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FVRL News
Library to Reduce Books-by-mail Service Beginning March 1
District-wide -
Cardholders may qualify for continued service based on mobility or distance
VANCOUVER, Wash. -- The Fort Vancouver Regional Library District Board of Trustees approved cutbacks to the district's books-by-mail service at their regular meeting Feb. 9 at Three Creeks Community Library.
The reductions are intended to help bring the district's 2009 postage expenditures in line with budget cutbacks resulting from severe revenue reductions and rising costs.
Mail delivery will be removed from the list of delivery options in the district's catalog on March 1. Only cardholders who have been pre-approved for continued mail service will see mail as a delivery option when they log in to the catalog. Eligible cardholders will continue to receive books by mail at no charge.
Eligibility for continued service will be granted via a case-by-case review of application forms, which will be available online and in libraries beginning Friday, Feb. 20. Eligibility will be based on two main criteria:
- A cardholder's limited physical mobility coupled with difficulty receiving books via pickup at a library, or
- Location of a cardholder's in-district residence more than 10 driving miles from the nearest library, coupled with difficulty receiving books via pickup at a library.
The individual's ability to have someone else pick up library items for them will be considered as well. For instance, a bedridden individual might have a live-in care provider or neighbor who frequents the library pick up and return books for him.
Through March 31, the district will continue to mail books that were put on hold for mail delivery. Beginning April 1, books requested for mailing will instead be delivered to libraries as they become available. The exception will be mail deliveries to cardholders who have been pre-approved for mailing.
More information about the changes is available at www.fvrl.org and will be updated as staff work out logistics.
"We're hoping the reductions we're making will achieve our budget goals without having to adjust eligibility criteria or further restrict mailing privileges later this year," said FVRL Executive Director Bruce Ziegman. "This will depend in part on the conscientious use of the mailing option by people who have legitimate barriers that don't allow them to travel to a library."
"We're making reductions in our books-by-mail service, as well as other significant spending cuts, because our economic situation leaves us no choice," Ziegman continued. "In many ways, books-by-mail service has been a forward-thinking model in our efforts to make library service convenient for all citizens. However, we know from the comments we've received that mail service is often much more than a convenience for many customers --- it's even been described as a 'life saver' by several homebound individuals."
The district plans to launch a fee-based system in 2010 that would offer all cardholders a mail delivery option. At that time, cardholders who have been deemed eligible for mail delivery on the basis of mobility or distance issues will most likely continue to have this option available to them at no charge.
Ziegman expressed appreciation for many cardholders' past voluntary efforts to help the district try to contain mailing costs, including selecting library pickup rather than mail when putting books on hold, making monetary contributions to offset postage costs, and opting for email or phone messages rather than mailed notices.
About Fort Vancouver Regional Library District
Established in 1950, the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District (FVRL) provides a vast range of information and cultural services to more than 436,000 Southwest and South Central Washington citizens in Clark, Skamania and Klickitat Counties and the city of Woodland and Yale Valley Library District in Cowlitz County. FVRL provides services through a Web site at www.fvrl.org, direct dial-up, books-by-mail for those who find it difficult to visit libraries, bookmobiles, telephone information services, outreach programs, and 13 community libraries: Battle Ground, Cascade Park, Goldendale, La Center, North Bonneville, Ridgefield, Stevenson, Three Creeks, Vancouver (main), Vancouver Mall, Washougal, White Salmon Valley and Woodland.
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Release Dated February 11, 2009 |
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For information about news releases or anything about Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, media representatives should contact:
Sue Vanlaanen
FVRL Communications Director
Phone: (360) 699-8815
Fax: (360) 693-2681
Email: communications@fvrl.org
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