2007 ALA Annual Conference Session
Valerie Horton: Nation-wide Document Delivery
Valerie Horton of Colorado Library Consortium spoke of the Moving Mountains Project that is focused on creating a nation-wide state-of-the-art physical delivery system.
There is a lot of creative thinking about document delivery both physical and electronic and to learn more about this Ms. Horton recommended the site Rethinking Resource Sharing.
Physical delivery of books and media is growing significantly because of electronic access, shared regional catalogs and online ILL forms.
An increase in the volume of deliveries leads to a reduction in the per item-delivered cost. In Colorado, some libraries are seeing $.19 per item-moved, though items not individually wrapped are $.39 for 2 lb./3-day deliveries. In Colorado, 450 libraries move some 5 million items annually using the state-wide document delivery system. Costs are 250% less than the least expensive US mail service.
There are numerous existing library-managed courier systems, in Colorado, Wisconsin, Missouri, Massachusetts, Chicago and Denver to mention a few.
There is no expectation that this national service will be federally funded. Additionally, it is unlikely that the system will be entirely based on private contractors such as FedEx, Federal Express and UPS.
The advantage of going with private contractors is that these services are widespread and can support home delivery. But the disadvantages include increased costs for items that are individually packaged and price increases as weight increases.
The working proposal for a national service includes:
- Create six to seven overlapping regions
- Use existing regional couriers
- Use the national service when needed to cross regional lines
- Keep regional autonomy
- Partner with existing regional management organizations such as BCR and AMIGOS
- Work to develop a management package, such with the Quipu Group
- Standardize packaging, not individually wrapping items will significantly decrease costs
- Needs to be low cost, $2-3/item
- Must be faster and cheaper than US postal service
- Require fast delivery, no more than 3 days!!
- Costs for delivery through the national service seeds to be low, $2-3/item
Bruce Smith: Creative study and collaboration needed
South Central Library System of Wisconsin SCLS Delivery Service Coordinator Bruce Smith focused his remarks on the need to reduce the costs of document delivery.
With increased demand for document delivery, there is a perverse pressure to decrease volume but expand service. The goal of delivery services is to reduce volume but not access.
There' a need for cooperative planning. Delivery advisory committees need to be formed that include all stakeholders, high as well as low volume libraries, decision makers and ILL staff. These committees would facilitate communication between all stakeholders and libraries, gather and analyze data, and plan. All need to seek efficiencies and adopt cost effective measures.
Creative measures need to be more widely used. Floating collections in particular can reduce costs without reducing access, though there are challenges in managing such collections. Ann Cress explored this approach in her October 2004 Library Journal article "The Latest Wave."
Also consider a threshold where the number of holds triggers the centralized purchase of titles. South Central Library System of Wisconsin does warehouse high demand titles.
Policies on when to deliver materials on hold need to consider the distance items are moved as well as when holds are placed.
Libraries need to be clustered for transportation efficiencies.
Cooperative collection development needs to receive renewed emphasis.
Technology and engineering solutions for material handling need to be aggressively explored. Mr. Smith outlined his work in the development and patenting of a cart-tech tote master that will reduce back injury for drivers and handlers. Driving with diesel reduces fuel costs. Standardizing vehicles can introduce cost efficiencies for repairs and parts replacement.
Discussion: Home Delivery
There are a number of libraries and library systems that are providing home delivery. Home delivery is offered by Orange County and Polk County in Florida.
Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library provide free home delivery. In 2006, 146,883 packages were delivered to homes for a cost of a $1.80 per items, totally $246,272 . The service employs two FTE employees. Customers are responsible to return all items, though most do not return items through the mail but use book drops, which are located throughout the county and city. Space isn't needed to accommodate holds, the service is popular and highly visible, and the pressure to build branches is reduced.
OCLC began a pilot project in Montana using the US Postal Service in May 2007.
There are a number of web-based services, such as paperbackswap.com. Others are planned such as books4free.com and bookswim.org.
Google Books is introducing a digital rights management service. When a patron authenticates as a patron of a participating library, he or she will be able to access copyrighted materials digitally.
