Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about ILLiad

What is ILLiad?

ILLiad is the electronic system you use to request an item through Interlibrary Loan. The name ILLiad can be thought of as an acronym for InterLibrary Loan internet accessible database.

Who can use KSL ILLiad?

In order to register in the Kelvin Smith Library's ILLiad system, you must currently be a student, faculty, staff member or special user in one of the following:

  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • Case School of Engineering
  • Weatherhead School of Management
  • School of Nursing (graduate & undergraduate students only)
  • University central administrative offices
  • Alumni Online Library (complimentary local scanning service/no ILL -- prior library registration required)
  • Visiting Scholar Program (sponsored by academic departments in the above three colleges -- library registration required, 'Staff' status for ILL privileges)
  • KSL Depository Request users (valid CWRU community members who normally use another ILLiad system for regular ILL services)

Members of Case Western Reserve University from other schools or departments must register in the ILLiad systems of their respective service point libraries:

Alumni borrowers registered with basic library privileges, other special users and all visitors must request Interlibrary Loan services through their own local public, academic or corporate libraries. Members of other institutions closely affiliated with CASE should contact the following for assistance:

  • Cleveland Institute of Music - (216) 707-4508; see also CIM's ILL Library Services Page.
  • Cleveland Institute of Art - (216) 421-7440; or see their Library Services Page.
  • Cleveland Clinic (Lerner College) - (216) 444-5697; or refer to their Library Page.
  • University Hospitals (residents, other staff) - (216) 844-1208; use their Library Mobile App or visit their home page URL https://uhcommunity.uhhospitals.org/CoreLibrary/ -- from within the hospital's intranet system only.

How is ILLiad better than traditional ILL systems?

  • You will find it easier to submit your interlibrary loan requests. With ILLiad, you enter your name, address, and other personal information into the system only once, at the time of your first request.
  • Your request will be handled more rapidly and accurately as problems relating to misinterpretation of hand-written requests are eliminated.
  • You can get many of your photocopies more quickly through Electronic Delivery.
  • You can get information about the status of your request through the Web at any time from any location without having to call the ILL Department.
  • Library personnel are able to serve you better because all data about your request and its handling is stored in a searchable database. We are able to respond quickly to your inquiries about your request. We are also able to gather statistical information about the performance of the libraries that lend to us, enabling us to make better decisions when choosing a lender to supply an item.

Are there any disadvantages to the electronic system?

Some people might find it troublesome to have to log into ILLiad using a Username and Password. We believe this is less trouble than traditional paper and electronic systems which require you to enter your personal information with each new request. Please also note that we do not ask for your Social Security Number for authentication purposes when you first register. Instead, you will be asked to provide your Case Account Number, which is exclusively associated with Case Western Reserve University.

Why do I need a Username and Password to use ILLiad?

Your Username and Password allow us to give you secure access to information about your interlibrary loan requests. We can also enable you to edit your personal information such as your mailing address, e-mail address or phone number.

Your Username can be anything you like, such as your name, abbreviations, or an alphanumeric code. (We recommend using your CASE Initials, e.g., 'abc12'.) Your Password also can be anything you like. We recommend that you follow good security practice and choose a password that is different from those you use to access other systems. (See the CASE Password Security Page for recommendations.) However, no one but you will know your password, not even the library staff. The password you set is stored in an encrypted file.

What if I forget my password?

In the event that you forget your password, you may select 'Forgot Password?' at the main Logon screen. You will be required to enter your Username and click the 'Reset Password', and if properly entered you will see the message 'Password reset e-mail sent to the address on file. Check your e-mail shortly and click the link provided to continue.'. In a few minutes you should receive an e-mail message by which you will be able to change your Password. (If you click the 'Reset Password' button without entering your Username, you will receive the error message 'Username is a required field.'; if you do not enter it correctly, or are using the incorrect logon site, you will receive the message 'Username not in database.'. See also Who can use KSL ILLiad? for other CASE ILLiad logon sites.) You will have one hour from receipt of the notification to make this update before the temporary URL expires. You will be asked to enter your new Password twice exactly; if you change your Password successfully, you will be directed to the ILLiad Main Login page, where you may begin a new session and proceed with transactions or request searches. (Error messages -- 'New Password is a required field.', 'Verified Password is a required field.' or 'Passwords do not match.' may appear if you leave a required field blank or if your Password entries do not match exactly, and the associated field labels will re-display in red -- please try again if this should occur.) If you experience any difficulties or have further questions, then please contact Interlibrary Loan staff at (216) 368-3517 or (216) 368-3463 (Mon-Fri 9AM-4:30PM), or e-mail to smithill@case.edu. ILL staff can also reset your Password to a default value, allowing you access to ILLiad; we then suggest that you change your password once you logon to your account. Please also note that you will be required to change your password once every year.

NOTE: When you receive your e-mail. please click on the link provided ONLY ONCE. Also, please make only one password reset attempt at a time. If you make two or more attempts in succession, the link from only the MOST RECENT of the e-mail messages will work as described above. All others will give you the following response: 'Error sending password reset e-mail. Contact your Interlibrary Loan office for assistance.'.

What Web browser should I use?

You need a Web browser that can handle forms, tables, and preferably Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). We recommend the current versions of Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.

Is security a problem if I use a public workstation?

Yes. Web browsers cache information and create a history file on the local workstation. This allows a subsequent user of the workstation to access the system under your name using the browser's Back button to recall a page from the cache, or by finding a page with your personal information in the browser's history file. If you are concerned about the security of your interlibrary loan requests, you can take the following steps:

  • Access ILLiad only from your personal computer or an otherwise secure workstation, or...
  • Access ILLiad from a public workstation in Kelvin Smith Library or in other CASE campus library locations. These computers are supervised by the library staff.
  • When using a public access workstation:
    • Delete from the history file those pages that contain your personal information.
    • Exit from the Web browser before you leave the workstation. This prevents the Back button from accessing the pages you were using.

Why don't I see all my older requests when I look at my request history?

From time to time we purge older records from ILLiad. Our policy is to keep requests online for several years in order to comply with the record keeping requirements of Copyright Law.

What is electronic delivery?

Many libraries ship photocopies of articles to us in electronic format. In the past we either forwarded these materials to patrons electronically, or printed them for pickup at the library or for campus delivery (according to patron preference). Articles received in paper form by mail or fax could also be scanned for electronic delivery, or routed for pickup or campus delivery. In the light of recent technological developments, however, we have decided to update our policy to accommodate electronic delivery of photocopied materials exclusively. We believe that as library services move more and more into a paperless environment, this method will provide faster, more efficient and more convenient access. Through ILLiad's electronic delivery functionality, you will be able to download these articles in PDF format (Adobe's Portable Document Format) by just logging into your account. You can read more about electronic delivery on the Electronic Delivery Information page.

Who do I contact if I have problems with or questions about ILLiad?

System Problems or Interlibrary Loan Questions:

Why does my browser say that you're sending a cookie? What's in it?

The technology that we use sends a Session ID to be stored on your machine. This allows your workstation to maintain your login session to ILLiad properly. Depending on your browser, you may need to reset your settings to accept these cookies. Additional help with this may be found at this public help page: https://knowledgebase.constantcontact.com/articles/KnowledgeBase/5908-enable-cookies-in-your-web-browser?lang=en_US.