Delivery via courier is a crucial piece in the success of the interlibrary loan network. Each of the 17 library systems in Wisconsin coordinates the delivery service for the public libraries within its system. Also, a few systems deliver to other types of libraries in their region. The South Central Delivery Service, based in Madison, connects all of these system courier services to form a highly reliable and effective Wisconsin delivery network.
The Indianhead Federated Library System contracts with WALTCO, Inc. to provide courier service to/from our public libraries. IFLS pays for a set number of days for each IFLS library. Eligibility for number of days of delivery is based primarily on ILL volume (both the shared system activity and traditional interlibrary loan requests).
Who’s on the Wisconsin Courier System?
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- IFLS contracts with a courier (WALTCO, Inc.) to drop off/pick up materials at the IFLS libraries on scheduled delivery days. WALTCO also does all the sorting of materials being routed to other IFLS libraries.
- IFLS is the pick up/drop off point for all materials going to/coming from outside the IFLS system via the South Central Delivery Service.
- The WALTCO driver will drop off and pick up materials on your scheduled delivery days.
- The IFLS office currently receives WALTCO drop off Monday through Friday early morning., therefore, we normally receive all items labelled for IFLS or with the pink out-of-system routing labels which were picked up the day before at the IFLS libraries. We unpack in the morning and send out-of-system materials with the 10 a.m. South Central pickup/delivery.
- WALTCO picks up materials from the IFLS office Monday through Friday about 3:30 pm.
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- Gray Bins – IFLS purchased a set of gray plastic crates to be used by WALTCO for delivery to IFLS member libraries. In the best of all worlds, if you send out 3 gray bins, you get 3 bins back from the courier. If you need more bins, please contact the IFLS ILL office for more, and please send any extra bins back with the driver.
- Plastic Envelopes – IFLS has a set of plastic envelopes for use within the System. These can be used to route letters, memos, registration cards or other small paper items. If you have too many of these plastic envelopes, please return to IFLS.
- Tags - A set of labeling tags for use with the bins, bags or plastic envelopes are available at illtags.pdf .
- ILL Flags - IFLS has a set of flags/bookmarks at ILL_flags2007.pdf . This PDF (Adobe Acrobat) file is 55 pages. Each library has one page which can be cut into 4 flags. You may choose to print out only those pages for IFLS libraries that you send materials to the most often. If you would like to recycle flags addressed to your library, send these flags to IFLS for redistribution.
- Pink Routing Slips - These slips are used to route materials via the South Central Delivery Service (any non-Indianhead Funding Agency/System Delivery Hub on the South Central courier list - see above). Print copies on pink paper from the master found on the IFLS Forms web page or on the South Central website at http://www.sclsdelivery.info/systempages/stateshipping.htm#is_labels or contact the IFLS ILL office to receive a pre-printed supply of these slips.
- Removable Scotch Tape - Use only removable Scotch tape (magic tape) when affixing routing labels to library materials, tape down both ends. Regular tape will damage materials.
- Rubber Bands - Place a rubber band around the items and routing label (or group of similar size items going to the same location) to prevent the book(s) from opening and ILL request slips from falling out. Make sure that rubber bands are large and loose enough that the library material isn’t damaged.
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- Check the South Central Delivery Network's list of libraries, which is alphabetized by library, to make sure that the library is on the courier system. Be especially careful when sending to any non-public library. For each library, a system delivery hub is listed.
- Label with the appropriate routing slip. Use flags for any library with Indianhead as the system delivery hub on the courier list. Use pink routing slips for all other libraries.
How to Label for Courier
- Materials sent via courier must be labeled with a flag, a pink routing label, or a WISCAT shipping label so that our courier drivers can effectively sort these materials to the right libraries.
- For all libraries that have Indianhead listed as the system delivery hub you may use the courier flags.
- Use the pink routing labels or WISCAT shipping labels for all libraries that do not have Indianhead as the system delivery hub.
When labeling the pink slips –
TO: System Hub
FOR: Library.
If you need the pink slips, please contact the IFLS Interloan office for an additional supply or use MASTER.
Use only removable Scotch tape (archival/magic tape) when affixing routing labels to library materials. Tape down both ends. Regular tape will damage many of these materials. Place a rubber band around the items and routing label (or group of similar size items going to the same location) to prevent the book(s) from opening and ILL request slips from falling out. Make sure that rubber bands are large and loose enough that the library material isn’t damaged.
- Prepare bins/bags for courier pickup.
All materials can be placed in bins with a label of WALTCO Sort. If you have enough materials going to one particular library such as Eau Claire Public Library, you can address a whole bin to a particular library (flags would not be necessary if all the materials in the bin are going to that library). Also, if you want materials to go to a library which is on the delivery route after you, you can prepare a separate container for that library (the drivers do not do any enroute sorting).
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If you have any problems with the courier such as a missed delivery or sorting mistakes, please contact the IFLS ILL office . If it is an emergency and the IFLS ILL office is closed, please contact WALTCO at 888-884-7451.
If you are having any consistent problems, please notify the IFLS ILL office.
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