Skip to main content
Version: ILLiad 10.0 (Pre-release) 🚧

Getting Familiar with the Staff Web Client Interface

Welcome to the ILLiad Staff Web Client. The interface is responsive, so it works in a browser on your desktop, a tablet, or a modern phone. This page explains how to navigate it and where the main controls live.

Your First Look at the Interface​

When you log in, the Staff Web Client presents a clean, modern layout with three main areas:

The navigation menu on the left is where you'll find your main workflows — searching, circulation, and request processing. In the middle is the content area, where the actual work happens, whether that's viewing request queues or entering circulation data. Across the top is the toolbar, which shows a breadcrumb trail and contextual actions along with your user menu.

The interface is responsive. On a desktop you'll see everything spread out. On smaller screens the layout adapts and the navigation menu collapses to give you more working space.

The navigation menu on the left is where you'll spend a lot of time. It lists your main workflow areas:

  • Search — find requests, users, and lenders
  • Circulation — check items in and out
  • Borrowing — process incoming requests
  • Document Delivery — manage local delivery workflows
  • Lending — process outgoing requests to other libraries

Want more screen space? Use the collapse control at the top of the navigation menu to shrink it down to icons only. When collapsed, top-level items show a single-letter label, and the full label remains available to screen readers. Use the same control to expand the menu back out to full labels. On smaller screens the menu also collapses automatically, and you can toggle it back open when you need it.

The Toolbar: Breadcrumbs and Contextual Actions​

At the top of every page is the toolbar. It shows where you are with a breadcrumb trail that starts at a Home icon and lists your current location (for example, Home / Borrowing / In Processing), with the final entry marked as the current page.

Alongside the breadcrumb, the toolbar hosts contextual action controls that change based on what you're doing. When there are more actions than fit inline, they collapse into an action menu (a three-dots icon) that you can open to see the rest.

Your user menu lives in the top-right corner and opens from your initials. From it you can reach:

  • Accessibility Settings
  • Theme Settings
  • Change Site (if you work across multiple sites)
  • Staff Administration (the admin console, if you have access)
  • Change Profile
  • Printer Setup and Print Sessions
  • Logoff

How Content Adapts to Your Screen​

The web client is responsive, so the same views reshape to fit your screen.

Data Grids​

Request lists and search results are shown in data grids. On a desktop you'll see the columns laid out as a table, and you can sort by clicking column headers and act on rows using the controls in each row. On narrower screens the grid and surrounding layout adapt to the available width.

Forms​

Forms adapt to the available width as well: on wider screens related fields can sit side by side, and on narrow screens they stack into a single column for easier entry.

The Circulation Page and Barcode Scanning​

Circulation is a single responsive page. To use it, enter a transaction number (TN) for the function you want to perform and press Enter, or use a barcode scanner that types the TN into the field for you (a keyboard-wedge scanner — the same kind used with the Windows client).

Making It Your Own​

You can adjust a couple of display settings from the toolbar user menu.

Theme​

Open Theme Settings from the user menu to switch between light and dark themes.

Accessibility Settings​

Open Accessibility Settings from the user menu. This dialog lets you:

  • Hide loading animations
  • Set the notification (toast) duration

To make the whole interface larger or smaller, use your browser's built-in zoom — the responsive layout reflows to fit.

Accessibility​

The web client includes accessibility affordances:

  • A skip link lets keyboard users jump straight to the main content (press its access key, then activate it, to move focus to the content area).
  • Interactive controls carry ARIA labels, and the breadcrumb marks your current location for assistive technologies.
  • The Accessibility Settings dialog (above) lets you reduce motion and adjust notification timing.

Standard browser and ARIA keyboard behavior applies: use Tab and Shift+Tab to move between controls, and Enter or Space to activate them.

When Things Go Wrong​

Most interface issues have simple fixes:

  • Interface not responding? Refresh the page (Ctrl+F5, or Cmd+R on a Mac) and check your network connection.
  • Layout looks off? Make sure you're using a current, supported browser, try disabling browser extensions that might interfere, and check that your browser zoom is at 100%.

Ready for More?​

Now that you're comfortable with the interface, explore:

  1. Login Methods — set up the authentication that works for your institution
  2. Search Functionality — find requests, users, and lenders