What Does a Greyhound Bus Have to Do With the Library?

August 15, 2012

When I talk to people about my job and Interlibrary Loan, I am always surprised how many do not realize how we get the books back and forth between libraries. They know that the request goes out, and within a couple of weeks, the item they requested is ready for them to pick-up at their local branch. Our customers know that we have trucks that go back and forth between our branches, but how do the outside items come in?

If you guessed the US Mail, you would only be half right. Approximately 50% of the items that come to us from outside the system come through our courier services. The couriers cover a wide area, including Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arkansas. Our couriers use vans and the Greyhound bus to get things back and forth between other libraries. It is a wonderful system that saves us money and time and allows us to get items out to the customers that much quicker.

Karen Wickwire
Interlibrary Loan Manager