Southern Ontario Library Service

Rideau Large Print Pool

Terms of Membership (revised April 2005)

1. PURPOSE
   
   To share resources in a cost effective manner by cooperative acquisition of materials which are rotated to all member libraries.
    
2. MEMBERSHIP
    
   1. Membership is open to any public library willing to contribute an annual membership fee and maintain one or more blocks of large print books.
   2. Member libraries agree to abide by the Terms of Membership.
   3. Members may withdraw from the Pool at any time with 120 days notice (one rotation period). Written notification must be sent to the SOLS Pool Administrator at the SOLS Ottawa office. In this way, the Pool Administrator will know how many libraries will be participating in the next rotation, and the Pool Management Team will know the revenue for the coming year. The withdrawing member library keeps the block(s) that they have at the time of the withdrawal from the Pool. 
   4. New members are welcome.  Each member will contribute two Large Print titles from the block(s) they hold to build each block for the new member(s), and that new titles be added as well to make the total of the block 50. The new member(s) may have to wait for one rotation to allow time to adjust the rotation schedule.
      
       
3. GOVERNANCE
   
   The business of the pool will be conducted in an electronic format. The SOLS Pool Administrator will send out new business via e-mail and the libraries can respond whether they agree or not, any decision made will be based on a consensus from all responding libraries. In April a three (3) person selection team will be elected to direct Pool activities and to make the selections for the coming year.
    
4. FEES
    
   1. The membership year is January 1 to December 3
   2. The annual membership fee is $150.00 + GST per block, payable upon receipt of the SOLS invoice sent to participating libraries sometime after April 1st in the membership year.
   3. SOLS charges an Administration Fee of $50.00 + GST per Board.
   4. Each member of the Management Team or its representative library will receive an honorarium of $50.00 annually.
       
5. BLOCK SIZE
   
   There will be no fewer than 50 titles in each block. A clean, accurate master list of titles must accompany each block at the time of the rotation. Pool members should not assume responsibility for re-typing a block list. All of the lists are printed from a computer database and are easily updated by the Pool Administrator. If there are additions or deletions to be made to a list, indicate the changes in writing on the list and forward the list to the Pool Administrator for updating.
    
6. SELECTION
   
   The Management Team will select materials for the pool from the set of catalogues provided by the SOLS Pool Administrator. New titles will be purchased using the money from the annual fees.
    
7. ACQUISITION
   
   The Management Team will send the marked catalogues to the SOLS Pool Administrator who will place the orders up to the amount available from the budget. All books will be ordered processed. SOLS will provide RLPP spine label stickers with all new titles added to the blocks. SOLS will also affix a sticker on the inside cover of all new titles to indicate the membership year in which the book was purchased (i.e. “02” sticker for membership year 2002). This will avoid weeding new books from the pool.
    
8. WEEDING
    
   1. Weeding is the responsibility of the library holding the block. As new material is received from the Pool Administrator, an equal number of older or worn titles should be weeded so that each block holds 50 titles. This is really the only time that weeding should be done. Titles weeded from a block can become part of the participating library’s collection, or discarded. If you want to keep the title in your collection, please remove all RLPP labels and the block designation and affix your own library identification.
   2. On the your master list of titles in this block, indicate which titles you removed and send the list to the SOLS Pool Administrator who will return an updated list for this block.
       
9. LOST/DAMAGED BOOKS
    
   1. If a title is lost or damaged while on rotation in your library, it is your responsibility to replace the missing title(s) with a book(s) of equal value from your own collection. . If you add a title from your collection, make sure to mark the book with the RLPP Block Number and add a RLPP label to the book (these can be obtained from the SOLS Toronto office).
   2. If the book(s) are still missing four (4) weeks after the rotation takes place, and you are unable to replace the book(s) from your own collection, notify the SOLS Pool Administrator and you will be invoiced for the replacement cost of the missing book(s). Always notify the library that is receiving your block the status of the missing book(s).
       
10. ROTATIONS
     
    1. There will be three (3) rotations per year February, June and October. SOLS will provide an annual list of rotations dates for all pools. SOLS will also post the rotation schedule for each rotation on the Web site.
    2. SOLS will provide courier service to all members of the pool. Libraries not on regular delivery stops will receive special stops at the time of the rotations, or if this is not feasible, SOLS will provide and assume the cost of providing commercial courier service (e.g. Purolator) to and from the library. If a library’s block(s) are not ready for courier pick-up on the scheduled day, they will be responsible for shipping the blocks to the next location by other means at their own expense.
        
11. GENERAL PROCEDURES FOR ROTATIONS
     
    1. Receiving Books:
       • Using the block list that accompanies your new block, check the shipment of books to make sure that all titles have been received.
       • Make sure there are at least 50 titles in each block. If less, check to see if the forwarding library has sent you a note indicating when the missing titles should arrive. If there are problems with the total number, please contact the forwarding library first, then the Pool Administrator.
       • Check each book to ensure that it is marked with current block number and that each book has a proper, readable card.
          
    2. Sending Books:
       • As a member of the pool, it is your responsibility to ship your block(s) on the specific date given on the rotation schedule.
       • Remove all books from shelves in plenty of time before rotation date to ensure that complete blocks can be shipped at one time.
       • Make sure that all cards are in the proper books.
       • Box items carefully, making sure that all the titles in the original shipment you received are now accounted for. Label and address boxes as in examples.
          

         FROM: Rideau Lakes Public Library - Route B       TO: Renfrew Public Library - Route A   Large Print Books                                Box 1 of 3

         FROM: Rideau Lakes Public Library - Route B      TO:  Westport Public Library              Route B – SPECIAL STOP – Fri Feb 18 Large Print Books                                  Box 1 of 3

       
       
       • If there are overdue titles that will be shipped at a later date, inform the next library in writing as to the status of these titles (e.g. two titles, The Jury and The Firm are out on circulation and are overdue, expect that we should be able to send by the end of next week). Make sure that you keep the receiving library informed of the status of these missing titles. Please do not send overdue titles to the SOLS office, they can be sent directly to the library that now has the titles in that particular block. f) Four (4) weeks following the rotation, if the books are still missing, it is your responsibility to replace the missing titles with books of equal value (and approximately equal publication date), or be invoiced by SOLS for replacement cost. g) Report all changes in block lists to the SOLS Pool Administrator.
          
12. SOLS ROLE
    
    The Southern Ontario Library Service will provide organizational support as follows:
    1. invoice members
    2. order pool materials
    3. assign titles to blocks
    4. provide RLPP stickers
    5. schedule rotations
    6. deliver pool materials
    7. prepare annual financial statements and post on the Web site
    8. schedule general meetings, as necessary
    9. Minutes, agendas, correspondence etc.
    10. maintain pool files
    11. master list of pool holdings
    12. update block lists