|
Once you and an authorizing official of your organization have signed a RIF Service Agreement, you are ready to order books and may do so until the termination date of the agreement.
Guidelines
- The local program coordinator, with the assistance of the book selection committee, is responsible for ordering books. Committees must have at least three people and can include teachers, parents, librarians, or even students.
- The number of books offered at each distribution should be equivalent to the number of children plus a 10-percent cushion.
- At each distribution, provide a wide variety of books that cover a range of reading levels and interests. Activity books and sticker books are considered unsuitable for RIF book distributions and cannot be purchased with federal funding.
- Books costing more than $7 after discount are not eligible for federal funding through RIF with the exception of braille, large-print, and audio books.
Getting Started
- Keep a record of orders placed, payments made, and correspondence with book companies. Allow four to six weeks for delivery before a distribution.
- Consider ordering RIF Ready Packs. Ready Packs are budget-friendly packages of books, grouped by theme and age range, which have been pre-approved by RIF.
- Review the How to be a RIF Book Supplier FAQ. When requesting catalogs, identify yourself as a RIF program to ensure that you receive the correct pricing. If a vendor you are interested in ordering from is not listed, encourage them to apply by directing them to the RIF Book Supplier FAQ.
- Decide whether to place orders before each distribution or just once for the entire service period.
Determining Quantity
- A standard yearlong program should provide at least three books to each child through three distributions. A short program should offer a minimum of two book titles through two distributions. And an extended program should provide at least five books through three distributions. Additionally, there should be a 10-percent book cushion to ensure that each child has a selection of books from which to choose.
- Determine how many books will be needed for the various ages and interests of the children your program serves. Take into account any remaining books from previous years.
- Consider ordering multiple copies of popular titles or pre-packaged assortments that offer a variety of books at a low average price per book.
- Be sure to consider children who have special needs or interests and account for such factors as cultural diversity, age appropriateness, language, girl-to-boy ratio, etc. The Book Supplier Profile allows you to search for sellers that offer particular kinds of books, such as bilingual or Braille titles. Remember that such books often cost more.
Calculating Costs
- Keep your average cost per book in mind. Ensure the quality of books by not spending less than the average calculated cost per book.
- Compare the total purchase price of your books (including shipping where applicable) against the balances of your local funds and federal matching funds in the RIF Account Management System (RAMS). If you lack sufficient funds, your program must raise additional money to supplement the budget provided by RIF. We cannot cover the added cost of extra books or books that exceed budget allowances.
Using Order Forms
- If books are needed by a certain date, indicate that date on your order form. Write "substitutions permitted" on your order if you agree to allow the company to provide similar titles of equal cost. Most companies automatically back-order books unless you explicitly instruct them not to, so be sure to include any such request on your order form. You should also provide an alternate booklist if you do not wish to wait for the company to ship out-of-stock titles until they become available.
- Address orders to the contact person listed in the Book Supplier Profile.
- Keep a copy of your orders and note when they were placed.
Following Up
- If your books do not arrive within four weeks of submitting your order, contact the vendor’s RIF liaison.
- When your books arrive, check titles and quantities against the order, the packing list, and the invoice.
- During distributions, volunteers may wish to take note of children's reactions to the books being offered. Such observations can be helpful in determining favorite authors and themes and can influence the next round of orders.
- Some companies ship "bonus books" to programs placing large orders. If these books are appropriate for the children served, they can be offered at a RIF distribution. If the books are not appropriate for any reason (e.g., wrong age group), contact the book supplier to request appropriate substitutes, or use them as incentives or prizes outside your normal RIF distribution.
Need Help? Call us now at 1-877-RIF-READ (743-7323).
|