January 22, 2010
Foreign Language Titles in Interlibrary Loan Requests
The research needs in the academic setting of American universities call primarily for materials in the English language (with the obvious exception of foreign language studies), though occasionally researchers will require items that are published or are available only in non-English versions. As this pertains to interlibrary loan services, there are generally two major issues of concern. The first of these is whether or not you the customer are able to make use of those that can be obtained only in a language other than English. If so, the other is actually how to submit your citations properly when you place your requests through your ILLiad account. I will try here to touch upon these issues, in one way or another, as they apply in various situations.
All of our ILLiad request forms include the option marked 'Will you accept the item in a language other than English?'. The default value for this is set at 'Yes', the basic assumption being that the usefulness of foreign-language materials is commonly accepted among institutions of higher learning, and can simply be taken for granted. You may select 'No' if you prefer, but if you insist that you can make use of materials available only in English and thus specifically choose to reset this option, there is the possibility that ILL staff will notify you, as circumstances warrant, that your cited items can only be obtained in their original language.
The most common situation to be addressed here involves journal titles in foreign languages. If you cite an article appearing in a journal or periodical with a non-English title, you should expect most often that it will appear in the same language as the title of the publication containing it. It is quite common for an article from an non-English-speaking country to be cited in reference lists with the title translated into English. It is also not unusual to find the abstract of the article available in English translation in various research databases. However, the full-text is normally published only in the original language.
There do exist a number of journals with non-English titles that do contain articles in English, and this can complicate matters. For example, there are journals with either English or non-English titles (usually published internationally) that contain articles in multiple languages, including some in English. Some foreign-language journals may include an English abstract with the original language article text. Many Canadian journals are published with articles having parallel translations in both English and French. Some Soviet-era Russian journals were published simultaneously in English translation for part of their run, and many modern Russian journals are also available in English translation--a major problem with these, however, is that they are frequently cited with the pagination from the original, which does not match that of the translated version (and thus needs to be verified in the table of contents of the corresponding issue of the English edition).
There are a number of German technical journals that are published with articles in English, even though they retain the original journal title in German. There are also a great number of modern scholarly journals with Latin titles that contain articles in English and other languages, although none actually appear in Latin. Finally, some Chinese, Japanese, and Korean journals contain articles in their original languages, but with an English abstract also included, while others are published full-text in English translation.
The situation with monographic materials is somewhat different. In the case of scholarly or esoteric books and conference proceedings, they are more likely to exist only in the language of the country from which they originate or of the nationality of the author or authors. As for books of popular literature, such as novels, they are more likely to be available both in the original language and in any of various translations, often depending on their level of notoriety. If you need to borrow one of these, you can specify an edition in a particular translation when you submit your request in ILLiad, as long as you are certain of its existence as such.
Theses and dissertations, by their very nature, are fairly certain to exist only in one language, that of the country of the college or university where they were done. (An obvious exception, once again, is for those done in foreign language study programs.) In general, if a thesis was submitted at a university in a non-English-speaking country, it will almost never exist in English translation as well as in its original language. (However, theses that later become published books--in rare cases--may perhaps be also translated.) There are also theses that are done at non-English-speaking institutions that, for some reason or another, have actually been originally written in English, although this is more of an exception.
In the case of patents, since they are so closely associated with a particular country and its commercial law, they are almost always available only in the language of the country of their origin, and not also in English translation. You can only expect a patent to be available in English if it was filed at the patent office of an English-speaking country, or perhaps with the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Finally, as for proper submission of your foreign language materials requests into the ILLiad forms, the main issue involves the kind of characters that you input. The rule is basically to enter you text data into the appropriate fields using Roman (or Latin) alphabetical characters, i.e., the alphabet used in the majority of Western and Central European languages, as well as in those of various other countries outside Europe. This is because ILLiad cannot accept data input in non-Roman characters, e.g., Cyrillic, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hebrew, etc. Text must be cited in accurate phonetic transliteration into Roman letters in order to be processed properly. The ILLiad program is not capable of converting non-Roman characters into usable Roman print, but rather will only interpret them into the HTML equivalent codes for the corresponding Unicode characters, which cannot be practically used for our purposes of bibliographic searching. A similar result occurs when entering non-English text in Roman-alphabet languages that include modified Roman characters and diacritical marks not normally found in English (e.g., umlaut, accent, circumflex, tilde--either separate or as part of a letter character). Usually enough basic Roman characters appear to make the complete foreign words discernable in such cases, but this still can delay the search process.
It is absolutely essential in order for ILL staff to efficiently process requests for foreign-language materials, that they be cited using the standard alphabet of the English language, allowing us to properly search journal and book titles in OCLC WorldCat and other bibliographic resources. In order to help us narrow our searches, it is also useful for you to provide an ISSN or ISBN with your citation, when you submit your foreign-language material requests. With your collaborative help, ILL staff can more quickly and efficiently meet your need for materials not in English.
December 08, 2009
Alternative Request Forms & Resources
This is not meant to dissuade anybody from making use of our ILLiad interlibrary loan services, but just another friendly reminder to make sure to use the many other resources available through the university's libraries first...
Of course you will want to check the CASE Online Catalog to find out if anything you need is already available in the collections of Kelvin Smith Library or any of the other library systems here on campus. If you can't locate what you require locally, then be sure to check the holdings in OhioLINK next. When copies of books are available there, you can submit requests there to borrow them directly. (If you experience difficulty using the OhioLINK system, you may instead submit a loan request through ILLiad, as long as you indicate this in your notes.) If you need to have a journal article supplied from OhioLINK holdings, of course you will still need to submit your request in ILLiad, and a comment about such availability in the 'Notes' field is always helpful. Another resource you may wish to consult for your research needs is CPL Books at KSL, especially if you are seeking more popular or leisure-type materials.
Always remember to check into our Electronic Journals and Electronic Books for quick access to online materials. You can print out or save copies many journal articles, and view a large collection of online books, without ever having to go to the shelves. Also, be aware that much of our collections are held off-campus at our R.R.C.C. Storage (local) and Iron Mountain (remote) facilities, and you may request items for same-day or next-day retrieval. Catalog entries for electronic items will usually contain links to access and download these materials, and those for items in storage will normally include links to the appriopriate retrieval request forms.
If you need access to CASE theses or dissertations, you may be able to locate these in the Kelvin Smith collections, including Iron Mountain and University Archives (non-circulating), or in the other campus library systems. You may also be able to access a large number of electronic versions of these by searching in Digital Case Electronic Theses. Case electronic theses, as well as many from OhioLINK member universities, can also be searched at OhioLINK Electronic Theses.
When you have exhausted all these resources, then it's time to submit your interlibrary loan requests through your ILLiad account. If the item you need is particularly new or rare, you may concurrently choose to suggest a purchase for addition to the KSL collections, as well as attempting an ILL request. However, we ask that you do NOT submit this information in the 'Notes' field of your ILLiad request form--instead, use the Suggest a Purchase request form.
By following these few recommendations, you can make better, more efficient use of the libraries' convenient services, and avoid unnecessary delays in obtaining the materials you require.
November 04, 2009
Cancelling ILLiad Requests Already Submitted
If you ever decide that you no longer need materials that you have requested through interlibrary loan, you have the ability to cancel any of your ILLiad transactions before items are supplied. You usually can do this for yourself if you catch the request shortly after submitting it, and before ILL staff have had the opportunity to begin processing. For example, if your request still is at the status of 'Awaiting Request Processing', you may cancel it yourself. You can click on the corresponding transaction number link from your table of 'Outstanding Requests' (from your Main Menu page or by selecting from the Main Menu 'View' section), then select 'Cancel Request'. You will then receive a confirmation message at the top of the page.
On the other hand, if you wait until you request has reached a status of 'Request Sent', you can no longer cancel it yourself as ILL staff have already processed it to where this is not possible. In this case you will need to contact us at (216) 368-3517 or (216) 368-3463, or at smithill@case.edu. We can usually make arrangements to discontinue processing a request at an advanced stage, unless a lender has already sent out the material. In such a case (especially where a loaned book is concerned) we ordinarily will leave the request live and make you aware of the situation. Once such material arrives, we will notify you to pick it up (or download in the case of an electronically delivered article), just in case you decide you still may have a use for it after all--and of course you have the option to tell us just to return it at that point. In cases where we actually can terminate a processed request, we will send you the routine e-mail cancellation notification, confirming the reason being that you specifically asked to have it cancelled.
Do NOT try to notify us to cancel a previous ILLiad request (or of any other ILL issue or concern) by submitting a new request with a message in the 'Notes' field. Use the ILLiad request forms ONLY for their intended purpose of borrowing materials through interlibrary loan. When you cannot cancel a transaction yourself, ALWAYS contact us by phone or e-mail. Please note that an e-mail link is available in the ILLiad Main Menu when you are logged in, conveniently located in the 'Help' section as 'Contact ILL'. For further details about cancelling ILLiad requests, please check the Customer Help page in the Cancelling a Request section.
Keep in mind that you also have the option of re-submitting any of your previously cancelled ILLiad requests. You can view any of your old cancelled transactions by selecting 'Cancelled Requests' from the 'View' section of your Main Menu, and clicking on the corresponding transaction number link. Click the 'Resubmit Request' option at the top of the window, and you may then edit and submit the request once again. You can also choose simply to submit an entirely new interlibrary loan request for the original materials, if you prefer. For further details, check the View Cancelled Requests and Re-submit a Request sections of our ILLiad Customer Help page.
We greatly appreciate your co-operation in making your use of interlibrary loan services more efficient, and thereby assisting ILL staff in our efforts to better serve your research needs.
October 06, 2009
Theses & Dissertations -- Availability through Interlibrary Loan
A few words about borrowing theses or dissertations for your scholarly research needs...
First of all, if you need to access any titles that have been done at any of the colleges of Case Western Reserve University (or any of its predecessor institutions), you should ordinarily not have to request them through interlibrary loan. Be sure you have searched them in the CASE Online Catalog for current availability. The most recent 5 years of masters' theses (and the newest Ph.D. dissertations) from the College of Arts and Sciences, Case School of Engineering, and the Weatherhead School of Management should be available in the Kelvin Smith Library. Any titles done at the School of Medicine, Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, or the School of Law should be held at their respective library locations. All others should be available for request by using the Iron Mountain form.
Theses originally submitted in electronic format will often have a link displayed in their online catalog entries, for immediate download. You may also search the availability of many electronic CASE thesis titles that have been digitized at either Digital Case Electronic Theses or OhioLINK Electronic Theses.
If you cannot find a CASE thesis title in our catalog, or if one that you do find is not currently available (e.g., checked out, in processing, or at bindery), we suggest you contact the University Archives for further assistance. The phone number for their reference desk is 216-368-3320, and they may also be contacted at Archives@case.edu.
If you need to borrow a thesis or dissertation that was done at any of the OhioLINK Member Universities, you should first search for it in the OhioLINK Catalog, where you can submit your request directly. Digitized OhioLINK theses are also available for download through the OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center.
In all other cases, you should use ILLiad to request the thesis titles you require. Remember to use the 'Thesis' form under the 'New Request' section of the Main Menu, when you log into your account. The data fields provided in this page are appropriate to this particular loan type. You should use this form for titles done at Ohio universities not part of OhioLINK, U.S. universities outside Ohio, and any universities outside the United States.
Keep in mind that the loans of theses or dissertations borrowed through ILLiad will be subject to different loan rules than any that you borrow directly from the CASE or OhioLINK collections. As each lending institution operates along its own set of policies, it is possible that various restrictions may be imposed. For example, loan periods may vary (in contrast to the uniform due dates of direct check-outs), renewals may or may not be allowed, and in some cases a 'library-use-only' restriction may be required. When you receive a notification of receipt, the message text will indicate if any of these apply.
Some additional issues and caveats to remember about borrowing theses through ILLiad...
Most often a thesis or dissertation is held only at the library of the institution where it was done. Sometimes there are copies available held at more than one library location, with the possibility of two or more libraries at the same university. Occasionally some theses are widely held through several locations besides the originating institution, as a reflection of how influential the author's research has proven to be. Usually, however, you can expect only a single copy to be all that will be available for borrowing through interlibrary loan.
Occasionally a thesis is on loan at the institution's library at the time you place a request for it, and they will often reply by informing us to try again at a future date. Under these circumstances, we will send you a cancellation notice and suggest that you re-submit your request at a time when it may again be available for loan.
If you have already requested a particular thesis title that we have been able to borrow for you and have recently returned it, you should expect not to be able to borrow it again immediately. Please put off re-requesting it for at least two to three weeks (or longer if a foreign thesis) if you need it again, to allow for return shipping, check-in and re-shelving for future availability at the lender library.
Some theses will only be available for circulation in microfilm (reel or fiche) formats from the lender libraries. We usually try to request hard copies of theses when we can, but sometimes only microfilms are loaned to us by the lender libraries even when we do not expect them. Many Canadian theses, for example, can only be borrowed from the National Library of Canada, which loans them almost exclusively in microfiche format. Please remember that the Kelvin Smith Library does offer the appropriate equipment and reference assistance for viewing microfilm format, as well as for reproducing into the print or electronic forms which you may find more useful. Consider this before returning any unused theses borrowed for you on microfilm through ILL.
Some lenders will actually provide us with a complete reproduction of a thesis or dissertation. When this is in electronic format, we usually can provide it to you through electronic delivery (after converting your ILLiad transaction into an article-type request format). Due to copyright restrictions, you will be expected to save or print only a single copy of the thesis, which you may retain for personal research use but not freely disseminate. Keep in mind that it will usually be a fairly large file, so please allow adequate time for it to download. When we actually receive a print reproduction, we will provide it to you as a loan, with indefinite renewals if needed. As this material is library property, we will expect you to return it when you are finished so we may submit it to our Acquisitions Department to be considered for binding and addition to the Kelvin Smith Library collections, for future availability.
Expect that some theses will take us longer to obtain than the usual loans you may request. Those done at Canadian, British, European, Japanese and other foreign universities will often require more time for us to borrow, and in some cases we will only be able to obtain them by purchasing a reproduction directly from the holding library, which often becomes a time-consuming process (more about that below). You can also expect many European and other non-English universities' theses to be available only in the original language, and not in English translation. Some of these may be referenced (i.e., title & abstract only) in translation, but not be available in full-text translation. Occasionally, though, some actually are written originally in English by their authors.
Once in a while, a holding library will not allow a thesis title to circulate at all. We can sometimes purchase a reproduction from them, but unfortunately this is not always the case. Some libraries will require us to obtain permission directly from the author before proceeding with processing a reproduction. Some lenders will instead refer us to University Microfilms International to purchase a copy ourselves, while others will simply not offer any option at all. In many such cases, we will have to cancel your ILLiad request and inform you of the specific circumstances. When a title is available from University Microfilms International, we will also suggest that you may wish to purchase a personal copy, or advise you to contact our Acquisitions Department using the Suggest a Purchase form to have a copy added to our own collections.
Hopefully this has shed some light regarding theses and dissertations, and how best to use interlibrary loan services and other available resources in accessing them.
Continue reading "Theses & Dissertations -- Availability through Interlibrary Loan"
September 08, 2009
Variation in Electronic Delivery Quality
"Why don't all my electronic delivery scans from ILLiad look the same?"
We always strive to provide you with good-quality, clear, legible reproductions of articles, book chapters, conference papers, etc., for use in your scholarly research. Most of the time we obtain high-quality reproductions from our suppliers, but we admit there can often be variation in the quality of the scans received. A little explanation of this may be in order.
All articles are delivered to you through your ILLiad patron account, downloadable when you log in, rather than as attachments to e-mail notifications. As electronic delivery is already a built-in feature of the ILLiad package, and for the sake of procedural uniformity, we use this method exclusively as it is a more manageable and streamlined process than the alternative. Ideally, an article is presented with one single page of text (or plates, if any) per frame, and these all should appear right-side-up, with numbered pages in ascending order. Usually a paging slip, cover sheet or request form (possibly with a copyright declaration) is included at the very beginning, prior to the text pages.
One of the most efficient and direct methods of transmitting articles electronically from one library to another--and the one which we use most frequently whenever possible--is through a system integrated within ILLiad known as 'Odyssey'. We consciously select potential suppliers that we know to use this system before any others, provided they have the required resources among their holdings. Occasionally, some lender libraries will instead send us articles as PDF or TIF documents via e-mail, as attachments or postings. Due to contractual agreements regarding confidentiality and fair use, and for the sake of uniform implementation of ILLiad functions, we cannot simply forward these communications on to our patrons. Finally, other lenders still send us paper copies through regular mail or courier, or by fax.
When we receive an article through Odyssey, we ordinarily have an opportunity to view and make modifications to the scanned pages. We frequently will upright any upside-down pages, crop out any unwanted black or white space in the margins, and re-order incorrectly ordered pages, when this is practical. Many suppliers already take care to have done this for us ahead of time. If a particular lender that uses Odyssey on a regular basis has proven to our satisfaction that they can provide quality scans, we will designate them with a 'Trusted Sender' status. Once this is set, all subsequent electronic deliveries from such a provider will be sent through directly from the lender library to you, unmediated by ILL staff at Kelvin Smith Library. This means that you may receive an article being supplied by one of these lenders at any time, night or day, or even on weekends. As this process will then be on a 'good-faith' basis, it also can allow for the possibility of an occasional scan of lesser quality.
When we receive a TIF via e-mail, we can import it into ILLiad's scanning function, and have the opportunity to modify the file (i.e., cropping, rotating, correcting page order, etc., when practical) before we send it on to you. When a PDF is supplied to us by the lender, we are more likely to leave it in its unmodified original form before providing it to you, since the regular use of Adobe Acrobat can be a little too cumbersome and time-consuming to be feasible, especially when larger files are involved. Since it is essentially 'ready-made', we can copy it directly into our online FTP folder and then send off the corresponding delivery notification to its recipient. When we are provided with a paper copy, we simply run it through an ADF scanner (with pages already properly oriented and in correct order) and import the images into ILLiad. Again, in this case we have the opportunity to perform some cropping when practical, before sending it on for delivery.
Variation in quality often is related to the original source of the article. For example, some lenders will supply an article, usually in PDF format, directly from their own electronic journal edition (when copyright or publisher contract allows), and you would ordinarily expect a high-quality reproduction (sometimes even with color print or images). This will usually not have a cover sheet, but almost always includes a copyright declaration. At the other end of the spectrum, articles reproduced from microfilm, microfiche or microopaque sources are often of inferior quality. Further scanning at errantly selected, inadequate resolution levels can diminish this even further. Unfortunately, some materials (such as old newspapers) are only available in these formats, as original print versions may not have been well-preserved over the years. Older, yellowed or darkened paper sources are also difficult to reproduce with acceptable degrees of clarity or contrast between background and print, and you may occasionally see a notation such as 'BEST COPY AVAILABLE' indicated by the supplier.
Original page size of print editions can also be a factor in appearance. Although most books and journals approximate the standard 8-1/2" x 11" dimensions, many are much larger or considerably smaller. Some lenders may choose to scan the pages to scale, and this would be carried over into the electronic file copy. (This usually will not affect your ability to print the file, as page size is ordinarily re-adjusted to fit into the available paper size, according to printer preference settings.) Others may choose to reduce or enlarge to fit the standard page size, although this is more common when photocopied paper copies are provided. Suppliers outside the U.S. routinely apply metric dimensions (i.e., 'A4', 'B4') when reproducing articles, which would normally be re-sized to fit standard letter-size proportions. Extreme reduction can lead to text that cannot be easily readable (even with magnification), while excessive enlargement can produce text that appears faded.
Another factor that affects quality is the type of equipment used, and how it is put to use by its operator. Overhead scanners are designed not to place pressure on opened volumes, and thus lessen the chance of damage to spines and brittle pages. However, this can ofter result in the appearance of fingers in margins and large dark areas in-between facing pages, both of which may obscure some of the text. On the other hand, there are some high-end flatbed scanners that, when properly programmed and operated, can split paired pages (thus avoiding alternate inverted exposures), crop margins uniformly, and delete unwanted pages, and are ideal for automated high-volume use. Of course, many lenders still rely on the good old-fashioned photocopy machine, which can result in a great deal of variation, such as the aforementioned fingers in the margin, dark gutters, black and white space, and alternating inversions, as well as the paper-conserving practice of reduction to fit two pages into a single exposure. Of course, additional human error can lead to missing or incomplete pages, incorrectly ordered pages, skewed text, and improperly selected density or resolution.
We do try our best to compensate for such anomalies, whenever this is possible. For example, in cases where we are able to intercept the delivery of an article to a patron, we can catch any egregious errors, such as missing, truncated, illegible or excessively skewed pages. In such cases, we would be likely to contact the lender library to request a corrected re-send of the article before making any attempt at delivering it electronically. We also realize that with the quicker turnaround time and less need for staff involvement as a result of implementing ILLiad's 'Trusted Sender' feature comes the caveat of the occasional less-than-perfect article. In the long run, we believe that the benefits of this application more often outweigh the risks.
Keep in mind that if you are ever dissatisfied with the quality of an electronically delivered document through Kelvin Smith Library's ILLiad services, you may feel free to contact our department by phone at 216-368-3517 or 216-368-3463 or by e-mail at smithill@case.edu, to request a replacement.
Additional information about electronic delivery with ILLiad is available in the following Customer Help pages:
View Electronically Received Articles & Electronic Delivery Information
August 07, 2009
Which ILLiad Site or ILL Service Point to Use?
Another school year is about to begin, and no doubt you may need to sign up for interlibrary loan services to support your scholarly research needs. In case you aren't aware, there are actually four different service points on campus for interlibrary loan services, depending on which part of the university with which you are connected. There are also three additional affiliated locations which provide library services to their respective clientele.
If you are a faculty or staff member, or a student, at the College of Arts and Sciences, the Case School of Engineering, or the Weatherhead School of Management, or a staff member in any of the university central administrative offices, or have enrolled in the Kelvin Smith Library Alumni Membership Program at the Alumni Choice Membership Service level, please sign up using the KELVIN SMITH LIBRARY ILLiad website.
If you are a faculty or staff member, or a student, in the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, set up your account in the MSASS Harris Library ILLiad website. If you are a faculty or staff member, or a student, at the School of Law, use the LAW Library web page, and select the 'Interlibrary Loan Services' link to reach their ILLiad site--entry here requires a special intranet username and password, so you may need to contact them at (216) 368-2792 for further assistance.
Faculty and staff members, and students, at the School of Medicine, the School of Dental Medicine, or the School of Nursing should set up for interlibrary loan services through the CLEVELAND HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARY ILLiad site. If you are enrolled in or affiliated with any health sciences-related interdisciplinary programs, such as Biochemistry, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Neurosciences, Nutrition, and Physiology & Biophysics, you should also use this site to set up your account.
Finally, if you are connected with any of our affiliated institutions, please get in touch with their respective libraries directly for service, at the contacts below:
*Cleveland Institute of Music Library: (216) 707-4508 (link to their ILL services page provided here)
*Cleveland Institute of Art Library: (216) 421-7440
*Siegal College of Judaic Studies Library: (216) 464-4050 or info@siegalcollege.edu
Please be mindful that all the libraries mentioned above are more selectively specialized for the particular subject areas of the department or program with which you may be associated. (Of course, the Kelvin Smith Library, our main system, embraces greater breadth in this respect.) Their staff and collection resources will be better suited to assist you with research in your own specific discipline, especially by providing the reference services that guide in making your interlibrary loan usage more effective.
If you are not directly associated with Case Western Reserve University or any of its affiliates as indicated above (or are alumni not enrolled in the Choice Membership), we recommend that you instead consult your local public library branch, the academic library of your own college or university, or your employer's corporate or medical library, for help with interlibrary loan services.
July 07, 2009
Tracking in Your ILLiad Requests & Explanation of Statuses
In case you're ever interested in monitoring the progress of your ILL requests, you can view the current status of an ILLiad transaction whenever you log into your account. Select any of the categories under the 'View' section of your Main Menu, and click on a transaction number from the table that appears. (If you select 'Notifications', you first need to click on a 'Subject' and then the transaction number at the bottom of the message.)
You will see the table containing your request information, then a table with any 'Notes' you have originally submitted (and any others added subsequently by ILL staff regarding special pertinent processing information). At the bottom of the page there will be another table labeled 'Tracking'. It will list all the various statuses the transaction has passed through, in chronological order with the current or final status appearing in the very last line. The date and time will be indicated to the left of the status listing, and the Username of the particular user (i.e., either yours or an ILL staff member's) who has made the corresponding update will appear to its right. ('System' implies that the ILLiad operating system has made the update automatically according to a specified routing rule.)
You may check the Customer Help page in the Explanation of Request Statuses section, for further clarification on what each status specifically implies. Please note that the status of 'Request Sent' requires additional explanation, since the technical details of the request's progress at this point are accessible only to ILL staff. We hope this feature of the ILLiad system is helpful to you, especially when ILL staff are not available in person during regular service hours. Of course, if you need additional assistance, please contact us at (216) 368-3517 or (216) 368-3463, Monday-Friday 9:00AM-4:30PM, or at smithill@case.edu.