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Delivery Task Force Meeting Report

By NSLS Director Sarah Ann Long

The Delivery Task Force was created by the NSLS Board to review the non-library items we are requested to carry on the van, and based on their review formulate a policy regarding the acceptance of such items for delivery. Task Force members include representatives from the NSLS community. At our first meeting December, 2006, we considered the situation along with samples of the "other" items carried on the delivery van. For example, these included catalogs from the College of Lake County, materials for the Daily Herald Big Ticket Reading Program, various newsletters, etc. We asked the committee to consider the importance of our van delivery service not only to you, our members, but also as a major component of our mission. We asked them to formulate a policy that would help us honor the reason the van delivery service was established but help us to cope with the continuing growth in the service.

Van Delivery is of Great Importance to Our Members—and the Statistics Prove It!

In discussion the group noted the importance of van delivery service to all members. It is literally the wheels that make resource sharing work. We talked about what a great service this was for library users. We looked at the growth statistics to see if there were trends. Basically, the volume just keep increasing and probably will continue to increase into the foreseeable future. We talked about this being a key marker of success for cooperative efforts.

We Looked at the Other Materials Being Delivered.

In reviewing the other materials, the group felt that delivery of many of these items aimed at the general public was really not our responsibility. Catalogs from other institutions, newsletters from non-library institutions, etc. were in this category. Some of the public library directors noted that often these items are not picked up. We felt that any item that was individually addressed should be put in the U.S. mail. It is a much more confidential and safe way to deliver such items.

Similarly, the sharing of library newsletters, while a good thing generally, did not fit into the rationale for the van delivery service: to facilitate the sharing of library materials. On the other hand, it was noted that NSLS often uses the van delivery to deliver system informational items. The difference is that the handling is decreased if items come from the central point. Similarly, from time to time, items are sent to the system for distribution from the State Library or from the Daily Herald for the Big Ticket Reading Program. It was felt that NSLS should have the discretion to deliver these items via the van or to put stamps on them for delivery by the U.S. Postal Service.

We Considered How the Van Delivery Service Has Grown Over the Years.

Forty years ago, the service was only for the member public libraries (and there were not as many as there are today). There was almost always room on the van and so it was easy to add newsletters, discarded books, even furniture. When the system became multi-type in l989, many more libraries received delivery and the pressure began to build. When CCS installed patron initiated interlibrary loan, volume jumped overnight as much as 67% on some routes. As libraries join CCS their delivery volume increases dramatically. Similarly, as other integrated, automated systems make patron-initiated interlibrary loan possible, the knowledge of what is available means increased delivery traffic.

We Looked at What Functions Go into Delivering Materials.

Factors that slow down delivery were discussed. These included sorting, having to go into large buildings where parking is an issue and the library is not readily accessible, the packing of delivery bags if library staff have not done this properly, etc.

We Need To Work Together To Focus on the Primary Reason for this Service.

We considered the possible objection to this policy, such as, "If the van is going to the next library on the route, why can't I just put my newsletter in the bag?" The answer is that van delivery is for cataloged library materials. While the sharing of library newsletters is a good way to share ideas and information, it is best accomplished by adding interested NSLS libraries to the newsletter mailing list. Sorting and handling is one of the reasons that van delivery is stressed.

Finally the group hammered out the elements of the Proposed Van Delivery Policy. The NSLS Board reviewed this policy at their January, 2007 meeting and will be asked to adopt it at their March 26, 2007 meeting.