Frequently Asked Questions about Interlibrary Loan (ILLiad)

What is Interlibrary Loan?
Interlibrary Loan is a service that enables patrons to obtain items not owned by Criss Library. The Interlibrary Loan department requests items for loan from other University of Nebraska libraries in addition to libraries throughout the United States and the world.
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 is eligible for Interlibrary Loan Service?
UNO faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students, UNO Alumni and Library Friends members with accounts in good standing are eligible for Interlibrary Loan Service and the use of the ILLiad system.
What kind of items can be requested via Interlibrary Loan?
Most Interlibrary loan requests are for books and copies of journal articles. We will attempt to fill orders for any type of material commonly found in a library. However, some materials are more difficult to obtain due to lending restrictions determined by the lending library. Most libraries will not lend current or entire journal or magazine issues, archival materials, reference or reserve materials, or newspapers in print format. Recently published textbooks and popular fiction are also difficult to obtain.
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. For UNO students, faculty and staff your username will be your last name and your password will be your 8 - digit NU ID number. For UNO Alumni and Friends of the Library, your username will be your last name, first initial and your password will be your library card number. 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 forget your password or are having trouble logging in, contact the Interlibrary Loan Office at (402) 554-3209.
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 version of Mozilla Firefox or Opera on Windows although Internet Explorer 7 has been tested. Mac users should use the latest version of Safari, Camino, or Firefox. Linux users should also use Firefox or Opera.
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?
Most libraries provide photocopies of articles to us in electronic format. Through ILLiad, we are able to offer you the electronic delivery of these articles in PDF format (Adobe's Portable Document Format). If an article is unavailable in electronic format, a printed copy will be obtained and held for you at the Library's Circulation Desk.
How long will an InterLibrary Loan request take and why is it that items requested from the same library sometimes arrive at different times?
On average, ILL can acquire books within ten days, but may only take a few days. Articles typically arrive in less than a week. Turnaround time depends on the nature of the material requested, e.g. hard to find items, the number of libraries who own the item and which library owns it. For example, articles from a common journal are faster to obtain than items published overseas or unpublished technical reports. Rare or obscure items may take 6 to 12 weeks to obtain. Requests for materials are sent to a string of five different libraries owning the requested item. If the first library cannot fill your request it is sent on to the second, then to the third and so on. All the situations below may result in a longer than expected turnaround time or items from the same library arriving at different times:
- Item is lost
- Item is currently checked-out
- Recently published material may not have been purchased and/or cataloged
- Item is non-circulating
  - Entire journals, reserve materials, reference books, archival materials, special collections, newspapers,
  - Some libraries will not loan masters theses, dissertations, media material
NOTE: Even if a library's catalog shows the status of an item as "Available," any of the above may still apply.
What does it cost to use Interlibrary Loan?
Criss Library is happy to fill your Interlibrary Loan requests, often without any cost. However, if copyright or shipping and handling charges are excessive, it will be necessary for us to be reimbursed. Should this happen, you will be notified by email about your charge and you will have the opportunity to cancel your request without being charged. If you are willing to pay to receive items without going through the notification process, enter an amount into the Maximum Cost field on the request form. Any fees charged by the lending library, up to the amount that you enter, will automatically be charged to your account upon the library’s receipt of the invoice for the material requested. If loaned items are lost or damaged, you will be responsible for the replacement cost and any other fees assessed by the lending library.
How do I cancel a request?
Illiad allows you to cancel any request before it has been processed directly from your Illiad account. However, once a request has been processed for filling, it can only be canceled by authorized Interlibrary Loan staff. Contact Interlibrary Loan @ 554-3209 or email unoill@unomaha.edu. If the lending library has already shipped the requested material, the request cannot be canceled.
Where do I pick up my Interlibrary Loan Requests?
Most article requests will be delivered to you electronically or sent to you in an email. For books and other physical items, you will be notified when they are available for checkout at the Criss Library Circulation Desk. Please present valid I.D. at the Circulation Desk when picking up your materials.
How long will you hold my materials?
Interlibrary Loan materials will be held at the Criss Library Circulation Desk up until the due date established by the lending library. You will receive additional notification until the material is checked out or you have requested that it be returned.
I no longer want the material received, what must I do?
Contact the Criss Library Circulation Desk @ 554-3206 and request the material to be returned.
Will I be notified if my Interlibrary Loans become overdue?
Current due dates for all your Interlibrary Loans can be found on your ILLiad account under Checked Out Items. You will be notified when your loans are overdue and will continue receiving notification until the loans are returned. Failure to return your Interlibrary Loans will result in the blocking of your ILLiad account, loss of library privileges, possible overdue charges and replacement cost charges.
Are there overdue fines for ILL?
Once materials become overdue, a lending library may send us an invoice for replacement at any time. If they do, your library account will be blocked until the invoice is paid.
How do I renew my Interlibrary Loans?
ILLiad allows you to renew your Interlibrary Loans directly from your account. Go to Checked Out Items, choose the transaction number corresponding to the item you wish to renew, and click the Renew Request. The new due date you receive is tentative, pending approval of the lending library. The approved renewal date will be posted and you will be notified within 2 to 3 days. You cannot renew material recently checked out or that are overdue. NOTE: The lending library can refuse renewal requests, restrict the length of time its materials can be on loan, and recall materials for return.
Whom do I contact if I have problems with, or questions about, Interlibrary Loan or ILLiad?
The Interlibrary Loan office is open 8:00a.m.- 5:00 p.m., Monday thru Friday. If you have any problems or questions, please contact the ILL office at (402) 554-3209 or the Main Service Desk at (402) 554-3206