Tennessee: Libraries to Get Cheaper, Faster and More Extensive ILL Service in 2013

From the Tennessee State Library and Archives:

The new Firefly Courier service, developed by the Tennessee State Library and Archives, will link rural, suburban and urban public libraries throughout the state, as well as libraries at colleges and universities.
The new courier service will allow libraries to request and receive books on loan from other libraries more quickly and more efficiently. Interlibrary loans, which previously were handled through the postal service, account for about 125,000 books checked out from Tennessee libraries each year.
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“For many years, we have tried to reimburse libraries for their postage costs to support the interlibrary loan program,” State Librarian and Archivist Chuck Sherrill said. “We have been spending about $200,000 per year, but even that only covers about half the postage costs.”
The new courier service was developed in conjunction with Tenn-Share, an organization that helps Tennessee libraries take advantage of group purchasing power and innovative resource-sharing projects. The courier will visit each of the state’s 177 public libraries twice weekly, at no cost to the local libraries.
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“Just lending among our public libraries is a big business, but adding Vanderbilt University, the University of Tennessee and all the other private libraries in Firefly will make many more titles available to Tennesseans,” Sherrill said.

Learn More About the Firefly Courier Service (via Tenn-Share)
See Also: Tenn-Share 2013-2014 dues increase

Filed under: Archives and Special Collections, Libraries, News, Public Libraries