Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about ILLiad

What is ILLiad?

ILLiad is an electronic system you use to request an item through the NLU Library's Interlibrary Loan Office. The name ILLiad can be thought of as an acronym for InterLibrary Loan internet accessible database. You can register for an ILLiad account under the "Request Forms" link on the Library website or by clicking here. Once you have registered you will be able to request materials.

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 provide electronic delivery of these articles as well as article requests from NLU Library Print Journals in PDF format (Adobe's Portable Document Format). You will be able to view the articles by logging onto your account and clicking on the Electronically Received Articles Link. You will receive an e-mail notification when articles have been delivered and are available to view on your account.

Can I request books through ILLiad?

You can request books through ILLiad if a book is not available at one of our NLU Library Campuses or through the NLU Book Catalog, the I-Share Catalog, NetLibrary, and Ebrary. Books requested through ILLiad will not be delivered electronically. Please be certain to check all the NLU online book catalogs before making a book request through ILLiad.

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 but ILLiad is an improvement over our previous system which required you to enter your personal information with each new request.

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

System Problems or InterLibrary Loan Questions: (800) 443-5522 x 5335 or E-mail anytime to dpawl@nl.edu

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. You can use your NLU portal username and password to create an account but 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, please contact the Interlibrary Loan Office at (800) 443-5522 x 5335. 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?

We recommend the current versions of either Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Internet Explorer. Please contact the InterLibrary Loan office at (800) 443-5522 x 5335 if you have any problems using ILLiad with your Web browser.

Can I use ILLiad on campus computers and at other locations?

Yes. With the ILLiad logon link and your username and password you can access your ILLiad account from any computer. For security reasons please logoff ILLiad and exit from the Web browser before you leave the workstation.

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.