ABSTRACT
An approval plan is an acquisitions method under which a library receives regular shipments of new titles selected by a dealer, based on a profile of library collection interests, with the right to return what it decides not to buy. Titles that fit the profile less perfectly are announced by the dealer with paper or electronic slips or forms, which the library may use to place orders. Although the term normally refers to arrangements between libraries and book vendors specializing in libraries, some publishers and bookstores also offer approval plans, and some nonbook materials are offered on approval. Although approval plans are most common in academic libraries, where they are the predominant way larger North American college and university libraries buy current books, approval plans can also be found in other types of libraries and in libraries outside North America.
