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Moving Mountains: An Exploration of National Physical Delivery Options

Moving Mountains: An Exploration of National Physical Delivery Options. Valerie Horton Executive Director Colorado Library Consortium. Patchwork Quilt of Couriers. Green – courier service White – no known courier service Gray – partial service INCOMPLETE DATA.

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Moving Mountains: An Exploration of National Physical Delivery Options

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  1. Moving Mountains:An Exploration of National Physical Delivery Options Valerie Horton Executive Director Colorado Library Consortium

  2. Patchwork Quilt of Couriers Green – courier service White– no known courier service Gray– partial service INCOMPLETE DATA Courtesy of Brenda Bailey-Hainer Exec Director, BCR

  3. Courier Organization • Formed around political or geographic regions • Statewide • City-county library systems • Colleges and universities only • Formed around organizations & consortium • MINITEX, AMIGOS (TexShare) • Orbis Cascade Alliance, CLiC, OhioLInk

  4. GIS Map courtesy of Brenda Bailey-Hainer, BCR Example: Widespread Statewide Participation

  5. Example: Multiple State Courier Systems MINITEX Examplehttp://www.minitex.umn.edu/delivery

  6. Example: Partial Participation -- This is common nationally Orbis Cascade Alliancehttp://www.orbiscascade.org/courier/index.htm

  7. Current Delivery Services

  8. Delivery Methods • Managed fleet of trucks and drivers • ADV: Greater control and customization • Contracts with commercial vendor • Regional vendors • National vendors (UPS/FedEx) • ADV: Less liability and share costs with film, photo, pharmacies, etc.

  9. Current Service Arrangements (cont) 3. Hybrid: use both commercial vendor and self-managed 4. Central source deliveries to hubs, locally managed delivery to libraries

  10. A Commonality Among Library Couriers Volume and demand are growing! Courtesy Brenda Bailey-Hainer

  11. Rapid Courier Growth • Colorado moves 5 million • Wisconsin moves 11 million • TAE/TExpress 735,831 COLORADO STATISTICS

  12. Example: Why has Colorado had rapid growth? • Long history of success (early 1980’s) • Wide spread participation across the state • Social pressure • PAC-Integrated, patron-direct request • Low cost (state subsidy) • Plus high volume charges

  13. Couriers are Cost Effective • 2003 LRS study found • US Mail, UPS or FedEx would cost Colorado $1.4 to $2.1 million more than the courier • Duplicated the study now – results Summer 2007 • www.lrs.org – search on ‘courier’ • Other state studies have duplicated these findings • 2005 local library study found they spent 25 CENTS per courier transaction

  14. Models for Creating a National Courier System • Linked regional couriers • Nationally managed courier service • User centric model - Library 2.0

  15. Linked Regional Couriers: Need Four Legs • You need an ordering system • You need a delivery systems • You need line-hauls and sorting hubs • You need national standards for package label

  16. 1. Ordering System • LINKED Interlibrary Loan Software • National system – OCLC • Statewide or regional software • OCLC-PICA, INNReach, Uris, Auto-Graphics, etc. • Self-written software • Hospitals, State of Georgia • KEY POINT – Patron Placed Holds • Caveat: Easy to use patron placed holds

  17. 2. Delivery System • Systems (regions) of libraries with courier delivery • Contiguous systems • Connection points between contiguous systems

  18. 3. Line Hauls and Sorting Hubs Line Hauls Sorting Hubs Minitex and Wisconsin link between delivery systems

  19. 4. National Standards • Standardized labeling • Allow for easy sorting at hubs • Mail to and Return addressing • Codes? Other? • Standardized or at least sharable packaging • Totes, large bags, individual packages

  20. To Location #: Hub City: To Location #: Hub City: To Location #: Hub City: To Location #: Hub City: Different Labels Sample Shipping Log Form Shipper #_____________________ SHIPPING LOG__________________________ (Pick-up Date) Transaction # Destination Contents 154-> [ receiver #] - [ date] -1 154-> -2 154-> -3 etc. Colorado Library Courier TO: AD-12-SCH Use Library Courier Code DATE:

  21. Different Packaging

  22. National CourierSystem

  23. Centralized administration Standardized pricing Economy of scale – lower prices? ILL software interconnectivity 48 (50) state buy in Federal funding Shared standards Shared packaging Significantly faster turn around time than US Mail 2 to 3 days Lost/damaged replacement fund INSURANCE A Truly National System Would Have:

  24. Some ‘Entity’ Provides Infrastructure • Who • Manages it, sets standards, markets it, fixes problems, etc? • Provides a fleet of vehicles or contracts out to commercial vendor(s)? • Options • Non-profits like AMIGOS or BCR? • An association like ALA or ALA Division? • A nationwide for-profit vendor?

  25. Some Delivery Companies who Already are Nationwide Map of Velocity Express Hubs

  26. Could we Create a Wal-Mart-like Supply Chain Future? • Standardized RFID tags • Regional warehouses of popular materials • Supply chain • Library vendor delivery materials • Books, labels, supplies, etc via the courier • Possible connection to home delivery services

  27. The Obstacles • How do you price a national system? • Must cost less and be faster than US Mail • Is there a cost per each sort or line haul? • Geographic price neutrality? Alaska/Hawaii • What about states that don’t have a courier or have only partial couriers? • Is there POLITICAL will to do this? • Can we agree on standards?

  28. Which Directionare our PATRONSGoing?

  29. User Expectations are High • One day turnaround expected • Daily multiple delivery times • Monday thru Saturday delivery • Weather, mountains passes, natural or man-made disasters shouldn’t be an obstacle Source of Brenda Bailey-Hainer

  30. Library 2.0 • Based on Web 2.0 work • Focus from users perspective of fulfillment • Library has it, buys it, borrows it, or steals it • In this vision, the library makes items available: • wherever • whenever, and in • whatever format the user requires it Source: Lori Bowen Ayre LBAyre@galecia.com

  31. Is a National Courier the Right Direction to Go? • What users really want? • FREE service • Easy searching (Google-like) • Easy requesting • Quick turnaround • Home Delivery • Easy drop-in the mail returns

  32. What Next? • International Courier Symposium held in Denver Sept 14 & 15, 2006 • http://www.clicweb.org/couriersymposium/ • Clearinghouse for physical delivery issues • LISTSERV, best practice documents, links to other courier services, etc. • Working Groups • ALA Annual Conference Program

  33. Conclusion:First we have todecide where wewant to end up?

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