MLS Service: ILDS Delivery Changes

by Christina Stoll, MLS

As of January 2, 2008, Illinois libraries will experience a new and enhanced version of Illinois Library Delivery Service (ILDS).  The new ILDS will be managed by CARLI, the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (http://www.carli.illinois.edu/), with funding from the Illinois State Library. A contract for the trucking of ILDS materials has been awarded to Lanter Delivery Services (http://www.lanterdeliverysystems.com), a commercial delivery service with its home office in Madison, IL.

Currently Illinois Regional Library Systems provide delivery to and between their member libraries.  This delivery system will remain the same.  ILDS is the delivery service moving interlibrary loan materials between the participating governing and associate members of CARLI, the Illinois State Library, and the Regional Library Systems. 
Features of the new ILDS include:

• Every location that will be served by ILDS will receive delivery and pickup service 5 days a week, Monday through Friday, except for announced holidays.
• The ILDS truck will visit participating CARLI libraries every day.  There is no need to call for pickup.
• The new ILDS will guarantee a 24-hour turnaround time on Mondays-Fridays between any two ILDS drop-off locations.
• The new ILDS delivery service will include 142 delivery drop-off points, compared to the current 42 drops used in the current ILDS.  To see a complete list of participants visit http://www.illinoisdelivers.net/memlist.html.

Impact to Library Systems and Member Libraries
The ILDS drop-off locations will be responsible for sorting and bagging materials by destination.

The non-ILDS destination libraries will use new Routing Labels to direct materials via ILDS.  A PDF of the new Routing Labels will be made available on the MLS web site by January 2, 2008. They will also be responsible for sending materials to their Regional Library System drop for shipping to the destination library.

Non-CARLI MLS member libraries located in the city of Chicago will continue to receive their deliveries in conjunction with the Chicago Public Library. Regional Library Systems will continue to serve as ILDS “hubs” for materials traveling to non-CARLI libraries in other regional systems.

MLS will provide two training sessions on the new service for suburban non-CARLI members. The trainings will take place Thursday, December 13, 2007, and Tuesday, December 18, 2007. To register for one of these two training sessions, visit the MLS Continuing Education Calendar at http://www.mls.lib.il.us/calendar. Training will include the proper use of new delivery labels and updating OCLC ILL constant data records, among other topics.

Participating CARLI libraries will be trained on the new system by CARLI. For more information the training through CARLI, visit http://www.illinoisdelivers.net.

More information on the new ILDS service is available at http://www.illinoisdelivers.net/. Non-CARLI MLS suburban member libraries can direct questions to Randy Patka, Building and Delivery Manager, at patkar@mls.lib.il.us, or to Kate Boyle, Resource Sharing Manager, at boylek@mls.lib.il.us.

Published December 12, 2007 in vol. 1, iss. 22 [View]