[ILL-L] Post Office Concerns

[Bierma, Lynn]

I've run into the same problem (shipping out from our location and items being returned to us), although its not been a problem in the last few months.  We did carefully review our packaging.  I also found out that I could send a sample of our packages to the regional USPS "Mail Design Analyst" for review, which I did.  However, I made the mistake of just sending a small box of our different packages.  I received a notice back that I actually had to send a whole sample; i.e, the package with whatever we would normally put into the that particular package for mailing.

I received a reply as to whether or not they past muster.  Actually, they all did...so I guess its just rough handling by USPS, although we're taping the heck out of our packages now.

We also have received the dreaded "package separated" message, with the rather useless "Parcel Search Request" form to fill out.  We usually end up sending the form to the St. Paul Mail Recovery Center in Minneapolis.  I don't always hear back, and they've never found anything.  USPS says that if the item has the name of the library someplace in it, and you have a web site, they'll send it back.  But....you can guess what has happened.

I tried contacting the recovery center, only to find they have no email or phone number.  USPS confirmed that there is absolutely no way to contact anyone at the recovery centers.  I've tried talking to different USPS offices and have gotten perhaps 1 email reply back, telling me they're forwarding my questions/complaints to my local post office, which never contacts me.

Unfortunately, our budget requires that we mail most items Library Rate, and we can't use FedEx or a like service. 

Good Luck.

Lynn Bierma
Interlibrary Loan Operations Coordinator
Room 219
IL State Library
300 S. 2nd Street
Springfield, IL, 62701
lbierma at ilsos.net
PHONE: 217-558-1928
FAX: 217-782-4446

Jesse White, Secretary of State and State Librarian








>>> 
At 07:53 AM 2/22/2008, you wrote:
>We are having difficulty with the post office and were wondering if 
>other libraries are having the same issues.  The mail carrier has 
>always picked up our ILL books until recently, and they now have to 
>be taken to the Post Office and hand delivered to the counter.  The 
>craziness in this is that they tell me to just place on an empty 
>spot on the counter and that I don't have to stand in line.
>
>The other problem that we are having is that it takes forever for 
>our items to come back even after the other libraries say they have 
>been returned.  We have items that are just lost out in the postage 
>world.  I was told that since there is no tracking number on Library 
>Rate mail, that there is nothing we can do.
>
>We do not have money in the budget to add a postage meter, 
>etc.  Does anyone have any suggestions?



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