It’s been one week since IHLS implemented new routes and changed hub boundaries. We saw a few bumps in the first week, but the good news is that there will be less in the coming weeks as we work through these changes. I thought I would share some of the questions I’ve received and hopefully this will help!
- I am worried about the 24 hour access. How does this work?
- We’ve asked for “24 hour access”, but what we really mean is that since we run routes earlier – we need access to your library before you open to make the exchange of items. That doesn’t mean that we need access to you library at all hours – it just means that we need more flexibility in your schedule and access when your library may be closed to deliver your items more efficiently.
- I used to get delivery in the morning, now the driver is coming in the afternoon. Is there any way that my library could go back to morning deliveries?
- This is a multi-faceted answer. The short answer is maybe. Nothing is written in stone. Delivery has gained 31 ILDS stops. The Laboratory for Applied Spatial Analysis (LASA) from SIUE, generated routes for us and, I will be honest, we are still tweaking them. The routes look great on paper but we know that sometimes doesn’t translate completely into practice. While we are trying to accommodate requests, there are times we simply cannot switch the routes – but that does not mean that we won’t be able to change in the future. If the delivery time for your library could be better, please let your hub manager, or me, Susan, know. We are keeping a file of requests and will do our best to accommodate those libraries if possible.
- This functional 5 day a week service – how does that work?
- LASA created our routes with the goal of providing functional 5 day a week service. Changing the routes is the first step. Next, comes how to notify delivery when you, the library, has something for pickup. Traci Edwards
,has created notifications to alert delivery staff when a library has scanned in an item for pickup. For non-SHARE libraries, we are working on a general email for you to alert delivery staff when you need a pick up. If delivery has something, we will deliver whether it is your “day” of service or not. More information will be coming in the next couple of weeks.
- I heard something about libraries pre-sorting the items. Do I have to do this and how?
- In a couple of weeks, we will be asking for volunteers to do “pre-sorting”. What that means is we would give your library, depending on what you prefer, 4 tubs and/or bags. They would be labeled ZED (Edwardsville), ZCA (Carbondale), ZCH (Champaign) and ILDS. You would simply place the item (for SHARE members, the 3 letter hub code is on the label) in the correct hub container for where the library is located. Volumes have increased exponentially and this will greatly cut down on the sorting time needed to process items and allow the items between our hubs to move more quickly.
- The routes on the website are not updated.
- We are still tweaking the routes. Please ask your hub manager for a current list. We will notify you once the routes have been updated on the website.
If you have any other questions/comments, please do not hesitate to share them with your hub manager or myself, Susan Palmer. We are moving towards the goal of better service for you, our member library. We value your input. Thank you for partnering with us to achieve this goal!
Susan Palmer
Operations Director
Illinois Heartland Library System
6725 Goshen Road
Edwardsville, Illinois 62025
618/656-3216 ext. 409
spalmer@illinoisheartland.org
