Courier ServiceMembership Program

Nancy Nathanson, Systems Manager

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• Membership Agreement with members– predictable pricing; annual payment– member participation and oversight– Alliance office support: coordination;

information; vendor relations

• Contract with Vendor: Service expectations– daily pickup – reliable, predictable schedule (one-hour window) – transit time: generally, within two days

Membership Program

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• Alliance contracts with vendor to provide daily, scheduled service

Lanter Delivery Systems

• Lanter contracts with Northwest carriersConsolidated Routing

• Consolidated contract with drivers, local carriers

• Local courier: Dropsites may agree to send and receive materials for a group of nearby libraries, using the dropsite as the primary address (“forward to” or “attention”)

Business relationships

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www.orbiscascade.org/courier

61 drop sites 61 drop sites serving 240+ serving 240+

librarieslibraries

public libraries

universities & colleges

schools

community colleges

service districts or systems

private, technical and government libraries

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Orbis Cascade Alliance Courier Service & Local Shuttles

Dropsite A

Dropsite B

Dropsite C

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courier service carries ...

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Information on the web

www.orbiscascade.org/courier/

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www.orbiscascade.org/courierDropsites: sort code, address, schedule

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www.orbiscascade.org/courier

List of Dropsites

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Procedures: packaging

• the package

• size

• sealing

• multiple items

• would you ship it this way?

• the package

• size

• sealing

• multiple items

• would you ship it this way?

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… packaging. If you use envelopes and boxes:

protect materials•packing•padding•appropriate size

protect people•weight•staples

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… packaging. If you use courier bags:

prevent slipping, squishing, torn pages, and worn bindings

pack books spine-to-spine, or spine to bottom of bag

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… packaging. If you ship non-book items and use courier bags:

prevent broken plastic cases

pack items in a bubble envelope or padded container

before putting them in the bag

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Procedures: labeling

design, format, and content are mutually approved by vendor and Alliance, on behalf of members.Use only Alliance-supplied labels

design, format, and content are mutually approved by vendor and Alliance, on behalf of members.Use only Alliance-supplied labels

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… labeling – available on the web

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… labeling

ATTN: for re-directing to a forwarding site

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… labeling

and if you use courier bags: protect the see-through window (do not paste a self-adhesive label over the window)

and if you use courier bags: protect the see-through window (do not paste a self-adhesive label over the window)

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Procedures: Using the manifests

Purpose:– library: track shipments, other purposes– Alliance: track volume and shipping patterns

“Shipping record forms”: key elements– Date– Destination(s)– Number of

packages

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… manifests

FROM (you, the sender)

date

“consignee” = TO(dropsites only)

automatic totals!

# of pkgs

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Procedures: reporting problems

• courier hasn’t shown up?

call the dispatch office right away

notify Alliance e-mail

• other problems?

• courier hasn’t shown up?

call the dispatch office right away

notify Alliance e-mail

• other problems?

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• compensation: maximum allowed, $100 per package

• documentation

• damaged or missing? at what point?

• checking for missing items

Procedures: claims

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• courier status

• have you seen my package?

Member to Member

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Member to Member

dropsite news from the

Alliance office

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A big system with regional benefit

• thousands of items shipped each month

• daily, scheduled pickup

• two-day delivery

www.orbiscascade.org/courier