Approval Plans
We understand the importance of collection development within the library and in support of this, our world-class Approval Plan services help libraries provide an up-to-date and comprehensive range of resources to their patrons. Our flexible approval plan services are designed to enrich library collections, helping libraries provide an up-to-date and comprehensive range of Indian and south asian books and music scores to their patrons, while saving our customers time and effort.
Bagchee offers approval plan services tailored for a wide variety of libraries with unique needs and specifications. With many years of experience serving academic, public and government libraries with foreign language materials, we recognize the importance of establishing precise, yet flexible parameters to ensure the best quality material and service.
Establishing an Approval Plan
To establish an approval plan with Bagchee, libraries complete a profile containing general parameters (country, language, formats of publications, special instructions, etc.) and subject parameters.
To receive an electronic or hard copy of the profile, please contact our customer service department at [email protected] or reach us via Contact us.
After receiving a library’s profile, Bagchee’s approval plan account managers contact each client immediately to introduce themselves, verify profile receipt and to request any necessary clarifications. We strive to maintain an ongoing dialogue as we provide your library with the most relevant, timely approval plan materials.
Types of Approval Plans
Librarians can choose from the following types of approval plans:
- Approval Plan. Using this service, libraries automatically receive monographs according to the specifications listed in their profile, at intervals determined by the library for a designated amount of money.
- Slip Notification Plan. This allows librarians to review customized book lists based on their needs and profile and order recommended items on an as-needed basis.
- Combination Plan. Bagchee can combine the above plans, providing materials on an approval plan basis for specified subjects and/or formats, while supplying customized lists of recommendations for others, depending on client specifications.
Geographic Coverage
The geographic coverage of Bagchee’s approval plans can be tailored to cover specific countries, regions, cities or ethnic groups, depending on client needs. Countries we cover:
India
Bangladesh
Nepal
Bhutan
Sri Lanka
Language
Bagchee provides books in over 20 languages including English, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil etc. Approval plans can be tailored to geography only or geography plus language—so you can request all books from India on a certain topic regardless of language, or books only in English language published in India on a particular subject.
Selection and Coverage
Bagchee offers a wide range of coverage options in geographic, subject and format areas. Our approval plans are highly flexible and can be as wide reaching—or as focused—as desired. The foundation of Bagchee’s supply network is our unparalleled knowledge of national bibliographies, scholarly reviews and publishing houses. Bagchee’s seasoned book selectors are highly trained librarians, subject specialists and book buyers, with years of collective experience in the book trade.
Book-in-Hand
All approval plan selections are reviewed in-hand by bibliographers trained on each individual library’s profile before the books are shipped to the library. Their years of book selection experience, combined with unparalleled customer support, ensure precision, flexibility and quality. The book-in-hand method ensures consistently low return rates, a testament to Bagchee’s accuracy and quality in selections made on approval.
Subject Coverage
Approval plan customers have a range of subject areas to choose from, which include virtually any subject area. Bagchee uses a modified version of the Library of Congress system of classification to designate subject areas.
In addition to Bagchee’s general approval plan profiles, we also supply specialized approval plan materials that may fall outside these general parameters depending on customer needs.
Formats
Although monographs typically constitute the bulk of an approval plan, bagchee customers have the option of receiving a variety of materials in addition to books, including:
Maps and atlases
CD/DVD ROMs
Video tapes
Musical scores
Anthologies and other collected works
Conference materials
Museum publications
Brochures, posters and other ephemeral works
Bibliographic Information
Book slips come with all approval items, containing all relevant bibliographic information, including title, author, ISBN, series, volume, year of publication and number of pages. Each slip also contains key product information to help libraries keep track of shipments and orders, including price, invoice date and purchase order number.
MARC Records
Bagchee offers brief MARC records in RDA free of charge for approval plan customers. Bibliographic records are supplied weekly via e-mail or ftp and may contain embedded order numbers, fund and location codes and invoice data.
Bagchee’s technicians are happy to work with you and/or your library’s information management staff to determine specific technical guidelines and requirements.
Firm Orders
Approval plan customers are welcome to place firm orders to supplement their approval plan collection. Your approval plan representative will be happy to provide you with customized suggestions and/or conduct specialized searches.
Duplication Prevention
On request, Bagchee will search your library’s OPAC prior to shipping approval plan materials to prevent duplication. This service is provided free of charge to approval plan clients. In addition, Bagchee’s book database automatically notifies staff of all duplicate orders in order to prevent against unintended duplication.
Customer Service
Bagchee assigns to each library an approval plan account manager who is familiar with the unique profile and requirements of each client and whose primary responsibility is to ensure delivery of an unmatched level of service. Approval plan account managers collaborate with each library to create and revise profiles, respond to requests, solve problems, analyze returns and monitor technical services.
Approval plan libraries can quickly make revisions to their profiles by contacting their representative via telephone, email or fax. Our customer service staff responds promptly and accurately to each library request. Customer service representatives are based in the India, United States, which provides almost 24/7 support to our clients.
Bagchee relies heavily on library feedback, particularly during the first several months of an approval plan. It is important that we maintain a constant channel of communication as we work to refine our understanding of your library’s dynamic collection needs. We ask clients to carefully review materials during this time and to notify us of any profile adjustments in a continuing effort to improve performance.
Setting and Revising Budget Guidelines
Bagchee’s approval plan profile allows librarians to indicate the annual budget and any book price limits. There is no minimum or maximum budgetary amount for approval plans.
Bagchee understands that periodic budgetary revisions may be needed as circumstances and library financial priorities shift. Given the lag time involved in international book selection and shipping, we ask that you notify us in writing of any budgetary changes as soon as possible so that we may best serve you.
Contact Us
Contact our customer service department at [email protected] or reach us via Contact us.
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