[ILL-L] The Case of the Missing Books

Tue Apr 7 08:20:36 EDT 2009

Is first class insured?  I've always assumed that to have something insured, you either had to use UPS or pay USPS a surcharge, and that the only difference between library mail and first class is that first class is faster--and more expensive.  But maybe I'm wrong.

We can't afford first class or UPS on all our packages, either.  When we ship out our books, if it's a book I know to be valuable or hard to replace, I'll send it UPS; otherwise I send it library mail.  Same when I return books; if it's an older book that isn't in many libraries, I'll usually send it back UPS, even if the lending library sent it by library mail.  (Obviously, if the lending library asks it to be returned UPS, insured, FedEx, first class, or whatever, I do as they ask.)

I too am skeptical about those forms I fill out for lost packages.  Also, it puzzles me that though we often receive packages missing books, the books are never found.  Library books have ownership stamps; surely, if a book isfound loose, even without its paperwork, someone in the USPS can look at the stamp that says "Lewis Library, 601 Broad Street, LaGrange College, LaGrange, GA 30240" and make a wild guess as to who owns it?  

Oh, well.  As I said yesterday, I'm paranoid.  

I'd better sign off.  I'm being followed and watched.

Arthur Robinson (GLG)

________________________________

From: ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org on behalf of Bierma, Lynn
Sent: Mon 4/6/2009 5:32 PM
To: Interlibrary Loan Listserv
Subject: RE: [ILL-L] The Case of the Missing Books

I have a folder of missing books over a period of a few years.  We too have sudden increases, & then if falls off.  We've had notices from USPS indicating they've found our label, but nothing else, and other times, nothing at all.  Unfortunately we can't afford 1st class or tracking...most of our items go out library rate.  I've worked with all the people possibly involved in packaging in our shipping room, and tried to make sure we're packaging correctly.  Our "lost" materials have fallen off, so hopefully we're doing everything right on our end.

However, in the past, even when I knew the packaging was done correctly, we received torn packages with just a mailing label.

If you fill out a U.S. Postal Parcel Search Request, good luck in getting anyone to return the form indicating they've searched for it.  I've also found out that in our area, the mail recovery center is in St. Paul.  I've been told by USPS that if there's an identifying mark they'll mail it back (& if we have a web site it helps them find an address...I think its funny that they need a web site to helpd them find the address)...we have barcodes, stamps, etc....it's hard to know how they could miss the identifying marks, and we do have a presence on the web.  Unfortunately it hasn't ever helped.  After a lot a phone calling (even to the main USPS headquarters) I was told that the mail recovercy center in St. Paul doesn't even have a phone number, and no one knew how to contact anyone there!  I personally think its just a warehouse that's not staffed.

I've even gone so far as to send sample mailings (with actual pieces in them) to the Mailpiece Design Analyst assigned to our disrict.  She looked at the items, and the packaging, and told us we were packaging correctly.  No luck either with the consumer affairs associate for the Midwest.

Lynn Bierma
Interlibrary Loan Operations Coordinator
Illinois State Library
300 South 2nd Street
Springfield, IL 62701
PHONE: 217-558-1928
FAX: 217-782-4446
EMAIL: lbierma at ilsos.net
INTERLIBRARY LOAN DEPT. EMAIL: islinter-libraryloan at ilsos.net

Jesse White, Secretary of State and State Librarian
Please consider the environment before printing this email.

-----Original Message-----
From: ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:ill-l-bounces at webjunction.org]On Behalf Of Robinson, Arthur
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 3:44 PM
To: Interlibrary Loan Listserv
Subject: [ILL-L] The Case of the Missing Books

Has anyone else experienced an increase in books requested from other
libraries and supposedly shipped but "Not Received"?

We're a small library, and this usually happens to us only two or three
times a year; in fact in 2008 it only happened once.  But it's happened
to us four times already this year, even though our ILL borrowing is
down about 30% from last year.

I've been formulating various paranoid theories (decline in USPS
service? Something to do with the economy? Books abducted by aliens on
the grassy knoll?).

It might have been worse.  We have also had an increase this year in
cases where packages arrived ripped with books spilling out but still
present (including one case where a large, fat book was shipped in a
manila envelope).

Arthur Robinson (GLG)

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