The State of the Approval Plan in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

59 academic technical services librarians were surveyed about the state of their approval plans in the wake of the collections and acquisitions challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. 40 responded, with a majority indicating a move away from print auto-shipments and toward e-preferred collection models. Libraries that continued to receive print auto-shipments tended to favor narrow, targeted profiles, such as faculty publications, international plans, best-sellers and award winners. Every response qualified as a movement away from print auto-shipments as an acquisitions strategy, even in cases where approval plans were maintained or, in one case, initiated for the first time.

KEYWORDS:

• Approval plan
• print auto-shipment
• e-preferred
• collection development
• library acquisitions
• COVID-19
• library survey

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to acknowledge the librarians that responded to this inquiry for their generous responses, as many were candid, friendly and provided detailed information far beyond what was initially hoped for.

Disclosure statement

The author declares that they have no relevant or material financial interests that relate to the research described in this paper.