NISO Publishes New Recommended Practice on Physical Delivery of Library
Resources
Identifies Methods for Reducing Resource Sharing Delivery Time and Costs
The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) announces the
publication of the new recommended practice: "Physical Delivery of Library
Resources" (NISO RP-12-2012). The physical delivery of library materials is
an integral component of the library resource sharing process. Despite the
ever-increasing availability of electronic journals, e-books, and other
digital resources, the movement of physical items remains a major concern
and a major cost for many libraries. In one state, borrowing of returnable
items increased by 107.4% in six years. A recent study showed that the
average academic library spends more than $6,800/year for delivery services,
with some libraries paying as high as $60,000. Given such volumes, libraries
are struggling to deal with the labor and equipment costs, material wear and
tear, and transit and sorting needs.
"Physical Delivery of Library Resources" focuses on three key areas: the
physical move, automation, and the management of physical delivery. While
the scope of the document is limited to the external delivery of items
between separately administered libraries, many of the recommendations could
apply to delivery between branches of a single library system, as well.
Ranging from labeling and containers to automation and contracting with
courier services, this Recommended Practice addresses both the lending and
the borrowing library's activities related to delivering and returning a
physical item.
"The Working Group examined closely the workflow of resource sharing from
patron to borrowing library to lending library and back," explains Diana
Sachs-Silveira, President Novare Library Services and co-chair of the
Working Group. "We then identified practices at each step that would make
services more efficient."
"Our recommendations cover things as small as rubber banding and as large as
automated material handling systems," stated Valerie Horton, Executive
Director, Colorado Library Consortium (CLiC) and co-chair of the Physical
Delivery of Library Resources Working Group. "I think there is something for
every sized delivery service in these recommendation and every delivery
manager who reads these recommendations can find many ways of improving
their services."
"With so much focus on electronic information, it's easy to forget how much
libraries and their patrons depend on sharing of physical materials," said
Todd Carpenter, NISO Managing Director. "The Physical Delivery Recommended
Practice identifies the best of the many innovative resource sharing and
delivery practices in use today."
Physical Delivery of Library Resources is available for free download at:
http://www.niso.org/publications/rp/rp-12-2012.pdf. All libraries involved
in resource sharing, as well as delivery, sorting, courier and
transportation service providers, are encouraged to adopt these
recommendations.
Cynthia Hodgson
Technical Editor / Consultant
National Information Standards Organization
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