The participating libraries overseas communicate their needs and wishes to the NPP coordinator, who acts as mediator, matching supply and demand. Newly donated periodicals are listed by subject, title and year of publication and the list is sent to the participating libraries. Books are assembled into collections in specific fields of study. Descriptions of these collections, with lists of sample titles, are also sent to the overseas libraries. The materials are then sent only to libraries that have indicated a wish to receive them.
All shipments are by surface mail.
As a rule, the Dutch embassies in the countries of destination take care of clearing the shipments, but the receiving institutions are responsible for transport from the port of arrival to the final destination. A total of 549 shipments have been sent since the project began in 1983, comprising a total volume of 1000 cubic metres. A core group of some 30 libraries receives literature more or less on a regular basis. The libraries in this core group are all situated within institutions that take part, or have taken part, in one of the Dutch government's programmes of development cooperation. At the moment two such modern services are provided.