Many thanks to everyone who replied, see responses below.
Matt
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(1) University of Sunderland
- offer the service to distance learners
- students request items online (via the library's distance learning web pages, see www.library.sunderland.ac.uk)
Below is the information sent out to borrowers wanting postal loans:
Please find enclosed your library borrower card and registration form, which we ask you to sign and return using the envelope provided.
Always quote your library barcode number when requesting books from the library.
We will send books from University of Sunderland library stock to UK based distance learners by mail without charge. Return postal charges must be paid by the user.
You can search the library catalogue for the material you require at
http://webcatalogue.sunderland.ac.uk/webclient.html
You may request material by completing the electronic book request form on the distance learner Web pages at www.library.sunderland.ac.uk
You may also request books by fax or post, using the book request form enclosed.
Books can be borrowed for an initial period of four weeks. Students may have up to 15 books on loan at one time. Some books are not available for loan, but providing we adhere to current copyright legislation, we can supply copies of parts of these books.
To avoid fines, books must be renewed or returned before the due date.
You may renew your books by telephone on 0191 515 3059.
You will need to state your library card number and the titles of the books you wish to renew. Providing your books are not required by another user, you may renew as many times as you need.
On receipt of your library books, you will be required to return an acknowledgment slip, confirming the items received.
You are requested to return the items to the University library, using the address label provided.
Please allow plenty of time for return, as fines will be charged at the current rate for any material that becomes overdue.
We recommend that a receipt method of postage is used.
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(1) Liverpool John Moores University
We've set aside £800.00 for a twelve month trial of Postal loans to a single
course 'Subject Leader in Physical Education PGCE'. There are approx 80
students, split fairly equally between true 'Distance' students based in
Worcester and Brighton and 'Local' students living in Merseyside, Lancashire
and Cheshire.
Our Dynix system allows students to place holds on books (Not all library
systems allow this if the books are 'available' on the shelf). We appended
the word -POSTAL to the end of all their names. Our daily printout of hold
requests gives the student name next to the book request. All library staff
have been alerted to look out for any POSTALs and send the books to me (the
Off Campus Unit). We have 3 sites and a van delivery service between the
sites.
I issue the books (7 day loans = 3 weeks; 21 day loans = 5 weeks; no shorter
loan item may be held), weigh them and record the details. This is purely
for the trial. We have a postal charging code that we write on the jiffy
bag so that our post room charge the correct fund and we can keep track of
what the scheme costs us. We've preprinted sticky return address labels to
insert in the books and 'If undelivered' return address labels to put on the
jiffy bags. We use normal post.
We've used the 'Learning at Work' coordinator to send any information out to
students but there hasn't been much uptake in the first 3 months. The only
use has been by 'Local' students - and there's been one instance of books
requested by a student ending up on our reservation shelf before being
returned to the site so I've sent out reminders to all staff about the
scheme. Other Postal loan schemes have the student contact the Distance
Learning Unit to request books. This is more time consuming (and possibly
offputting) for the student and alo involves more staff time but, I suppose,
safer.
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(3) University of Wales, Swansea
http://www.swan.ac.uk/lis/library_services/dallas.asp
is the url of University Wales Swansea's DALLAS service. We post books and
journal articles to staff/students. Charges to students are cost of postage
for books, 10pence per page A4 and postage for journal articles. Fee entered
on patron record, payment expected by post or on next visit to library.
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