In September 2002, the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) office launched ILLiad, which is a comprehensive system for receiving and processing all of the requests from our patrons. From the user side, ILLiad looks quite different from the old online forms. The first noticeable difference is that one is required to login and register to use the system. Registration is a matter of simply answering a few questions about who you are and what your preferences are regarding material pickup. By registering, one essentially establishes an account. The pertinent information is stored so that it is not necessary to enter personal data each time a request is submitted. Subsequent use requires only login. In addition, ILLiad preserves records of all requests submitted. This introduces two key differences from our past system.

Firstly, with the account, one can track the status of active requests and, secondly, the user has a record of everything ordered. In the past, it was not uncommon for our patrons to ask the ILL staff to provide a record of their requests, because they had forgotten what they had ordered and when. Additionally, staff was often asked to supply information about specific requests, and there was some frustration when requests seemed to have disappeared or otherwise gone unnoticed. Here again, with ILLiad, requests don¹t go away and cannot be mislaid, as may happen with paper forms. Requests can be viewed by both the patron and the staff. Either party can track the status of each request as it progresses through the process. We feel that these two features alone enhance the service by providing more information about, and greater flexibility with, our services. One of our essential goals was to make the process more transparent to our users.

. ILLiad provides a direct link, by way of the requests themselves, between the ILL staff and our patrons. Email notifications and queries about requests, which include the full bibliographic citation, are directed through the system itself, which means that we can better inform the patrons or ask questions to clarify what is needed. For example, a typical problem might be that the lending library reports that an article cannot be found as cited. Once informed, the user can do one of two things: respond to the email with additional information or logon to her account, fix the problem, and resubmit the request. Similarly, patrons can add notes to specific records in advance or even after the request is submitted if questions arise or if there is new information about a particular item that might be helpful for processing. For books and other returnable items notifications are sent automatically in advance of due dates, listing the deadline and suggesting that should patrons wish to renew items they should do so soon. Renewal requests can be submitted online and, when permitted, automatically trigger a new due date. This type of dynamic communication was limited at best in the previous model and again, we believe, represents an important step in meeting the needs of the users.

And there is more. The greater portion of our requests is for journal articles and, here again, ILLiad offers new features. Two years ago, the ILL service began providing electronic delivery of requested articles. We sent them as .pdf attachments to patrons¹ email accounts. This system worked reasonably well, but occasionally we experienced problems, as some email systems cannot receive files of that size. ILLiad also provides electronic delivery of requested articles, but it posts the files to a secure webpage and automatically sends an email notification to the patron. One needs only to logon to one¹s ILLiad account to download the article.

And there is still more. Now ILLiad and SFX function together. It is now possible to submit requests directly from any SFX-enabled database. If there is a citation for an article one wishes to request, and the ILLiad button appears, it is only necessary to enter one¹s account information and the order is sent directly. The citation does not have to be retyped. (Please note: the ILL option in WorldCat will be replaced by SFX).

We are confident that ILLiad enhances ILL service. However, as a means for obtaining books from other libraries, ILLiad is only one option and, in fact, may not be the best one. Elsewhere in this issue, look for information about direct requesting through systems that bypass Interlibrary Loan altogether .

‹Bart Hollingsworth & Beth Coogan

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