TExpress Courier FAQ
Save time and money on your interlibrary loans and improve service to your patrons
The TExpress courier program offers 5-day, 3-day, or 2-day a week courier service to participating libraries throughout Texas for one low annual fee.
TExpress is a program of TexShare, the statewide library resource sharing program available to Texas academic and public libraries.
Whether your primary interlibrary loan activities are lending or borrowing, the TExpress courier service can streamline your shipping, speed up your turnaround time, and save money.
Who are the participating libraries?
TExpress courier offers pickup and delivery service between participating TExpress libraries.
- Go to Amigos’ website for a complete list of participating libraries: http://www.amigos.org/node/137
- All of the major academic libraries in Texas
- Many Texas public libraries
- Many libraries in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Missouri, and Kansas use the Trans-Amigos Express, which connects with TExpress at no extra charge
- Both TPLS and NETLS have regional couriers that TExpress members can send and receive items to libraries in these areas
If you process and ship a large volume of interlibrary loan materials, participation in the TExpress courier program may not only make sending materials easier and less expensive for your own library, but for all of the other TExpress and Trans-Amigos libraries as well.
What is the cost?
TexShare members are eligible for a subscription subsidy from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Courier pricing for FY2024 is:
|
Delivery Service |
Annual Subscription Cost |
Subsidy paid by TSLAC |
Library’s cost after subsidy |
|
5-days per week |
$6,193 |
$2,044 |
$4,149 |
|
3-days per week |
$4,227 |
$1,395 |
$2,832 |
|
2-days per week |
$3,245 |
$1,071 |
$2,174 |
How do you determine if subscribing to TExpress makes sense for your library?
- Take a look at how much you currently spend on interlibrary loan postage.
- Count the number of interlibrary loans items you ship per year. The estimated cost to send a 2 lb. package via USPS library rate is $3.17. Multiply the number of interlibrary loan items shipped in a year by $3.17 and compare that to the annual TExpress fee for the various services above to see if the courier is cost effective for you.
- How much time do you spend packing, labeling, and shipping interlibrary loan materials? Packaging and labeling is simpler with TExpress, saving valuable staff time.
- What is your usual turnaround time for interlibrary loans? Because the TExpress courier comes to your library five days a week, deliveries in Texas usually take only two days!
- Contact a participating member to hear about their experiences with TExpress.
- Contact TexShare: texshare@tsl.texas.gov.
How do you sign up?
To sign up for the service, please contact the Amigos Help Desk at 800-843-8482 or tae@amigos.org or see the Amigos Web site for more information.