1、 NISO RP-12-2012 Physical Delivery of Library Resources Approved January 19, 2012 A Recommended Practice of the National Information Standards Organization Prepared by the NISO Physical Delivery of Library Resources Working Group Physical Delivery of Library Resources About NISO Recommended Practice
2、s A NISO Recommended Practice is a recommended “best practice” or “guideline” for methods, materials, or practices in order to give guidance to the user. Such documents usually represent a leading edge, exceptional model, or proven industry practice. All elements of Recommended Practices are discret
3、ionary and may be used as stated or modified by the user to meet specific needs. This recommended practice may be revised or withdrawn at any time. For current information on the status of this publication contact the NISO office or visit the NISO website (www.niso.org). Published by National Inform
4、ation Standards Organization (NISO) One North Charles Street, Suite 1905 Baltimore, MD 21201 www.niso.org Copyright 2012 by the National Information Standards Organization All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. For noncommercial purposes only, this publicatio
5、n may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing from the publisher, provided it is reproduced accurately, the source of the material is identified, and the NISO copyright status is acknowledged. All inquiries regarding translations into other langua
6、ges or commercial reproduction or distribution should be addressed to: NISO, One North Charles Street, Suite 1905, Baltimore, MD 21201. ISBN: 978-1-937522-01-8 Physical Delivery of Library Resources iii Contents Foreword v Section 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Background and Purpose 1 1.2 Scope . 2 1.3 Term
7、s and Definitions 2 Section 2: Management 6 2.1 Coordination of Delivery Services 6 2.2 Governing Body and Governance Structure 6 2.3 Delivery Service Coordinator . 7 2.4 Recordkeeping Guidelines . 7 2.5 Contracting with Delivery Service Suppliers 8 2.6 Delivery Policies . 9 2.7 Reduction of Physica
8、l Delivery 10 2.8 Direct Delivery to Patrons 11 2.9 International Delivery . 12 Section 3: Automation 14 3.1 Automated Materials Handling Systems (AMHS) 14 3.1.1 Description 14 3.1.2 AMHS Benefits 14 3.1.3 AMHS Costs 15 3.2 Courier Management Systems 15 Section 4: The Physical Move 16 4.1 Item Label
9、ing 16 4.2 Connecting the Routing Slip to the Packaged Item . 17 4.3 Item Packaging and Package Labeling 20 4.3.1 Item Packaging . 20 4.3.2 Package Labeling 22 4.4 Transportation Containers . 23 4.4.1 Ergonomic Considerations 23 4.4.2 Transport Container Types . 23 4.5 Transportation 25 4.5.1 Transp
10、ortation Vehicles 25 4.5.2 Delivery Logistics 25 4.6 Package Tracking 26 4.6.1 Overview of Tracking 26 4.6.2 Barcodes and RFID Tags . 27 4.6.3 Monitoring for example, during the same period ILL borrowing in Colorado increased by 107%.12An analysis of Massachusetts traffic indicates an increase of 50
11、0% over the ten years from 2001-2011. Library courier systems are straining under the need to move this massive amount of materials. In a 2008 study, respondents from different library systems reported moving 5, 10, or even 15 million items a year.7A recent study showed that the average academic lib
12、rary spends more than $6,800/year for delivery services, with some libraries paying as high as $60,000.20Given such volumes, libraries are struggling to deal with the labor and equipment costs, material wear and tear, and transit and sorting needs. The physical delivery of items occurs between two l
13、ocationswhether between branches, systems, regions, states, or countries. From the patrons perspective, this is the “discovery receiving” function. These functions can be divided into the steps illustrated in the workflow in Figure 1. Figure 1: Resource Sharing Workflow Physical Delivery of Library
14、Resources 2 The purpose of this document is to recommend practices about the physical movement of items as described in steps four and seven in the workflow shown in Figure 1: the delivery of the items to the requesting library and their return to the lending library. The recommendations in this doc
15、ument focus on the movement of the physical items (e.g., books and audiovisual materials) between libraries, and between library and patron. This Recommended Practice focuses on three key areas: the physical move, automation, and the management of physical delivery. While the primary focus of this d
16、ocument is on the delivery piece in its many aspects, the entire system impacts how the delivery takes place. Within these recommended practices are some suggestions about other steps in the patron request process that can help to ensure the delivery piece works optimally. For example, if the lendin
17、g librarys circulation system also prints a delivery label, then delivery time, materials, and costs can be reduced. However, the specific recommendations are limited to those steps that ensure that the physical delivery of library materials happens in the most cost-effective and time-sensitive mann
18、er as possible. 1.2 Scope The NISO Physical Delivery of Library Resources Working Groups interest lies in identifying methods for improving performance and reducing the cost of moving materials between a library that owns an item and another library whose patron wants to use the item. The scope of t
19、his document is limited to the external delivery of items between separately administered libraries, although many of the recommendations could apply to delivery between branches of a single library system, as well. External delivery can be based on consortial delivery within a shared system, a regi
20、on, a state, or a country. It can also apply to items moving through a standard interlibrary loan request. We do not specifically cover using international carriers such as FedEx or UPS, who have their own systems of packaging that must be followed; however, many of the recommended practices in this
21、 document, such as internal labeling, can apply with these carriers. In developing these recommendations, the working group recognizes that library courier systems operate in various environments without standardized funding mechanisms, geographies, or library participants. Therefore, each library s
22、ystem must consider local needs and conditions when evaluating these recommendations for implementation. Archival, rare, and specialized materials require special handling. These unique requirements are outside the scope of this document, but we recommend the ACRL/RBMS Guidelines for Borrowing and L
23、ending Special Collections Materials Task Force (http:/rbms.info/committees/task_force/borrowing/index.shtml) for more information on handling those materials. 1.3 Terms and Definitions Terminology used in delivery varies from standard library usage. The following terms, as used in this recommended
24、practice, have the meanings indicated, which is standard language used by library delivery experts. Italicized terms within a definition refer to another defined term. Term Definition bin A standard-sized, heavy plastic, rectangular container used to store or to move items, often with covers to prev
25、ent weather damage. Also referred to as a tote or tub. Physical Delivery of Library Resources 3 courier service In library use the term typically refers to the entire delivery service of library materials between libraries. May be referred to simply as courier. Our use of courier service is limited
26、to library-managed delivery services or contracted commercial delivery vendors. This definition does not include international carriers such as UPS and FedEx. commercial carriers In this document we are using commercial carriers to refer to larger, international companies, such as FedEx or UPS, who
27、ship individual packages. destination The physical location where the item is shipped. direct delivery Delivery from the library that has the item directly to the library patron, e.g., to the patrons home, office, medical facility, etc. floating collection A single, unified collection that moves fre
28、ely between branches and where items are shelved in the library where they are returned, regardless of where they originated. hold To set aside an item, because it has been requested by another patron or library. hold shelf slip A slip created by a requesting library that identifies the requesting p
29、atron and that is secured to an item placed on the hold shelf. A hold shelf slip may also include due dates and other routing slip information. incident A service problem or a significant deviance from normal operations, such as delayed route, vehicular accident, or damage to library property. integ
30、rated library system ILS A computer system that integrates several library functions, such as acquisitions, cataloging, serials, circulation, and the patron catalog, into a single system. It often includes functions that support resource sharing. item The library resource, e.g., book, DVD, report, o
31、r CD, that is shipped. lending library The institution that owns the item and is lending and delivering it to the requesting library. Also known as owning institution or originating library. logistics industry Business enterprises that deal with the management of inventory and related information fr
32、om its origin to its final destination, often involved with improving efficiency of delivery. mediated request A patron resource sharing request that goes through a library staff member at the requesting library for review or other handling prior to the request being submitted to the lending library
33、. Compare to unmediated request. mislabeled An item that has incorrect information on its routing slip. mis-sort To incorrectly arrange items by label and/or destination. Physical Delivery of Library Resources 4 originating library See lending library. owning institution See lending library. package
34、 A bundle of items, usually of small or medium size, that have been packed and wrapped or boxed. Also called a parcel. padded envelope An envelope that contains a layer of cushioning material to protect products against damage. parcel See package. pick slip A slip printed by a library system that in
35、dicates the item to be retrieved and put into delivery. Pick slips often include the call number, bibliographic information, transaction number, name of the patron who has requested the item, and the date requested. A pick slip may be merged with a routing slip. requesting library The library or ins
36、titution that initiates the resource sharing transaction and receives delivery of the item from the lending library. route An identifiable line of travel for delivery of library items that typically includes the same schedule of stops in the same pattern. routing slip A slip attached to a library it
37、em indicating the destination library where the item is to be delivered. The slip may include destination code, address, date, and transaction number. A routing slip may be merged with a pick slip. schedule A plan for delivery of items to libraries on a route, usually including the number of stops p
38、er week and a set delivery time or time range. shipper The library that is delivering the item to another library. tote See bin. tracking The process of tracing the movement of a library item from origin to destination. A third-party system may be used, for example the UPS system, to track an item d
39、uring the delivery. Primarily used to track individual packages; bin tracking is not as prevalent. transit The transportation of an item from the one library to another library. It is also used to describe the status of an item; e.g., “This item is in transit.” tub See bin. unmediated request A patr
40、on resource sharing request that is sent by an automated system directly to a potential lending library without any review or handling by staff members at the requesting library. Compare to mediated request. Physical Delivery of Library Resources 5 warehousing The process of moving items to a separa
41、te facility for processing, e.g., central sorting, to complement inbound and outbound transportation services. Physical Delivery of Library Resources 6 Section 2: Management This section discusses management issues of a delivery system including dealing with policy bodies and participating libraries
42、. 2.1 Coordination of Delivery Services Connecting separate administrative services that are associated with the delivery of library resources is desirable because it can help to reduce costs, increase the speed of delivery, allow for possible government subsidies, and, perhaps most importantly, set
43、 up a positive cooperation model between delivery regions and states. There are several states and regions currently linking courier services at the borders. For instance, Minitex and Wisconsin have been linking their courier systems for decades and shipping over 100,000 items a year between the two
44、 states. A recent study found that a new delivery serviceCOKAMO, between Missouri and Kansas courier servicessaved participating libraries over $215,000 in its first year of connecting the two services.8Connecting regional delivery systems or connecting statewide systems requires: Respect for what t
45、he others are doing and have accomplished Keeping policies and procedures as simple as possible Agreements on packaging (See package recommendations in 4.3.1, Item Packaging.) Logical connecting partners Understanding of how distance and quantity might affect delivery (In general, close physical pro
46、ximity between the two administrative units lessens delivery costs; and further, the more items delivered between any two administrative units the lower per piece charges will be.) Other areas that need to be coordinated with partner libraries include: Routing slips (See label recommendations in 4.1
47、, Item Labeling.) Turnaround time (Local delivery times might be very different once crossing regions or states; see 2.6, Delivery Policies.) Procedures for lost and damaged items (See 2.6, Delivery Policies.) 2.2 Governing Body and Governance Structure Governance structure in library delivery is ty
48、pically a reflection of the library system itself. For instance, several state libraries manage statewide couriers and in those instances state law dictates governance. Some universities fall under the same model, with state laws and rules impacting the services offered. Another example is the conso
49、rtium model, where delivery is one of the services provided by a consortium to member libraries. In this case, governance typically is managed through the consortiums board or oversight body. Finally, some delivery entities are organized separately from other library roles, so that the delivery of library materials is the only service provided. In these cases, governance is typically provided by an advisory board made up of representatives of participating libraries. No matter which Physical Delivery of Library Resources 7 govern
