A quick update before the holidays are truly upon us. We have set up close to 2,000 new accounts since August, and the incoming orders remain strong. We are entering the heaviest retail season, but library volume will decrease as fewer new titles are released at the end of the year. This gives us an opportunity to train our new staff and focus on getting caught up. Hiring is going better than expected, and we are now running additional library processing shifts in our distribution facilities.
‘Book Only’ orders in our Tennessee, Oregon, and Indiana warehouses are reliably turning around in seven days for our existing customers and in 14 days for new customers. Our Chambersburg warehouse is still recovering from some technical challenges, and while progress is steady, it will be January before we are fully caught up there. However, the team in Pennsylvania implemented a new picking system for the big books that ensures libraries get high-visibility titles more quickly. We are also adding more robots to the grid this week which will continue to expand our capacity.
‘Book Only’ rush accounts and IngramExpress accounts ship within three days across all warehouses. We advised libraries to use these account types to help us prioritize work and minimize patron impact during this time of unprecedented library demand. The strategy is working well!
Processing in all warehouses is currently running at about four weeks. Thanks to our new hires, we’re seeing daily improvements in work-in-progress numbers and remain on track to restore typical turnaround times in January.
I am pleased to announce that we have formalized a relationship with Backstage Library Works and are now offering their services to libraries that need a quick shelf-ready setup or require C&P services that Ingram does not offer. Backstage provides high-quality, cost-effective professional services to help libraries organize, describe, and preserve their collections to enhance discovery and user access. They will bring a unique array of technology, tools, and expertise to Ingram Library Services’ customers. Please reach out to me if you are interested in learning more about how the Ingram/Backstage partnership can help your library.
I wish everyone a happy holiday week. Our teams will be working every day except Thanksgiving. We’ve found that preserving the holiday for rest and reflection is far more beneficial to morale than any operational gains from requiring work on the holiday.
All the best,
