CRIV CONNECTION

Author: Yasmin Morais. Foreign, Comparative, and International Collection Development Librarian, Harvard Law School Library

Introduction

This post provides an overview of the Library of Congress Cooperative Acquisitions Program (LC-CAP), formerly the PL-480 program. I will also share my experience participating in the program, how it has worked at my institution, and some thoughts on how to use the program to enhance your foreign, comparative, and international resources.

My first exposure to LC-CAP was in 2024, when I began my new role here as the foreign, comparative, and international collection development librarian. Over this period, I believe I have gained a greater understanding of how the program works, largely from meeting and working with LC-CAP staff across the world, getting their feedback and perspectives on the program, working with my colleagues here in the selection process, and learning about their experiences with their own CAP programs.

An Overview of LCCAP

As far back as the 1960s, the Library of Congress established Cooperative Acquisitions Programs (CAP), and there are now approximately six administrative offices in Cairo, Jakarta, Islamabad, Nairobi, New Delhi, and Rio de Janeiro. There are discussions to expand to West Africa. These offices in turn support several countries within their regions. The Library of Congress provides detailed information on the program history, structure and process, and the countries covered, but below is a brief summary of the CAPs me and my colleagues have frequently worked with:

• CAPSEA: Southeast Asia Cooperative Assistance Program – administered from Jakarta.
• MECAP: Middle East Cooperative Assistance Program – administered from Cairo.
• PIACAP: Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran CAP – administered from Islamabad.
• SACAP: South Asia Cooperative Assistance Program – administered from New Delhi.

How the Program Works

There are many academic research libraries participating in these CAPs. The process involves the participating libraries depositing funds on a yearly basis with the Library of Congress. These funds cover the costs of the monographs and serials, and any shipping, binding, and administrative costs. For serials, libraries receive circulars throughout the year from which new selections can be made; these are acquired on demand. Participants will let CAP know whether they would like the materials to be bound or unbound. With respect to monographs, libraries will build a profile to include country, language(s) and subjects, and the CAP office then works to select and acquire titles that match these profiles. Libraries can update or delete profiles and serial titles based on their institution’s situation. An invoice is then prepared based on the estimated cost of an institution’s participation, and once payment is received, the CAPs start acquiring publications for the participant. The CAP offices also prepare the MARC records for the materials that are acquired. They also provide annual statistics and a list of serials that have ceased publication.

Libraries can expect to receive about eight shipments per year, but this is dependent on the availability of publications, participants’ profiles, and other factors impacting these regions.

Final Thoughts on Making the Most of LCCAP

Overall, my experience with the program has been positive, and my library has been able to acquire legal materials from several jurisdictions, which we might have otherwise missed. It is also helpful that several of my colleagues also review circulars for their jurisdictions, along with refining country profiles, which enhances the selection process. We have also been able to build strong relationships with country office representatives and participate in annual review meetings, where we learn about the processes and challenges in acquiring materials for CAP. Below are some further tips:

• Regularly review your country profiles and make updates, if necessary. Are you receiving materials that are out of scope? If yes, you might need to reach out to your CAP representative for a specific country/region and discuss refinement.
• Review and select from circulars promptly so you do not miss deadlines and items.
• Communicate with the Library of Congress and country office staff on any issues that arise for your library.
• Participate in CAP annual meetings to meet local staff and get updates on vendors, budgets, and regional developments.

Suggested Reading

• “Collecting the Globe: The Library Abroad” https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2021/12/collecting-the-globe-the-library-abroad/ (Accessed January 29, 2026).
• “Statement on Collection Development, Access, and Equity in the Time of Covid-19. Assn. for Asian Studies” https://www.asianstudies.org/statement-on-collection-development-access-%E2%80%8Band-equity-in-the-time-of-covid-19/. (Accessed January 29, 2026)