CDL-Controlling Approval Plan Over-Expenditures

From: l-lyons_at_northwestern.edu

Dear Colleagues,

I have been associated with three large libraries in which the main 
approval plan vendor sent significantly more books in the fiscal year than 
projected.  In short, large approval plan vendors sometimes go far 
over-budget... possibly because they claim not to be on a budget and blame 
the over-expenditures on "more books were processed and fit the profile 
this year."  There are some solutions, of sort, such as not paying until 
the next fiscal year, stopping the plan in mid-year, but these are 
desperate measures and the damage is already done.

Does this ever happen to your library?  If yes, how do you respond?  If 
not, how does your library prevent it from happening in the first place?

Thank you for any help your can provide,
Lucy