You are here: Home > Library Administration > Shipping & Receiving
 

Baker/Berry Library Shipping & Receiving Department

The Shipping & Receiving Department is located at ground level in the Berry Library. Entrance to the loading dock is on North Main Street between Carpenter and Carson Hall. Our receiving hours are 8:00 am. to 3:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

What do we do?

The Baker-Berry Shipping & Receiving Department provides a variety of services to the Baker-Berry Library well as the other campus libraries.

Shipping & Receiving has three primary functions: mail services, shipping and receiving interlibrary loan/borrow direct books, and the library courier service. Besides the three primary functions, the Shipping & Receiving Department handles all miscellaneous incoming truck freight and vendor deliveries. Miscellaneous outgoing freight for the various departments is also processed.

The Shipping & Receiving Department is staffed by three full time employees: Andrew Harrington (Supervisor), Philip Garran, and Bruce Wiedrick (Assistants).

Mail Services

Outgoing postal mail is metered for all Baker/Berry Library departments and other campus libraries. Mail Services can perform all the functions of a post office with the exception of selling stamps and money orders.

Incoming first class mail, periodicals, magazines, newspapers and books are received in the Shipping & Receiving Department through the United States Postal Service (USPS), United Parcel Service (UPS), Federal Express, and DHL daily, to be sorted and distributed to the various departments. Campus mail is also received from the Hinman Post Office once a day for sorting and distribution.

Mail is sorted for 30 departments and libraries and is delivered once a day to 22 Baker/Berry departments, Computing Services departments, and Rauner Library. Department mail is delivered and picked up between 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

As part of Mail Services, new books are received in for the Acquisitions Department. Book titles are verified against the invoice and are separated between Monographs and Serials. Incoming new books are processed daily.

Interlibrary Loan/Borrow Direct Book Processing

Interlibrary loan books are picked up daily in the Document Delivery Department in Berry Library and are also received through the library courier from the other campus libraries.

Interlibrary Loan books are processed and shipped daily for the various libraries. Each book is verified with its ILL routing slip for the correct call number and shipping destination along with any special shipping instructions. Books are wrapped and packaged for shipping within 24 hours of receipt and are usually delivered within two to five working days.

Interlibrary Loan books are shipped by the United Parcel Service (UPS), Federal Express, and the United States Postal Service. The Shipping & Receiving Department data base allows us to ship and track books sent out by call number and/or book bar code, and the carrier tracking number.  Tracking information provides the recipient information, delivery date and time, and the person that signed for the book/s. Books also carry a $100.00 replacement value with UPS and Federal Express at no cost if lost or damaged. The Shipping & Receiving Department has shipped out books to every state including, Hawaii, Alaska and some U.S. Territories such as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Books have also been shipped to 40 different countries.

Interlibrary Loan books are also shipped through the New Hampshire State Library Van Service. These books are specially marked for the van service, which makes deliveries and pickups on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This is a free courier service  provided for most libraries in the State of New Hampshire.

Interlibrary loan books being returned are also received in the Shipping & Receiving Department through the US Postal Service, United Parcel Service and Federal Express. Books are removed from their packaging and distributed to the appropriate library.

In line with Interlibrary Loans, Shipping & Receiving processes outgoing Borrow Direct books which is another loan program for the Ivy League Schools.  Books are shipped to 8 Ivy League libraries and MIT for delivery within four days from the patrons on-line request. Because of the volume of Borrow Direct books shipped, each book bar code is scanned before being boxed and a tracking number is recorded for each box being shipped. Borrow Direct books are shipped by UPS only. Borrow Direct books are processed and shipped the same day of receipt.  Like Interlibrary Loan Books, each Borrow Direct Book can be tracked. Borrow Direct books are also received in the Shipping & Receiving Department by UPS for unpacking and distribution.

On average, over 4500 ILL/Borrow Direct books are shipped each month. The Shipping & Receiving Department shipped a total of 55,197 books for the calendar year 2016 which included books loaned and returned for both lending programs.

Library Courier Services

A Courier service originating from the Baker-Berry Library, is provided between all campus libraries to include the Matthews-Fuller Library, Dartmouth Library Depository, Dana Library, Rauner Library, Feldberg Library, and the Hood Museum. The courier transports books, interoffice mail and supplies to the various libraries twice a day. The courier service enables libraries to expedite the transfer of interlibrary loan /borrow direct books and other materials between libraries and various departments. On occasion, the library courier will move large volumes of books to the Dartmouth Library Depository from other campus libraries.

We are a service department striving to provide the best service possible. Your comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. To send questions, comments or suggestions please email Shipping.and.Receiving.Baker.Berry.Library@Dartmouth.EDU or contact us by phone at (603) 646-2054 and (603) 646-0798.