During 2019, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library planned and budgeted for a new Borrow by Mail service to provide free, convenient home delivery of library materials. A pilot in January 2020 identified functional issues with relying on THPL’s single mail machine, since service would stop when the machine needed repair. When libraries closed in March 2020 due to COVID-19, the sudden need for contact-free service sped up the timeline for resolving these issues and launching Borrow by Mail systemwide.

THPL staff met with other county departments to discuss mailing options using existing resources. The departments collaborated on a plan to meter packages through the county’s central mail room, eliminating reliance on the library’s mail machine. Library-rate mail normally routes through a processing center that is 200 miles from Hillsborough County, so THPL contacted the U.S. Postal Service and arranged for Borrow by Mail to be processed at a local center instead. Items now arrive within five to seven days instead of two weeks.

Borrow by Mail officially launched in June 2020, safely sending library materials to customers who need or prefer print. Library cardholders can request up to 10 books, audiobooks, DVDs or CDs to be delivered to their homes free of charge. Items have an extended checkout period and can be returned to any branch. An address check feature on THPL’s website lets customers verify their information to eliminate delays. Within five months, 21,930 items were mailed to 5,040 homes. The only cost beyond staff time is postage.