Monday, February 21, 2011

Vendor controlled plans

Vendor controlled plans are ways of getting timely orders and to learn about forthcoming materials.

Two methods of ordering
  • Order individual books title by title
  • Arrange with a vendor to receive certain categories of material automatically
    o Get materials that you know the library wants/need. Receive notification of new titles and decide if you want to
    o known as vendor-controlled order plan or
    o gathering plan
Types of gathering plans
  • Approval Plan
  • Blanket Order Plan
  • Standing Orders
  • Lease Plan
  • Greenaway Plan
    o Greenaway plans is a primarily American gathering plan type.
Approval plans
  • Conceptual agreement between a library and a vendor whereby the vendor agrees to supply the library with one copy of current imprints according to a predetermined profile.
    o Breakdown by subject(s) heading(s) and reading level(s)
  • Either books or selection slips shipped “on approval”
    o Books that are wanted or not wanted have to get shipped back and costs money. Directly linked to publisher.
Blanket plans
  • Arrangement with a publisher or vendor whereby the library commits to purchase one copy of everything sent, provided the materials match the terms of a formal agreement
    o Few libraries use this plan. Materials can only be returned if they are damaged.
  • Right of return is forfeited.
Standing orders
  • A type of order that is placed for the first part and all future parts of a title on a “till forbidden” basis
    o Buy all components of a series until decision to stop purchasing
  • No returns accepted
  • Exampleso Encyclopedias or dictionaries published in parts
    o All monographs of a numbered series
    o Annuals
    * Directories
    * Yearbooks
Lease plans
Lease plans are good for public libraries. They can rent book rather than owning it, and ship it back when they are finished with the book. However, they have to pay for any damage to the book. Lease plans meet a demand while it lasts and without committing money.
  • Plan whereby a library acquires a popular titles for recreational reading and then returns them when demand has decreased or purchases them at a greatly reduced cost
  • Annual fee required
  • McNaughton Books of Brodart an example http://www.books.brodart.com/Content3.aspx?P=93
Greenaway plan
  • Library places a standing order with a publisher for one copy of each trade book to be delivered prior to publication
  • Each title is reviewed and multiple copies, if required, ordered in advance publication
  • If library does not buy multiple copies, the agreement is cancelled
Advantages of approval plans
  • Quick receipt
  • Purchase decision made with book in hand or detailed slip
  • Good discount
  • Bibliographic searching eliminated
  • Useful if selection/acquisitions staff limited
Disadvantages of approval plans
  • Vendors tend not to supply non-trade items
    o they only supply items from big companies
  • Materials often arrive before critical reviews are available
  • Only titles from the profile are sent
    o The profile is created by the library, therefore titles they order are sent
  • Vendors coverage of current publishing may have to be closely monitored
    o Libraries may not receive quantity ordered of popular titles
  • Libraries may accept marginal materials
  • Duplication of titles may occur
    o Double-check what titles are already on standing order
  • Staff time
    o Approval plans take time
Advantages of blanket order plans
  • More specific than approval plans
    o Deal with one dealer; there is no chance of duplication
  • Staff know not to place an individual order
  • Minimal profiling
    o Nothing can be returned
  • No returns to process
  • No selection slips to process
  • Good discounts
  • Systematic coverage of current publishing of interest to the library
  • Materials arrive quickly
    o No waiting
Disadvantages of blanket order plans
  • Library must accept everything vendor sends
  • Budgeting
    o Be aware of increased prices of material
  • Staff time
Buying around
The practice whereby libraries and bookstores purchase foreign materials directly from foreign publishers and wholesalers circumventing the Canadian publisher-agent that has negotiated an exclusive Canadian distribution rights agreement with a foreign publisher.
  • American is considered foreign, libraries should be buying Canadian
Issues of buying around
  • CLA Position Statement & Libraries came out in 1978
    o Service
    o Price
    o Availability
  • Distributors
    They feel that
    • Taxpayers money should be spent in Canada
    • Publisher-agents need extra cash flow to support homegrown publishing efforts
    • Cost of many goods, including books, higher in Canada
    • Books requested by libraries result of marketing and advertising done by Canadian agents
Buying around present state of affairs
  • Included in Part II of the Copyright Act
  • Voluntary guidelines set out by the Book and Periodical Council Task Force on Industry Guidelines (Feliciter, March 1996)
  • Book Importation Regulations SOR/99-324, 28 July 1999 published in Canada Gazette Part II, Vol. 133, No. 17
Some Internet sites for buying around
Catalogued by at

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