Do the magazines and books get shipped via commercial carries (USPS, UPS, FEDEX) to the individual KH?
As was said recently, the WTS used to have their own trucks and ship them to a central location, sometimes an assembly hall, sometmes a central congregation and the congregations had a brother(s) who went down and picked them up and brought them back to their own congregation. Sometimes this was the magazine servant but it was not required.
The WTS has reduced their trucking system greatly especially since the food program was eliminated and things are sent by commercial carrier. I think the KMs are sent to the PO at his home. (I am only a sister after all but I did pick up the magazines/books at the assembly hall a couple of times).
What sort of stock does a KH keep at hand for the pubs, do they keep a supply of books like YPA, Revelation, Daniel and the other more current documents?
The literature servant is supposed to watch the announcements in the KM as to the upcoming monthly featured publications and make sure enough are on hand for congregation distribution based on the number of publishers and the average amount of publications placed in previous months. Some is kept on hand for individual libraries and of the publication being studied that period. Most often, nothing new is ordered because there is such a stock on hand due to injudicious ordering by the literature servant, past or current. Some congregations have too much inventory with books that are 15 years old and the WTS tries to push them during the month of January. Some brothers are inventive during talks at the service meeting trying to clear the shelves; one held up 7 differently colored 192-page books and suggested placing all 7 at one time with a person at the door.
Does the KH pay the mother ship when the mags are delivered?
No money is paid to the WTS upon delivery of the magazines or books. When a publisher receives a donation to the "worldwide work" (not for the publications directly supposedly) that money is put in the contribution box marked "Worldwide Work." At any time the publisher also donates money from their own funds to this box. Some congregations intimidate their members by putting a special box by the magazine/literature counter (on it) and some brothers point to it, but I have never seen that in this area. It is supposed to be confidential. Many jws remember what the price was in the past and could use that as a base figure. The WTS had printed suggested prices for specialty items such as CDs, DVDs, Insight volumes, etc. Specialty items are only ordered if a jw goes up and requests it. These are put on a special list and turned into the wTS monthly to be shipped based on availability. I don't think the WTS keeps a large inventory but prints them based on these requests.
When a publisher (or anyone for that matter) picks up a book or a magazine, are they responsible for a 'donation' at that time, and then is the donation pretty well a suggested amount??
See above
I can say that I am out of date as to what is shipped to the congregation.
Blondie
