According to our last delivery volume survey, the Nevins Memorial Library in Methuen is the 6th busiest library in the region. With over 150 items going into the NMRLS' delivery system each day, the circulation staff at the Nevins Memorial Library know a lot about NMRLS Delivery Routing Slips!

Having to handwrite THAT many routing slips each day for interlibrary loan is a daunting task, not to mention a painful one. Staff would surely suffer from hand cramps or, worse yet, arthritis if they were write out everything by hand!

Well, Sharon Morley and her staff have devised an answer to the hand cramp! Simply stated, they pre-print all of their delivery routing slips.

Located conveniently on the circulation desk, are 4 trays (at left) that contain pre-printed slips to all of the libraries that they "do business" with on a daily basis. When they have an item that requires a routing slip, they simply choose the appropriate slip, stamp the date, and attach it to the item. Three steps and they're done - NO writing at all!

Single-page master sheets are maintained in a file (at right), that can be stored anywhere there is room. The trays at the desk are routinely replenished with new slips.

Methuen's pre-printed delivery routing slips are quick and easy to read (which, in turn, improves on accuracy for sorting and delivery purposes). The system is also space efficient. Perhaps, this system might work for your library?!

For an electronic version of the routing slips, please visit http://www.nmrls.org/delivery/index.shtml.