Guidelines for Sending ILL Items via Courier

Guidelines for sending interlibrary loan materials to libraries in and out of the IFLS Library System.

1. 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.

2. When processing ILL paging slips, check the NOTE field for any system delivery hub abbreviations or other instructions. Please refer to this ILL System Delivery Hub Abbreviations list for more information.

3. Label with the appropriate routing slip. Use courier flags for any library with IFLS as the system delivery hub on the courier list. Use pink out-of-system routing flags for all other libraries.

• Materials sent via courier must be labeled with a courier flag, a pink routing flag, or a WISCAT shipping label so that our courier drivers can effectively sort these materials to the right libraries.
• For all libraries that have IFLS listed as the system delivery hub you may use the courier flags.
• Use the pink routing flags or WISCAT shipping labels for all libraries that do not have IFLS as the system delivery hub.  When labeling the pink flags:  TO: System Hub  FOR: Library. If you need the pink slips, please contact the IFLS Interloan office for an additional supply or use MASTER.
• Place a rubber band around the items and routing label 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.

4. Prepare bins 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).