2 messages, 61 lines:
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Date:         Fri, 6 Mar 1992 09:32:00 EST
From:         Terry Sayler <Terry_A_SAYLER@UMAIL.UMD.EDU>
Subject:      Re: CHRON.HIGH.ED.delivery problem

We receive 6 copies of the Chronicle.  Receipt varies from Monday thru
Thursday.  This week they arrived on Tuesday.  We have alerted our Mail Room
staff to pick them out of the mail and bring them to a specific staff person
for check-in and routing (RUSH) to avoid complaints from the public.  This
seems to work for us.

  Terry Sayler, University of Maryland, College Park
  ts6@umail.umd.edu

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Date:         Fri, 6 Mar 1992 10:37:00 EST
From:         Pat Salomon <PSALOMO@BGSUOPIE.BITNET>
Subject:      Chronicle of Higher Education delivery

I read with interest all the messages complaining of late
delivery of the Chronicle as we have been having the same problem.
We have advised our vendor several times over the past month,
but delivery is still up to a week late.

So this morning, I called the Washington office of the Chronicle
and spoke to Susan Lothers about this problem, explaining
that is is nationwide.  Here's what we figured out:

Delivery of the Chronicle is by bulk rate through the U.S. Mail
which is true "snail mail."  Staff at the Chronicle are aware
that this causes slow down in delivery and communicate
frequently with the Post Office but the problem is never
solved.  The Chronicle has investigated shipping issues
by truck (which is how your Time and Newsweek gets to you
so fast), but they do not have enough subscriptions to
make this feasible.

Issues for the West coast are shipped out by air to speed
them, but this will not help you if you live in the Midwest.

You could do what we do: We receive 3 copies at the library.
Two of them come bulk rate and the third we have shipped
first class mail.  (This is the copy we make available to
patrons; the others route around the library.)  It is
expensive--$187.50 for us in Ohio versus 67.50 for
bulk mail.

Ms. Lothers suggests that rather than place one order for
multiple copies, you place an order for each copy.  That
way, issues won't be bundled together in one wrapper which
seems to make it less attractive to postal workers who
have to handle it.

I did mention all the messages on SERIALST to Ms. Lothers
and she said that she will certainly speak to her
shipping manager and they will again try to iron this
out with the Post Office.

Cheers,
Pat Salomon (PSALOMO@opie.bgsu.edu)
Bowling Green State U.
Bowling Green OH