BLANKET / APPROVAL PLAN

Some unique and outstanding features
offered by Theodore Front Music:

* One source for all European and American music scores

* Extended coverage on the American plan (see page 4 for areas included under the Americas)

* Flexibility in selecting only specified publishers' new issues (see page 6)

* Individualized selection of composers to be included on the approval plan and the choice of receiving only "selective" coverage of their works (see page 4-5)

* Attractive discounts

* Facility in back-order maintenance, searching and fulfillment of
temporarily unavailable titles

* Special subject listings available through a constantly updated database (see Unique Service Enhancements, page 7)

* Pioneering work setting up and managing cooperative plans

BLANKET APPROVAL PLANS

FOR MUSIC SCORES

European and American Imprints

Theodore Front Musical Literature, Inc. has been servicing blanket/approval plans for books, scores and recordings for more than three decades. Our goal is to provide timely, complete and accurate information on newly issued/released publications in each of the three general areas mentioned above.

Our commitment to service and quality information and the knowledge of the changing needs of music libraries today, as well as continuous feedback from our clients have enabled us to modify and improve the profiles of our blanket/approval plans. Many such changes were initiated by suggestions and requests from you and your colleagues.

Blanket/approval orders can facilitate, enhance and streamline a library's collection development process in several ways:

Libraries participating in Theodore Front Musical Literature's blanket/approval plan for music scores receive a 10 percent discount off current retail list prices. The same service and discount is provided to subscribing accounts for items ordered individually from our Quote Slips.

All blanket/approval shipments are accompanied by multi-part long-form invoices, itemized and alphabetized, and are sent every three to four weeks. Should an alternative shipping schedule be preferred, we will readily comply with your specifications. If you wish that the total dollar amount or number of titles on each invoice (shipment) not exceed a certain limit, please specify.

When a special order number is designated for the blanket/approval plan, it will be quoted on all invoices. Generally, unless otherwise requested, we assign a different account number to blanket orders so that statements can be kept separate for these accounts.

Each shipment includes 1 to 4 copies each, as specified, of our 3 x 5 cataloging slips for each item billed. The slips provide full bibliographic information, including series name, the publisher's location, name and edition number as designated by the publisher, as well as annotations concerning the value and use of the material.

Materials will be accepted for returns for any reason, since we recognize that it is impossible, even with a carefully devised plan, to know exactly what is not desired for your collection. We request that all returned items be unmarked, shipped by United Parcel Service, and have an accompanying note stating the reason for return so that we can monitor our progress and modify our future selections accordingly. Returns are allowed up to 6 months after invoice date; beyond that point, please write for permission. You may deduct the amount from an unpaid invoice, or allow us to issue a credit memo if you prefer. We also have self-issuing credit memos which you may prepare.

Over the last two decades the percentage of returns we have experienced has by far been the lowest in the industry. This, we believe, is indicative of our scrupulous selection processes and the discriminating standards applied in accordance with our client's specified guidelines.

It is our continuous goal to provide maximum research support and professional expertise to our clients. We consider it our duty to keep track of projected publication dates, reprint schedules and use such information to simplify and minimize our client's work. If a publication is announced as "temporarily out of print" or "out of stock" by the publisher, we will keep the order open until the item becomes available once again, within the library's specified time frame.

When the publication becomes "permanently out of print", our customized search service for out-of-print materials takes over. We deal with hundreds of sources active in the out-of-print market and continuously look for titles in our search files. When a match is found, we offer the item to the client with a full description of its condition and price. There is no charge and no obligation for this service.

Many of our clients benefit from using the Special Subject Listings generated from our daily updated data-base. These can be provided on continuous slips or as a list, and can be formatted from the general to the specific: thus, one can have an output with all woodwind music, including all solo and ensemble material, or, only for flute music. The list/slips can also be generated to be comprehensive, or to only cover publications with specific copyright and/or release dates. Thus, libraries can instantly learn of all miniature scores published in the last 6 months for example, or all vocal scores with a 1996 copyright date.

Once a month, we mail out Quote Slips announcing newly published materials, assembled and input by our bibliographers after careful inspection. These 3 x 5 perforated slips are alphabetically generated on continuous forms for ease of use and convenience. The slips contain full bibliographic information and annotations intended to facilitate the library's decision on the desirability and suitability of the title for its collection development profile.

Our goal is to provide complete information to our clients regarding newly published materials; thus, libraries subscribing to our blanket/approval plans can select items that would not automatically be sent on their order due to previously established guidelines and exclusions.

Theodore Front Musical Literature also offers Quote Slips free upon request to librarians who prefer to make the decision on the individual selection of all material for their libraries' collections.