Please use plastic bags when shipping items in courier bins during rainy weather and please take care to seal the bags.
Please do not over-tighten the zip ties or rubber bands on shipments. Overly tight zip ties can lead to injuries among your LINK+ colleagues and tight rubber banding can damage paperback books.
See the following links for vendors that may provide more economical/ergonomic zip ties:
http://www.boltproducts.com
(626)961-4401
Avery-Dennison 8" black slim-line cable ties (product #10326). Bolt Products is located in City of Industry, California (an industrial suburb of Los Angeles.)
Do not send misrouted items back to the library that mis-routed them. Instead, send the item to the appropriate member library. A labels template (set up for sheet label stock, 1"x 2 5/8", 30 labels to a sheet) for misrouted items is available from the repository.
When you get a mis-routed shipment that is properly labeled for another library, print and attach a new Unity label before shipping it back out. Unity will consider the original shipping label as "old/used" and might return it to the owning library if it doesn't have a new shipping label.
Please send empty bags and bins back to their owning libraries with a new shipping label.
Shipping labels have 3-letter codes to assist in quick and accurate sorting. While library pouches include the institution’s name on the outside, errors and delays can still occur with shipments lacking labeling if courier staff are uncertain where to send an item or send it to the wrong courier hub.
All empty bags and bins should be returned to the owning library on a daily basis. Members are not charged by the bag or bin, so there is no cost for returning empty bags and bins. You are only being charged for the daily stop.
When returning pouches/bins don't cross out the old label as an indication that the item should be returned to sender. Remove all old labels from empty bags and bins before returning them and then print a new label to place on the bag or bin.
Shipments with multiple labels slow down sorting and can lead to missorts if the bag or bin contains labels with different destinations.
Please take care when labeling courier bags/bins. Always use courier numbers when shipping materials. Make sure you are shipping materials to the proper library. Check to make sure you aren't confusing members with similar names. Make sure courier numbers are clearly displayed on your shipments.
Please take care to rubber band all outgoing books. Properly securing items will prevent damage to your valuable materials. Please be courteous and rubber band other members' items as well as your own.
Do not use other libraries' bins and bags to send your materials. Return bags to the appropriate owning library and make sure that your bags and bins are clearly labeled with your LINK+ courier number. This will help eliminate confusion.
Sorting your LINK+ delivery shelves by the Courier numbering scheme should help alleviate mis-routes. Several members report that they also have posted a copy of the Courier numbering chart near their sorting shelves for an additional reference.
White and other light colored Sharpie pens can be purchased at office supply stores for marking your Courier numbers onto delivery bags and pouches.
Garden pruners/shears and cable tie cutters can be inexpensive, yet effective tools for cutting tightly-secured zip ties. Do not use scissors.
Please do not place tape on any LINK+ books and other items. This can cause damage to books when staff attempt to peel off the tape.
Please do not take the liberty of taping spines or other areas on other institutions' books. If you receive a damaged book, just send it back to the owning library.
Please do not tape paging slips to book bands. Some libraries use paging slips for hold shelf wrappers and the tape can tear when re-positioning the paging slip.
Please use removable tape if you are going to tape notes onto items. Removing other types of tape can tear the book cover or case.
When taping notes to items, put a rubber band over the note (without blocking any important information) and tape the rubber band to the note. This will keep book covers and cases clean and damage-free.
Please take care not to overload bins when shipping materials so they won't be too heavy.
Try using Google Chrome when printing courier labels. I tested the label printing process on three different browsers and Chrome was the fastest and most user friendly. Firefox and Internet Explorer seem to require the user to manually select the zebra printer every time a label (or group of labels) is printed. Chrome, on the other hand, seems to remember what printer was used on various web pages and auto selects the appropriate printer. It also has a much more user friendy print interface. This reduces a few steps and clicks for every print instance which saves times and keeps the focus on generating labels.
If your Zebra printer is only printing every other label, try adjusting your printing preferences to change the height size from 7.00 to 6.00.
Completely out of shipping pouches and bins? You can still ship your items in other containers as long as they are properly addressed and contain all of the information that the courier needs.
The Zebra printer models you have from the old days with Accurate Courier Services are no longer available. If you are looking for a replacement, Zebra recommends the GC420d thermal printer. While shopping, you may want to check out the price at newegg.com.
Many members purchase their shipping labels from the courier but others recommend Amazon as a less expensive alternative.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I13TIJ2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00
Other members purchase label stock from ULINE:
https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-6802/Barcode-Labels/4-x-6-Desktop-Direct-Thermal-Labels?pricode=WY223&utm_source=Bing&utm_medium=pla&utm_term=S-6802Q4&utm_campaign=Bar%2BCode%2BLabels
It is possible for bins to get mixed in by accident because they are all grey, especially when they are stacked like they are in this photo. Please take a minute or two to look through your stack of bins to make sure they are all yours.
Please also make sure your bins are clearly marked inside and out. Sharpie and stickers can get worn off of the bins overtime and they periodically need to be relabeled.
LINK+ items should be sent with labels or book bands (or the paging slip wrapper) on the outside of the item. It may be easier on the lender's end to slip paperwork inside a book or media case, but it takes extra processing time at the borrower's end to find the paperwork and process the material.
Please take care when labeling individual items and courier bags/bins and always include courier numbers on your labels/bookbands and also on shipping materials.
You do not need to purchase your pouches and bins from the courier. Several libraries have found other sources such as Bagproducts (http://www.bagproducts.com/) and EBay. Members report that Bagproducts is slightly more expensive but has a much faster turnaround time than the courier. Other members are getting bags from Demco (http://www.demco.com)
Wherever you purchase your bags, please make sure your library's name and number are clearly printed on the pouches and that they can be secured with a zip-tie.
Make sure you have bookmarked the most recent version of the courier shipping label app. You can't sort the list of destinations by their courier numbers, but you can easily find a specific location by number:
The courier numbering system was created to distinguish members who often get confused for one another. Public libraries are assigned a two-digit number and academic libraries are assigned a three-digit number. Libraries who share a delivery stop also share a courier number:
A shipping supplies list is posted on the repository. This list includes suggested vendors and estimated cost.
When ordering courier bags, purchase canvas or heavy duty nylon. Bags should be at least 14"h x 18"w. Smaller bags often don't hold enough items and many of the larger members opt for 16"h x 20"w. Some have suggested getting a box bottom or gusset bottom because that makes it much easier to load the bags. Your courier number and library name should be printed on bags.
A shipping supplies list is posted on the repository.
When you are short on courier bags, try using recycled boxes, multiple smaller bags/boxes or large media shipping envelopes. The courier allows any type of packaging as long as everything is clearly marked. You can also purchase recyclable plastic mailing bags from the courier. They come in a pack of 50 for $9.50 (check with the courier for the most up-to-date pricing.)
Remember to provide your Unity account number along with your institution name when communicating with Unity customer service. Mentioning "LINK+" doesn't help so always state your individual institution name and account number to avoid confusion.
If you need to escalate an issue further, contact Unity Director of Operations, Alex Gil, at agil@unitycourier.com.
The email address to opt-out of holiday service is:
holidaynotice@unitycourier.com
Please do not place labels underneath DVD, audiobook or any other clear covers. Staff might inadvertently mark the "X" (an indicator that the item is returning to its home library) directly on the plastic cover rather than the label. Placing the label underneath the plastic also makes it slower to process because staff must take time to remove the label to record the due date on it.
Option 1: Use a zip tie, wrap it around the loop, pull extra tight (or some libraries leave a loose loop) and leave a one inch "tail" of zip tie as a handle.
Option 2: Use a large paperclip.
If a LINK+ member is missing from the shipping label web site, you can manually create shipping labels by using the "On-Demand Shipping" tab and keying in the origin/destination address information. Get the address from the Contacts page.
Do NOT use staples on bags, envelopes, pouches, bubble wrap or any other type of delivery packaging. Staples are a quick way to close and seal a pouch, but they often don't close completely and are a hazard. Your colleagues and delivery drivers have been injured by staples.
Tape is a safer method for reusing bags, pouches and envelopes.
More information can be presented on a printed LINK+ label (AVERY 6464) by using the vertical orientation and making the LINK+ logo smaller.
Problems with Unity shipping label content and printing through Unity's software should be reported directly to Unity Customer Service:
Unity Customer Service: customerservice@unitycourier.com 800-992-8890
Manager, Unity Customer Service: Monique Carr, mcarr@unitycourier.com
Please post an alert to the listserv if you become aware of any system-wide (or hub-related) service issues. Your colleagues will appreciate it.
Please do not place any non-removable labels directly onto any item. These types of labels are difficult to remove and they can damage the books.
Avery 6464 nonremovable labels have become difficult to remove and a listserv discussion revealed that heat and age seem to play a role. Avery states that 6464 has been discontinued and recommends 61503 and 61504.
Staff at member libraries have the following tips for getting hard-to-remove labels off of materials:
Please do not place labels on the inside of the clear DVD covers. Doing so results in delays for staff, who must stop and remove them. It can also result in inadvertent ink marks on your cases when staff don't notice that the label is underneath the clear cover.
Please take care not to overload bags/pouches when shipping materials. Over-stuffing bags can cause the zippers to break.
Please do not place labels underneath DVD or CD audiobook covers. Labels should be affixed to the outside of items for easy return-dating and crossing-out/returning. Otherwise, staff will have a hard time pulling the labels out while processing the items.
Please do not cover the barcode with book bands or labels or place labels underneath DVD covers.
Be sure to double check the paperwork when processing items for Yolo County Library patrons. Yolo County has multiple branches, one of which is named, "Yolo". The delivery Stop number and branch name display in the Delivery Stop field on your paging slips while the library name and branch appear in the Pickup At field. Be sure to write both the library name and the branch name on your book labels.
When labeling books for the 49-99 libraries (Amador County, Calaveras County, Lodi Public, Stanislaus County, Stockton-San Joaquin County, and Tuolumne County--courier number 36), always include the library name with the courier number.
Misroutes to these libraries always have one thing in common--their labels only include the shared courier number and pickup branch. None of the labels for misroutes include the library name.
When items are labeled with only the number 36 (and without a specific library name) they may be routed almost anywhere, increasing the time it takes patrons to receive their items. Loaned items have also been lost.
Paging slips for these libraries contain the library name along with the courier number and pickup branch.
Please do not apply labels to other libraries' books if they are using book bands. Be respectful of a member's decision not to use labels.
Please be careful when crossing off LINK+ labels with pens such as Sharpies. When you are in a hurry, your marks can easily run off the label and onto the item itself.
Please do not use light-colored highlighters when crossing off LINK+ labels, particularly yellow. Yellow highlighter can be hard to see.