The purpose of this prospectus is to provide your library with an overview of the major facets and issues regarding participation in the New England Regional Depository.

The use of any library depository presents a library with many decisions to make, and a regional shared depository presents additional issues. The success of any regional depository solution is dependent upon five major success factors. The first four factors directly involve the selection and deposit of the materials themselves, and are illustrated here as the points on the "success diamond": facility design and construction; selection of materials and access systems; inventory control systems, including the local library circulation system and the facility inventory control; and delivery mechanisms, including electronic and ground delivery, and onsite use. The fifth factor, in the center, involves issues related to the business operations.

FACILITY ISSUES

VENUE.  The New England Regional Depository is located in Franklin, Massachusetts, about 20 miles south of I-90 and immediately off I-495. At the present time no additional regional facilities are being planned.

STRUCTURE.  The Depository is in a leased facility that was an existing storage facility. The building has been customized to meet the specific requirements for temperature and humidity control, as well as fire and theft protection. Should the facility need to be relocated at some time in the future, William B. Meyer will make every reasonable effort to ensure minimal interruption of service, and will relocate the materials to the new facility at no additional charge to the participating libraries.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.  The temperature and humidity control is similar to that of a well-maintained air-conditioned library, with a consistent year-round temperature of 68º (+ 4º), and a relative humidity of 50% (+ 5º). The building was designed for general stack materials. Storage of some types of materials (such as those that require more stringent temperature/humidity control) may not be recommended, but NELINET and Meyer will work with your library to identify under what conditions your special needs can be accommodated.

SHELVING.  The building employs open shelves with high density racking (similar to a Harvard-style facility). Storage containers are acid free (pH 8.0) in multiple sizes.

SAFETY AND SECURITY.  Fire and smoke detection and suppression systems meet or exceed local fire requirements. Theft protection systems are also in place to ensure the security of the materials being housed.

SPECIAL FACILITIES.  An small on-site reading space is available. To use materials on-site the library must schedule an appointment and request the needed materials in advance. The facility currently does not have available special on-site preservation, microfilming, or digitization facilities.

FACILITY MANAGEMENT.  William B. Meyer bears full responsibility for the ongoing management and maintenance of the facility and the materials housed. Please see the standard agreements for additional provisions concerning the loading, transportation, liability coverage, housing or maintenance of the facilities or materials contained, etc.

SELECTION AND ACCESS

OWNERSHIP AND INTER-INSTITUTIONAL AGREEMENTS.   Your library retains full ownership of all materials housed in Depository. The Depository is not a unique copy facility; you are free to select whatever materials you wish to house.

COLLECTION MANAGEMENT AND SELECTION DECISIONS.  It is expected that for most libraries, the most commonly housed materials will be bound volumes (e.g., books or bound journals) in standard sizes (ranging from 8 inches high by 6 inches wide to 16 inches high by 13 inches wide. The Depository will also accept the following materials, with the pricing custom-quoted based upon the sizes and volume:

• Standard VHS videotapes

• Standard microfilm that is contained in a standard microfilm box

• Archival or boxes (e.g., R-chive, Hollinger) in which papers or volumes are stored but for which there is no record of bar codes for individual pieces.

Inquiries are welcome for other formats of material not listed above.

The Depository will be unable to accept materials that have identified physical problems (e.g., mold or insect infestations) that could adversely affect other materials housed in the facility. Your library also will be responsible for vacuuming all materials prior to sending them to the Depository, as well as for any other special preparation (e.g., shrink wrapping, special boxes, envelopes, encapsulation, etc.) that you wish for the materials. Some special processing and preservation options are available from William B. Meyer at an additional cost.

GETTING STARTED.  When you join the Depository, NELINET will provide you with a wealth of information on the best practices for selecting, preparing, and shipping your materials to the Depository. You will receive guidelines, workshops, and custom consulting advice about the relocation and storage process. Of course, within the parameters set forth above the ultimate decision for selection of materials will rest with your library.

INITIAL AND SUBSEQUENT LOADS.  Initial and subsequent loads will usually be picked-up Monday-Friday. For most libraries, the Depository will be most economical if you have at least 5,000 volumes (or equivalent) to deposit in your initial load. (Supplemental loads will have no minimum load size, but prices may vary depending upon the load size.) Pickup will occur after materials are prepared and all agreements have been executed. The processing time for initial loads will generally be no longer than three weeks.

COLLECTION ACCESS.  The Meyer inventory control system is a web-based application that will provide libraries with immediate real-time access to information. Meyer will work with your library to develop a Web interface. This interface will enable access to retrieval request forms and status reports.

INVENTORY CONTROL: RETRIEVAL AND CIRCULATION

CIRCULATION CONTROL.  Primary access to materials in the depository will be through the library's own catalog and circulation system. Your library can set your own local circulation parameters. Material checkout, including overdue notification, will be accomplished through your local library system. Meyer is able to accommodate any standard bar code. To shelve bound materials in the Depository, it is generally required that the library affix the bar code in the portion of the front cover of the book (preferably in the upper left corner of the item). For current barcodes located elsewhere (e.g., inside the book), alternatives are available at an additional cost to generate a duplicate barcode that you can affix to the front cover.

ONLINE STATUS REPORTS.  About a week before pickup, libraries will need to provide a file in MARC format to Meyer for loading into the inventory control system. The file will include the bar code and the brief cataloging record for each item. The library will also scan the bar codes of all volumes being shipped into their local library system to show the items as being in transit. After the material arrives at the Depository, the Meyer inventory control system will link the item bar code to the specific shelf and tray location. After the item is accessioned by Meyer, information will be transmitted by the Meyer inventory control system to the local library system to update the status and to show the depository shelving location.

REPORTS.  The Meyer system will generate standard statistical reports, such as lists of titles housed or requested (sorted by author, title, bar code, and shelf location), as well as items permanently withdrawn from the Depository. Custom reports may be available, at a charge to the requesting library. Meyer will provide general statistical information about materials circulated from the Depository. However, the library is responsible for collecting any required copyright compliance data.

PATRON DATA.  Individual borrower circulation records are the responsibility of your library. To protect the privacy of borrowers, the Meyer inventory control system will not retain any information about the individual borrower, but only information about the library or location to which it lent the item.

ITEM REQUESTS.  Item requests will be processed Monday through Friday, from 8 am through 5 pm. In any one year, it is generally estimated that a library may retrieve up to 4% per year of the materials before special surcharges may apply. There will be no limit as to the number of items that can be requested at one time (e.g., multi-year journal backfiles), but delivery time may be somewhat affected for very large retrievals. The library can enable its borrowers to place a request directly through the local library system, which can then be transmitted to the Meyer inventory control system.

DELIVERY SERVICES

ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT.  All transactions (including pre-preparation activities, initial loading, and ongoing charges) will be billed through NELINET. Full members who pay through their deposit accounts will receive the most favorable rates. Multiple branch libraries may house materials at the facility under a single account or as separate accounts.

GENERAL DELIVERY PROVISIONS.  Item requests received by 3:00 p.m. are retrieved and shipped by 10:00 a.m. the following business day. Requests are generally processed on a first-in, first-out basis. Rush retrievals are available, but an additional fee will apply. Batch delivery for multiple items is also available.

ELECTRONIC DELIVERY.  Electronic delivery will be the preferred method for non-returnable items whenever practical. Multiple delivery options will be available, including use of Ariel to the library's interlibrary loan department and posting of scanned images to private and secure websites for library retrieval. Libraries may also choose to have direct delivery to the requester via e-mail.

GROUND DELIVERY.  Multiple options are available for ground delivery: (1) Meyer will cooperate with local or regional ground delivery services with which the library already has an agreement; (2) delivery via a common carrier (such as UPS) will be available at competitive rates by employing the high volume discounts for which Meyer already qualifies; and (3) should traffic warrant, the library can contract with Meyer to offer custom courier services to certain libraries or regions that have very large deposits. The physical preparation of the material for shipment to and from the Depository will depend upon the method of shipment.

ONSITE USE.  An onsite reading room is available. Visits to the Depository must be scheduled in advance, with visitors presenting valid picture ID cards on arrival. All materials to be used on the day of the visit must be requested at least one business day in advance, and the materials must be used onsite. Access to materials owned by another Depository member library will be available if approved in advance by the owning library. Although no reference services or self-service copiers will be available, photocopies can be requested and will be processed by staff as if the request had been made for delivery to the home library.

BUSINESS ISSUES

DISASTER PLANS.  Meyer has a disaster plan to ensure the security of the materials housed in the collection and the data security of the inventory control system.

INSURANCE COVERAGE.  The service agreements provide statements concerning insurance coverage. These agreements include the limits of coverage by Meyer (for material in transit, in the facility, and in transit for delivery upon request). Libraries are encouraged to continue their own insurance or liability policies for materials housed in the Depository.

CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS.  To participate in the Depository, your library or institution will need to sign two agreements: (1) an agreement between NELINET and your library covering NELINET educational, consulting, and fiscal services, and (2) an agreement between Meyer and your library covering transfer, loading, inventory control, technology, and liability issues. Sample copies of these agreements are available on the NELINET Website.

FEES FOR SERVICES.  Final pricing may vary based the volume of material in your initial and supplemental loads, the length of your agreement, your potential startup date, etc. Price increases for material stored will be limited to the rate of rise in the Consumer Price Index (Urban). Prices for retrieval and deaccessioning will be set annually.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES FROM WILLIAM B. MEYER.  Through your NELINET membership, it is also possible for your library to purchase other temporary relocation or temporary storage. By purchasing these services through NELINET, you not only will receive additional services free-of-charge, but you can simplify the purchase process by being able to deduct the cost of the services from your NELINET deposit account.

COMMUNICATIONS AND MEMBER FEEDBACK.  As a participant, your library will not just be a customer, but a member. Your library will be entitled to attend annual meetings of the Depository Members Group, which will provide updated information and a forum for comments and questions. Representatives from your library will be eligible for consideration to serve on the Advisory Committee to advise Meyer and NELINET on preferred policies and practices.

LONG-TERM COMMITMENTS.  William B. Meyer commits to provide depository services on a long-term basis. Should there ever be a reason why this service needs to be discontinued, Meyer is committed to make every reasonable effort to provide libraries that have materials in the Depository with at least two year's advance notice of the need to relocate the materials.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

Timothy Rivard, Consultant, Collection Services
NELINET, Inc.
153 Cordaville Road, Suite 200
Southborough, MA 01772
1.800.NELINET ext. 1949
rivard@nelinet.net

Carla Caforio
Library Relocation Division, William B. Meyer, Inc.
20 Liberty Way
Franklin, MA 02038
800.850.1482
ccaforio@williambmeyer.com

June 21, 2007