Below is an important message from the Empire Library Delivery Service, successor to LAND.
On behalf of NYSHEI, it has been a pleasure working with the LAND network on an interim basis. I am particularly proud that we have been able to maintain the program and enhance efficiency during this transitional period. Best of luck to all.
Empire Library Delivery (ELD) will start on July 2, 2012 after the expiration of the current LAND contract on June 30, 2012 (currently being administered by NYSHEI). ELD is a service of the NY3Rs Association, Inc. and will provide delivery service to all existing LAND participants. Transition to the new service should be seamless for all current participants, as a contract has been signed with the same vendor who has been providing the service in recent years.
A task force comprised of representatives from the NY3Rs, SUNY, CUNY, ConnectNY and the IDS Project has been working since the fall of 2011 to develop the replacement for LAND. The task force engaged Greg Pronevitz from the Massachusetts Library System as a consultant to assist with the process. After surveying participating libraries, the task force drafted an RFP and went out to bid for the delivery service. Ten proposals were received and reviewed, and three vendors were invited to make in-person presentations to the task force. The majority of LAND participants indicated the cost of the service was a major concern and were unable to absorb higher payments. The task force agreed to contract with the lowest bidder, Velocity Express, for a one-year pilot period.
The NY3Rs will manage the Empire Library Delivery service, and each participant will be invoiced by their regional 3Rs organization. The cost of the service is $21 per stop; $5,250 per year based on five days per week, and allowing for two weeks of non-delivery days (breaks and holidays).
The new service will build on the existing services provided by Velocity to include web-based order/stop entry, label production, tracking, and 24/7/365 customer service (tracking will be rolled out in early Fall 2012). NY3Rs has purchased delivery totes that will be provided to each participating library. The totes will be blue (similar to the current zipper bags) and will be stamped “Empire Library Delivery”, making them easily identifiable by both library staff and Velocity couriers. This service will be managed by a part-time ELD manager employed by NY3Rs Association and evaluated regularly by members of an ELD Participant Task Force (to be developed) to ensure that our members are receiving the exemplary service promised to us by the vendor.
NEXT STEPS:
For libraries that will continue their participation in the statewide delivery system, no action is needed. For those that wish to discontinue their participation, please email jkucsma@metro.org by end-of-business June 29, 2012. Failure to opt-out will result in those libraries being billed for daily per-stop charges until we have received your opt-out request.
As mentioned above, all participating libraries will be billed on a quarterly basis, with an added option to pay for the entire year upfront. Participants from the CUNY and SUNY systems will receive additional details from their central offices shortly.
Additional information regarding issue reporting and other client service issues will be distributed as soon as possible.
If you have any questions, please contact one of the NY3Rs delivery task force members:
Debby Emerson (demerson@clrc.org)
Jason Kucsma (jkucsma@metro.org)
Jean Sheviak (jsheviak@cdlc.org).
We are truly appreciative of the feedback from our member libraries — including their willingness to entertain creative solutions to address the service — and we are confident that we have reached a solution that will satisfy the majority of participating LAND libraries. Additional developments will be posted on the Empire Library Delivery website: empirelibrarydelivery.org.
