About DLS
A Brief History
DLS began its life in July 1985, as Victoria Express Books with Stephen Walters servicing municipal libraries in Victoria.
The Company name was changed in July 1991 to DLS Australia Pty Ltd and two separate trading names of DLS Library Services and DLS Distribution Services were registered. The reason for this change was mainly to facilitate the introduction of a wholesale distribution division to the company, as library funding was not strong in Victoria at the time, so this diversification was introduced as a buffer to a reduction in public library purchasing.
DLS currently services 16 Victorian municipal library services, all multi-branch libraries or library corporations, mostly in metropolitan Melbourne, but some in regional areas.
We were the first Victorian Library Supplier to offer shelf-ready books and the first to have a website, with both these services now being an integral part of the business of servicing Victorian libraries.
Shelf-ready services have now become a very big part of our operation, with qualified cataloguers and experienced processing staff carrying-out all work on site.
Our website has just had another major upgrade to make it easier to use and with additional features to add value for our customers.
We operate from our office and warehouse in Braeside, Victoria, where visitors are always welcome.
Key Contacts
Donna Anderson
Ph: 03 9587 5044
What Do We Offer at DLS
We offer professional, personal service at extremely attractive terms.
Most books are supplied to libraries these days through standing orders, profile orders, or online buying from supplier's websites, with most of our customers using a combination of these services.
We are very good at all of these, but we still offer some in-house selection services for children's books where required. That's in-house at the library or at DLS. We still believe in giving our customers what they want or need.
Standing Order Services.
We can look after all your needs for any standing orders and because this is a very important part of our business, we give maximum effort to ensure all standing orders are treated as top-priority, particularly for high-demand adult fiction, where our maximum 2 day turnaround time, for full shelf-ready supply, is surely the best in the business.
Apart from adult fiction author standing orders, we also look after adult non-fiction - by author, series, publisher, etc; - travel guides; children's books of all types, including manga; and paperback fiction by genre. The possibilities are almost endless and the terms we offer for standing order supply are extremely
Profile Orders
There are many different interpretations of this form of buying / collection building. We look after many libraries requiring such a service and we are extremely flexible. We do not "select by matrix"- just making up the numbers with anything that vaguely fits a profile - but all selection is done by professional, experienced people who have been buying books for Victorian Public Libraries for over 25 years.
Our profile buying is done library-by-library and title-by-title to ensure that what we supply each customer fits closely to what their profiles stipulate. It is not the quickest way to profile-buy - but it is still the best. We know our state and our customers.
Everything we order for a customer, be it a against a Standing Order or a Profile is processed through our website, so we can send basic on-order MARC records, free of charge, as the orders are placed. Processing orders through the website also keeps a permanent record of all titles ordered, so any library staff member with website access can see what is coming and when it can be expected.
Website Ordering
The DLS Library Servicers website - www.dlsbooks.com.au - has been developed and modified over the past 15 years to meet the needs of our customers.
It does not just give information on new and previously published titles, but it is a also hive of information on literary & book awards, reviews and other media promotions.
We work on updates daily, to ensure that our website is always current.
Our search facilities are easy to use, comprehensive and accurate and we include a "find anything" feature to search international databases for editions of books not listed on our site. It is a window to the world of books.
Other features include almost unlimited "Shopping Carts", with varying levels of authority and with a feature that allows any authorised library staff member to see what is on-order, or has previously been supplied by DLS and even what is in a Shopping Cart, awaiting approval or confirmation. This includes any orders placed by DLS staff, against standing orders or profiles.
So, duplications are virtually impossible.
Our free on-order MARC records can be customised to add additional fields, like a 960 field, according to each customer's requirements.
We are very proud of our website and would welcome the opportunity to give an in-house demonstration in your library. Contact donna@dlsbooks.com to arrange a demonstration visit or to just request a login to browse yourself.
Cataloguing & End-Processing
We believe that we were the first library service in Australia to offer any level of end processing, but we were certainly the first in Victoria, covering books for Geelong Library, back in 1985.
These days, most libraries require shelf-ready books and we are fully equipped to provide this service accurately and to a very high standard. All cataloguing and end-processing work is done in-house by suitably qualified and experienced staff.
Keeping it all in-house not only ensures that we can carefully manage quality control but also allows for flexibility in our workflows so that that high priority items can be fast-tracked, to ensure prompt delivery of urgent and high demand items.
We offer a range of book covering options, including a choice of machine or hand-covering of paperbacks. We give you the finish you want - not just the easiest option for us.
Contracts Covered
We are accredited suppliers under both the current PA and MAV library materials supply contracts.
Prices and Discounts
DLS has always been very competitive in discounts and charges for end-processing services.
We do not charge extra for many items that others do charge for, like for finding and supplying alternative editions of books, where the edition ordered is no longer available, or for "priority" orders.
We do not charge for any profiling services, nor for any freight or delivery.
Contact Us
For further information on what DLS can do for you, please send an email or give us a call on 03 9587 5044. We are certain to be able to put together a supply package that will impress.
Donna Anderson - Manager of Library Service - donna@dlsbooks.com