Duplicate Exchange (DUPEX) Service

The ACL DUPEX Service facilitates the exchange needs of book-, periodical-, and microform- collections. This distribution list is limited to the exchange of free materials, the only cost being postage.

DUPEX lists created by ACL members or institutions are sent to the ACL DUPEX Service exclusively, not the main ACL distribution list.

Other library items such as furniture being offered for exchange are sent to the main distribution list because other ACL members or institutions that do not access the ACL DUPEX Service may be interested in these items.

The person signing onto the ACL DUPEX Service does not have to be a member of ACL though he must work under the supervision of an ACL member or at an institution that is a member.

Those who make use of the ACL DUPEX Service are responsible for checking postings being aware that lists have a time limit and requests are filled by the originating library in order of receipt.

Want lists and priced lists should not be sent to the ACL DUPEX Service.

If your library failed to receive reimbursement and followed the procedures set forth below, report the offending library to the list’s coordinator. Any library that repeatedly fails to reimburse postage will not be allowed to participate in the ACL DUPEX Service.

Briefly speaking

• Send a list of the exchange materials to the distribution list. Only items in usable condition should be listed.
• Members make their requests via email or mail.
• The originating library fills the requests in order of receipt. [The originating library is encouraged to send a brief email to the requestor that items are available if requested via email. No notice of unavailability needs to be sent by the originating library.]
• All packages should be wrapped securely.
• Use library rate for shipping.
• When the requesting library receives the exchange items, it refunds the postage amount if necessary.

More Details

Any person sending a DUPEX list to the ACL DUPEX Service must include the following information:

1. Date until which items on the list are available
   1. Six weeks is sufficient.
   2. When choosing your date, keep certain times in mind when a timely response may be difficult, e.g., ACL conference, Christmas, etc.
2. Contact person’s name with email and mailing address
3. Reimbursement requirements
   1. The standard is that reimbursement for the entire cost of postage is
      necessary if the total cost of postage is over $3. If the total cost of postage
      is under $3, reimbursement is not necessary. Reimbursement is usually
      made with stamps.
   2. NOTE: Some institution’s policies set an amount other than $3 under which postage is covered. Please, make your policy clear on your list.
   3. NOTE: Some institutions cannot accept stamps and need a check, e.g.,
      Canadian libraries, or prefer to be reimbursed by check, please note this preference clearly on your list.
4. List of items available for exchange
   1. For periodicals, provide the following information: title, volume, issue number, date, whether loose or bound, and format (text or microform). You may want to separate the formats and note for the whole list which applies.
   2. For reference books, provide the following information: title, edition/year, multiple volumes.
   3. For other books, provide the complete citation.
5. Make the subject line of the email descriptive enough for people to discern what
   your list mainly includes.
6. Enclose your reimbursement requirements when shipping materials in order to
   ensure proper reimbursement.

Any person requesting items from an ACL DUPEX list must do so in the following manner:

1. If responding via email,
   1. Only respond to the contact person, not the whole distribution list;
   2. In your reply, list only the items you are requesting;
   3. Provide a mailing address with your request;
   4. Reimburse postage if necessary upon arrival.
2. If responding via postal mail,
   1. Print the list;
   2. Circle in red or highlight the items that you are requesting;
   3. Stamp each page of the list with your library’s name and/or address;
   4. Mail to the appropriate library;
   5. Include as many mailing labels as you think might be needed;
   6. Reimburse postage if necessary upon arrival.