 we will fulfil the order without further contact. Should you require an exact quote please contact the Document Delivery Department as detailed below.

Order from us directly

If you choose to order directly please provide the following details:

  • Your name, company name, company address, telephone no. and e-mail address
  • Which documents you require - we need either our accession/copyquest number or full bibliographic details
  • How you want us to deliver the document (E-mail / Airmail / Fax)
  • Your payment details. We need either:
    • Your Polymer Library Account Number and Password
    • Your credit card details, including:
      • the card type (Visa, American Express or Mastercard)
      • the cardholder name and address (if different from company address as above)
      • the card number
      • the expiry date
      • the security number (on Visa and Mastercard this is a 3 digit number on the back of the card, on American Express this is 4 digits on the front)

Please note that if any of these details are missing or incorrect then we will not be able to process your order immediately. Time taken to confirm missing details will result in a delay in delivering your document.


Copyright Terms and Conditions

The CLA sets out the following terms and conditions for any copies delivered:

The following are NOT permitted, unless you have the permission of the copyright owner or of the CLA and save as may be permitted by statute:

a) Printing more than a single paper copy, which itself may not be further copied;
b) Retransmitting the article to anyone else, other than to enable a single paper copy to be printed out by or for the individual who originally requested the item;
c) Electronically storing any copy of the article.

The licensed copy must either be immediately printed out or be forwarded to the individual requesting the item (for their immediate printing). Subsequent resale, hiring out or other disposal for valuable consideration of the licensed copy is prohibited. The Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd. persuant to the Contracts (Rights of Third parties) Act 1999, has the right to take legal action to enforce the restrictions set out above.