Procedures for Print-on-demand

Department: Technical Services, Christopher Library and Law Library

Procedure: Print-on-Demand (“POD”) Book Cataloging

September 30, 2010, updated April 8, 2011

Purpose: To provide guidelines for catalogers creating or editing records for purchased or donated "print-on-demand" ("POD") books.

What is a "print-on-demand" book?

1. Some print-on-books are obtained in this format because the original book is no longer in print and is unavailable for purchase. An order causes the publisher/supplier to make a digital copy of the original book, and print a single copy of the book for the purchaser. This reproduction (reprint) is a "print-on-demand" book, and is the substitute for the original that is otherwise unavailable.

When reproduced, these books will often have a printing statement about the reproduction near the beginning of the book. Additionally, most will have a printing date, sometimes a location date, and sometimes the phrase "print-on-demand" on the last page of the book (colophon.)

2. Other print-on-demand books are, in a sense, “born digital.” There was no physical first edition, but a digital copy of the author's work was made by a publisher. This allows individual copies of the book to be printed when ordered. Some of these publishers specialize in producing books for authors who wish to publish their own work, usually for a fee.

These books will usually have print-on-demand information - the date of printing, perhaps the location,and sometimes the phrase "print-on-demand" - on the colophon. However, there are books without this information, and the lack of a publisher on the title page or verso is the clue that the book is privately published as a print-on-demand book. Take information about the printer and date and include it the "print-on-demand" statement in the catalog record.

3. However, many publishers are now also keeping digital copies of books they have published recently, and are making individual print-on-demand copies when books from the original physical publication are no longer available.

In addition to publishing information on the title page and verso, these books will have print-on-demand information on the colophon - date, sometimes location, and sometimes a "print-on-demand" statement. Also, the verso may have the statement, "Transferred to digital printing [date]" for these books.

Overview: The Valparaiso University libraries will follow Library of Congress Rule Interpretations (LCRI), rules 1.11A (updated Aug. 2010), and 2.7B7 (updated Sep. 1, 1992). with minimal exceptions, as noted below.

Cataloging summary:

When cataloging a print-on-demand reproduction of a previously published book that is not otherwise obtainable (as described in 1., above.)

Transcribe bibliographic data appropriate to the original work being reproduced, as specified in LCRI 1.11A 1. Date type is “s” and Date1 is the date of the original work. Whenever possible, use an existing OCLC record that describes the original work.

For our reproduction print-on-demand copy, add MARC field 533 to transcribe information relating to our specific copy, as in LCRI 1.11A 3). The term we will use for an on-demand reproduction in 533 |a is “Reprint.” (Library of Congress usage for these reproductions,as specified in LCRI 2.7B7, is "Photocopy." However, we will use the term "Photocopy" only for reproductions that appear to be done by actual photo-duplication.) Include the separate ISBN of the print-on-demand copy, if available, in 533 |n. Also add this separate ISBN in an 020 field.

Example 1(a): 533 Reprint.|bLaVergne, Tenn.,|d2010.|e23 cm.|nISBN 9781432555269. (This 533 is from the record for Horace Mann : his ideas and ideals, .b15696443 in our catalog.)

Other examples are in LCRI 1.11A.