Colorado Library Consortium
Libraries throughout the state have been announcing closures to the public and their communities since Friday, March 13.
CLiC immediately responded by setting up a process for libraries to use in requesting suspension of courier service.
Read more here, along with our recent decision to suspend statewide courier service.
LATEST UPDATE: APRIL 27, 2020
The list of libraries closed is no longer accurate nor relevant. This list represented closures as those were happening and were reported to CLiC. The courier “restart” process will look different. Stay attuned to email for communications from CLiC about restoration of services.
MARCH 26, 2020
CLiC’s mission: Connecting. Energizing. Inspiring. Services for libraries throughout Colorado.
This informs everything we do, along with our other beliefs such as the importance of supporting local decision making by every library in Colorado. But these are unprecedented times.
CLiC has made the decision to suspend statewide library courier service effective March 26, 2020 until further notice. This decision was not made lightly. We believe that right now our priority is to do our part to support the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment’s “Stay at Home” public health order for the entire state.
For the past two weeks, our Courier Support Team has been in constant communication with colleagues at Western Peaks Logistics, and both of our organizations have made every effort to continue providing delivery services to libraries where desired or possible. We have also heard details from Western Peaks concerning the impact the COVID-19 situation is having on the delivery needs of essential services such as hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies. Western Peaks Logistics needs to focus on its role in the supply chain, supporting such critical services.
Libraries are in the business of enriching lives, and it is a worthy endeavor to help people and communities meet local needs and exceed aspirations. Statewide resource sharing is a crucial aspect of the infrastructure we ALL provide to our communities, and at some point in the future this activity will return to normal.
However, we must all recognize the realities of today, that life-saving services within our communities are what come first. Hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and other health-related, front-line services need to be able to rely on local and regional transportation infrastructure & systems to deliver the products and resources necessary to care for the people in all of our communities.
CLiC is doing its part. We encourage your organizations to do the same.
Be well,
Jim Duncan | Executive Director
and the rest of the CLiC team
PREVIOUS to March 26–
Early on March 13, 2020 CLiC began to receive a smattering of calls and emails notifying us of school & library closures AND asking us to suspend courier service. CLiC immediately sent a broadcast message to every individual listed in our courier management system database, outlining the process for contacting us.
Below is a list of closures reported to CLiC as of Thursday 3/26/2020, 2:45 PM. There will be no more updates to this list for the foreseeable future.
Here is the spot where CLiC previously published a listing of libraries, schools and academic institutions asking for their courier service to be suspended, as the public health crisis escalated into late March. CLiC has since removed that table. For the latest on any COVID-19 related actions, please visit: CLiC’s COVID-19 Page.
A thunder & lightning storm is blowing through Centennial as we send this message. How fitting…
Recently CLiC received two bins containing a variety of heavily water-damaged books. It’s still a mystery how these arrived at our offices, and where these bins have been held. See below for a list of owning libraries; we WILL be reaching out directly to these libraries to share specific details involving their materials.
But the key reason we’re writing today is to share a best-practice approach to handling reporting material damage involving water and MOLD. Yes, this could even be black mold. Ewww. Nasty. Dangerous.
Preservation experts shudder when they see paper material with damage like this. At CLiC, we mask-up, glove-up and do a bit of forensics work. And then we take the material straight to the dumpster.
Here’s why: most often with damage like this there’s little anyone can do to salvage the item. Again, CLiC strongly recommends that libraries NEVER send rare, irreplaceable material through the courier system. With nearly 3 million items transported every year, the system is not flawless, and unlike UPS, Fedex or the USPS — our carrier cannot provide item-level tracking nor insurance protection.
If YOUR library were to ever receive items in this condition, we strongly recommend taking precautionary action. Gloves and masks at minimum. Disinfecting material for cleaning non-porous hard surfaces.
Our process:
CLiC’s commitment is to review your report thoroughly and respond in a timely fashion.
Now, for the main event… some graphic images… Please see enclosed (click to see closer). Viewer be warned.
MARCH 20, 2019 —
Yesterday afternoon CLiC was informed by American Courier that its material transportation services, which reach many mountain communities across the state, will see some changes. This morning, we were informed that several libraries in the NE part of the state ALSO will experience this change in providers.
American Courier has shifted its primary subcontracted carrier (for certain routes) to a new company. Libraries listed below WILL be affected by this change in contracted carriers. New drivers can be expected, along with a period of rocky transition.
Here’s an analogy: think of it like mail service at your house. One day you might have one mail carrier delivering letters and bills — then the individual retires — and the next day you see a different mail carrier. Bottom line: you’ll still get mail.
Communication is key. Please let us know how things are shaping up in terms of material delivery to your library, where you’re seeing problems, and when you’re receiving good service from a driver, too.
In addition, there is significant potential for new routing to be established. CLiC is actively communicating with American Courier to learn more about ALL of these potential changes. Please submit a report about any issue your library encounters, using our forms. Thank you for your vigilance and communication as we monitor this evolving situation.
Libraries affected:
Here is the spot where CLiC previously published a listing of libraries impacted.
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