Library Logistics: Truck Drivers and Books

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Book Recommendations & Other Musings

by Carol Tuttle

Carol Tuttle, Collection Services Librarian

We are starting to appreciate how important truck drivers are to libraries. On July 1, there was a switch to a new provider for the daily delivery service between all libraries (public and academic) across the state of Ohio. Hopes were high as we started, but it is taking longer than expected for the company to get up to speed with daily pickups and drop-offs to CLEVNET libraries. If your hold is being filled by another CLEVNET library, you are seeing a longer wait than usual. We apologize for this and ask for your patience. The WEPL staff is working hard to get books and films transferred between our neighboring Lake County libraries and filling your holds from our own shelves because the delivery delays are impacting what other libraries can send us. We are hoping more truck drivers get hired soon by the company with the State Library of Ohio contract.

Book publishers are also being impacted by a shortage of truck drivers, and downstream of this is the impact to libraries. Our book supplier is seeing delays in filling their orders from publishers, as well as having staffing shortages due to the boom in hiring and lack of applications. So, the pandemic repercussions continue in the library supply chain. We’ve never appreciated truck drivers for their help more than now. Remember, no trucks are needed to deliver our digital library items to you!

Carol Tuttle is the Collections & Digital Services Manager for the Willoughby-Eastlake Library System.

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