Home Delivery - Marlene Sue Heroux

Home Delivery- Public Libraries

King County Library System (Washington)

Jed Moffat session on Automated Materials Handling at PLA Boston 2006 - Jed made an interesting comment that 10 years ago when King County did free home mailing of library materials it was as if they were giving away free food. Luckily, with the increase in postal rates, they could end the program gracefully.

Boulder Public Library (note: this program has been shut down in 2009 due to lack of funding)

Boulder initiated home delivery in the 90’s as part of a city effort to cut down on pollution caused by vehicular traffic into the city. They charge for the service. Many residents prefer to pick up the items themselves, however, and they are paying for their ILS programming accommodate both home delivery and in-library pickup. Marlene also reported on a library has built drive-up lock boxes (similar to PO boxes in a postal facility) where patrons can pick up items on hold for them after hours.

Email comments from Boulder PL librarian, Jennifer Miles in 2006:

The Boulder Library's Books by Mail program was created to help contribute toward controlling air pollution as set forth by the City of Boulder's Transportation Master Plan by reducing the number of automobile trips to and from the library. The library started the Books by Mail program about 1994. Many patrons really appreciate the convenience of this program but there are also a significant number of patrons who would rather pick up their holds at the library. For this reason, the library is currently developing a dual holds system where patrons can choose between having holds mailed or picking them up at the library. We hope to have this option available within the next year. It does however require the purchase of an additional software module that will very likely require some modifications.

To date, all holds are mailed to Boulder Public Library patrons through the US mail. The library sends holds to patrons with mailing addresses in the city limits for a $1.00 fee and patrons with mailing addresses outside of the city but within Boulder county for a $2.50 fee. The library uses two sizes of mailing bags B04121-B10 10" x 12" and B04070-B10 11" x 14" purchased from A. Rifkin Co. Depending on the size of items, up to 2-3 items can be mailed together in one bag if necessary. We do mail CDs and DVDs. The same fees apply.

Patrons pay the fee after they receive the item. The fees are added to the patron's account when the book is checked out and mailed to them. Credit cards are accepted at the main library. Patron's may call and give their credit card number over the phone to pay the fees or they may pay with cash or check at the main or any branch library.

The postage cost to the library is generally $1.35, $1.75, $2.15 and $2.55 per bag depending upon the weight of the item. The average cost is $1.75 per bag. During 2005, the library mailed about 22,000 items. The library currently uses Innovative Interfaces's Millennium product as the integrated library system. When the Books by Mail program was first implemented some software modifications were necessary in order for the

system to assign the proper status to the items and generate mailing labels for the bags. We print the mailing labels on 4 x 6 index cards which are folded in half and placed in the pocket on the outside of each bag.

Our patrons are allowed to place up to 5 holds at one time. Each of our book bags have barcode numbers assigned and are checked out to the patron along with the library item. No late fees are accrued if the bags are returned passed due. Although the library does charge a $7.00 replacement fee if a bag is not returned. Late fees and replacement

charges do apply to the items. Very occasionally, patrons unfamiliar with system don't realize that they must return the book bags and they either keep them or discard them. Patrons may either return the book bags by dropping them off at the library or they may choose to mail them back to us. However, they are responsible for paying the return mailing cost at the post office.

From time to time, items get lost in the mail. The library has a very liberal policy for removing these lost items from patron accounts and forgiving the mailing fee. I estimate that a significant portion of these lost materials eventually make it back to the library through the postal service. In 2005, the library purchased 1000 of the smaller sized mailbags to replace those that have become too dirty and worn over the years.

Question and response to questions I asked regarding Innovative Interfaces Integrated Library System. Q. Does it also print out labels for the materials that patrons place on hold but pick up in the library? Did III write a label program for you, or did you have someone on staff who could do that? Do the labels print on a regular printer or a special device?

R: When the library originally contracted with III, a custom piece of software was written to allow the system to only print mailing labels and not holds slips. We have recently asked for a bid on III's Held Item Delivery module. We are hopeful that with some modifications, this will allow either mailing labels or holds slips to be generated depending on how the patron wishes to receive their hold. Our systems librarian is working with III to figure out how the Held Item Delivery module needs to be modified to work for a dual holds system. III wrote the software for the mailing labels. The labels are printed on HP laser printers. The card stock is fed in through the manual feed tray.

Contra Costa County Library (California)

Books by Mail:

http://www.contra-costa.lib.ca.us/services/bookmail.html

$3.00 per item

Atlantic Country Library System (NJ) free, but patrons choose from catalog of titles specifically held for this program http://www.atlanticlibrary.org/booksbymail/index.asp

Jefferson Country Library Cooperative and Birmingham Public Library (AL):

free for all county residents who are unable to get to the library; no library card required. It looks like they have a limited list to choose from, but it is not totally clear. http://www.jclc.org/services/booksbyma.aspx

http://delicious.com/lbayre/homedelivery

Two key ones are Orange County Florida and Topeka and Shawnee.

North Central Regional Library.

Howard, Dan. Mail Order Library Delivers for Rural Readers. Alki 23 no1 Mr 2007; p.15. Article available through WilsonWeb.

Home Delivery- Academic Libraries

University of Connecticut

http://www.lib.uconn.edu/online/services/ill/homedelivery.html For returnable items: Library staff will use their judgment about the delivery options of some materials. Large or fragile items, items with loan periods of less than 2 weeks, videos, audio tapes and microforms will not be shipped.

Montana NCIP Home Delivery Report