NOAO has a continuous mail service for the AURA employees serving at the Chilean observatories (CTIO, Gemini, SOAR, and other tenant facilities). The mail shipments are handled by NOAO Procurement located the La Quinta building (Central Administrative Services building). A small mailroom (Q-24) is located next to the Manger, NOAO Procurement's office. Mail for Chilean staff is sorted for transshipment to the employees in Chile or held pending the arrival of a visitor from the Chile facility or forwarded to former employees.

All mail placed in the "CTIO" mail slots in the main building will be collected on a daily basis and forwarded to Chile or held pending the arrival in Tucson of the Chile-based employee. Mail to Chile is shipped in a mailbag twice weekly.

Except for holidays, mailbag shipments depart Tucson every Monday and Wednesday at 10:00 AM and, unless slowed by holidays in the U.S. or Chile, arrive in La Serena later that week. These mailbag shipments are for first class mail, magazines and ionter-office envelopes. Non-first class mail is forwarded to Chile in weekly freight shipments.

Contents of mail shipments to and from Chile can ONLY consist of printed materials and and work-related CDs, audio, video and data tapes. Personal music CDs and movie DVD's are not allowed. Items addressed to employees in Chile that do not meet the "printed materials" classification must be sent as non-official freight/personal goods and cannot be sent with official items. The NOAO procurement Manager is authorized to open mail destined for Chile to verify that the contents comply with regulations. For clarification, contact Clark Enterline, NOAO Procurement Manager (centerline@noao.edu, ext. 8277).

Mail is sent from Chile to Tucson in a weekly mailbag shipment. Again, only printed materials are included in the shipment. Generally, the mailbag departs Chile on Thursday and arrives in Tucson the following Tuesday. The contents of the Mailbag are distributed by Procurement personnel and placed in the Central mail distribution center located in the main building as soon as the shipment arrives.

There is no additional cost for the mail service between Tucson and Chile. If the mail is to be forwarded to the local post office the only stamp required is that required to send the mail from Tucson to the addressee. Employees sending inter-office mail to other employees need not affix postage.

Approximately one week prior to their U.S. visit, mail for visiting Chilean employees is removed from the mailbag shiments and held at the Chile mailroom in the La Quints building. Unless requested by the visitor, freight mail is not held in Tucson.

Mail slots are designated for visitors from the Chile observatories in the Chile mailroom. Contact Clark Enterline(centerline@noao.edu; ext. 8176) for further information.

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What is allowed in the mail pouch?

Contents of the mailbag and freight mail shipments can ONLY consist of printed materials and and work-related CDs, audio, video and data tapes. Personal music CDs and movie DVD's are not allowed. Items addressed to employees in Chile that do not meet the "printed materials" classification must be sent as non-official freight/personal goods shipment and cannot be sent with official items. The NOAO Procurement Manager is authorized to open mail destined for Chile to verify that the contents comply with the regulations. For clarification, contact the NOAO Procurement Manager. The mail pouch cannot be used for urgent shipments of non-qualified materials including urgently needed medication. Such items must be sent as personal goods via an express freight service such as Federal Express.

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