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.

How is ILLiad better than traditional ILL systems?

1. 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.
2. Your request will be handled more rapidly and accurately as problems relating to misinterpretation of hand-written requests are eliminated.
3. You can get many of your photocopies more quickly through Electronic Delivery.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Why do I need a username and password to use ILLiad?

Your username and password allows 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 address or phone number.

Your username can be anything you like, such as your name, abbreviations, or an alphanumeric code. 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. 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 can reset it online. You may also contact the Interlibrary Loan Office at (207) 228-8449 or (207) 780-5343. We can then reset your password allowing you access to ILLiad. Please change your password once you logon to ILLiad.

What Web browser should I use?

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

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.
• Access ILLiad from a public workstation in the Interlibrary Loan office in the library. These computers are supervised by the library staff.
• When using a public access workstation:
  1. Delete from the history file those pages that contain your personal information.
  2. 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 order to comply with record keeping requirements of the copyright law.

What is electronic delivery?

Many libraries ship photocopies of articles to us in electronic format. In the past we printed these articles before delivering them to you. Now, through ILLiad, we are able to offer you the option of electronic delivery of these articles in PDF format (Adobe's Portable Document Format). 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: InterLibrary Loan office at (207) 228-8449 or (207) 780-5343 or e-mail to illpor@maine.edu

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. You can refuse this cookie and still be able to use ILLiad without any problems.

Distance Ed Student?

This form is for use by students enrolled in online courses only. It is to be used to request materials available at USM in print format.

How may I track the progress of my request?

One of your menu options is “View/Modify Outstanding Requests.” There you will be able to see the statuses of requests you’ve submitted through ILLiad but have not yet received. You can also view the stages your request has gone through under “View/Renew Checked Out Items.”

Explanations of some statuses are as follows:

• “Submitted by Customer” – confirmation that your request has been successfully submitted
• “Awaiting Copyright Clearance” – request is awaiting copyright approval before it is ordered
• “Awaiting Portland , Gorham or LAC Request Processing” – the material is awaiting processing at the requested campus
• “Request in Processing”- material is being ordered by ILL staff
• “Request Sent” – request has been sent to potential lenders for consideration
• “Awaiting Post Receipt Processing” – the item has been received and is being processed by the ILL office
• “Awaiting Customer Contact” – the ILL office is in the process of notifying you of received materials
• “In Electronic Delivery Processing” – your article is in the process of being sent electronically
• “Delivered to Web” - article has been delivered electronically and can be viewed through “View/Download Electronically Received Articles” in ILLiad
• “Checked out to Customer” – loan has arrived and is ready for pickup
• “Item check in” – the ILL office is processing your returned material to be sent back to lender
• “Request finished” – request has been completed and, if a loan, has been returned to lender