Guidelines intended to provide advice to those in libraries and elsewhere who have occasion to ship microforms. --by ALCTS Preservation and Reformatting Section (1989)

Guidelines for Packaging and Shipping Microforms

These brief guidelines are intended to provide advice to those in libraries and elsewhere who have occasion to ship microforms.

1. General
   • It is the responsibility of the lending library to specify the method of shipment for return of materials.
   • The lending library may place a limit on the amount of microform material to be lent at one time.
   • The lending library should spell out conditions of use, whether copying is permitted and what restrictions on copying are to be observed, e.g., only by library staff is a supervised copy service.
     If problems should occur, such as film breakage, the borrowing library should not attempt repairs. The nature of the damage should be explained clearly in a note which accompanies return shipment. The library in which damage occurred should expect to be charged if the cost of repair or replacement is substantial.
2. Microfilm
   • The lending library should pack microfilm reels in their individual boxes, in rigid containers such as corrugated board, with bubble wrap. The film reels should be packed snugly into the outer containers to avoid damage in transit.
   • The borrowing library should return microfilm in the same type container in which it was shipped. Film should be rewound and secured with wrappers supplied.
3. Flat Microforms
   • The lending library should place microfiche or opaques in a rigid pamphlet cover with a pocket, inside an envelope. Alternatively a rigid box of the proper size may be used.
   • The borrowing library should return microfiche or opaques in the container in which they were received, preferably by first class mail.

Approved by the Board of Directors of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services, a division of the American Library Association, June 27, 1989.