As the students start to return, we invite you to revisit the information that is available on the ILDS website. Detailed ILDS instructions and the ILDS participant training slides are useful tools for training new staff on the label making process. Review the current list of ILDS participants.

Labeling Bags for Delivery

Please check 3-letter codes carefully when labeling bags for ILDS delivery. Many school names sound similar, or have similar ILDS codes. We continue to receive reports of bags that are delivered to the wrong location because they were mislabeled resulting in delayed delivery for our patrons. Please refer to the list often to ensure that all staff are aware of the locations that are direct stops, as well as the proper code to use.

The CARLI delivery staff and the Preservation Working Group have developed a best practice for the packaging of fragile or expensive materials that travel in ILDS.

Although ILDS delivery bags (both purple and canvas) offer a measure of protection, libraries should not depend upon the bag alone to safeguard items such as audio or video tapes, CD's, DVD's, Blu-ray disks or other fragile and/or high-value items. Materials being transported in ILDS (or any physical delivery service) are handled several times by library and courier staff members and travel in several vehicles both coming and going. While the courier stresses the need to handle library materials appropriately, individual drivers and sorters have no idea what is in any specific bag. Consider the likelihood of damage if you place a single DVD in a thin plastic jewel case in an ILDS bag, just as you would when mailing similar items through the Postal Service or UPS without adequate protection.