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. We suggest you use something with which you are familiar like your Windows account username, so it's easy to remember. 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?

If you gave us an email address to use for notifications when you signed up with ILLiad, you can request a new password by clicking on the Forgot Password link found on the Log-in page. Your log-in password reset instructions will be sent to the email address you entered when you registered. You must access your email account and follow the instructions in the message within the hour after your request.

If you did not provide your e-mail address when you registered, please call 203-837-9106 to request a password reset.

Please note: Both your Username and password are case sensitive. For example, if you type in your password: ILLIAD, you must always type it in upper case letters. If you type your password: illiad, it will not work. This is also the case with your username.

If you’ve forgotten your password or still can’t access your account, contact the Interlibrary Loan Office at 203-837-9106 or e-mail the staff for help at ill@wcsu.edu. The staff will reset your password for you. You will then be able to access your account and change your password.

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?

No, not if you are using a public workstation on campus where you have to log on with your Windows account. It could however, be a problem if you access the system from another public place, such as a public library where you are not required to log on to the machine. 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.
• 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 in 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 (203)837-9106 or e-mail to ill@wcsu.edu
Technical Support Questions: E-mail anytime to ill@wcsu.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.