I used to think that a copyright page didn’t really need cataloging-in-publication (CIP) data in order to be complete. But I was wrong.
But wait—what is CIP data? It’s the block of information on a book’s copyright page that resembles a library catalog entry, like the one shown here. If the Library of Congress created it, it’s called CIP data. If a private cataloging service created it, it’s called PCIP (Publisher’s CIP) data. Since they look basically the same on the page, I’ll simply refer to both as CIP data for our purposes.
Back in the old days, the Library of Congress (LC) provided CIP data for any book that was submitted to them. And the Library and Archives Canada did the same before 2016. But now that about 15,000 new items are sent to the LC every day, they’ve limited their cataloging services generally to publishers that produce 5+ titles a year. For the rest of us, including all self-publishers, the LC now provides a Preassigned Control Number (PCN), which on the copyright page looks something like this:
Library of Congress Control Number 2019123456
The PCN is quick and easy to obtain online, and a boon to any self-publisher. It’s free, and it’s official. The number is not related to any cataloging data, but simply serves as a placeholder for possible future LC cataloging.
(By the way, the LC is about to streamline its PCN and CIP programs into a new, unified system. It should be online in spring of 2019. Look for updates at the PrePub Book Link).
But, alas, it’s not enough for many of us. And here’s why.
Most libraries these days are strapped for funds. Even if they can afford to buy books, they may not have enough librarians to catalog them before shelving them.
Information sharing
Librarians love to share—books, movies, magazines, music, musical instruments (have you tried any lately?), household tools (yes, in some places), research materials, and especially information. And that includes what they consider to be the most important piece of information found on copyright pages: the cataloging data.
If you want your book in libraries, we suggest you spend the extra time and money to get CIP data onto your copyright page. https://bit.ly/2XRQsKt Share on XWith CIP data on the copyright page, all the librarian has to do is copy it into their computer, and then the book can go right onto the shelf. But if they don’t see any data, and they can’t find it online (see below), they must create it themselves, and that can take days, weeks, or even months.

Here’s what a MarcEditor screen looks like. You can see why some training is needed!
When a librarian creates CIP data for a book, he or she (with the proper training) can simultaneously enter the info using a format called MARC (MAchine Readable Cataloging) records. The entry for each book includes the title, author(s), description, and subject categories. It also includes call numbers in both Dewey Decimal format and LC format so the book can be shelved in its proper place in practically any library. This is information sharing at its best. For a short tutorial on the importance—or not—of MARC records for your book, read this article from Linda Carlson of IBPA.
The nonprofit called OCLC is one place where librarians can find this data. It’s a global library cooperative that shares information, research, and cataloging. However, it requires membership, and not all libraries have the means to join.
Other groups with similar missions exist, too. Sky River, for instance, is doing the same kind of work.
So what’s the point for you?
Here it is: We suggest that you spend the money and a bit of extra time to get PCIP data onto your book’s copyright page if you want your book in libraries. It will reduce the time it takes to place it on the shelves, and make a lot of librarians happy, too.
How to obtain CIP data
Private providers can create PCIP data for you. Some of them include MARC records and some do not, so if this is important to you, inquire ahead of time. Here’s a list:
- Cassidy Cataloging Services (U.S.)
- CIPblock.com (U.S.)
- The Donohue Group (U.S.)
- Five Rainbows Cataloging Services (U.S)
Be sure to research each group. What you’re looking for is a reputable firm with professional catalogers who have experience in preparing PCIP data (and MARC records if that’s important to you).
An interesting recent development is bilingual CIP data. If you’re interested in providing the data in Spanish as well as English, there’s at least one cataloger out there who specializes in translating with precision: Lisa K. Hauner of the Oregon Consortium, SAGE Library System. You can email her at lhauner@otld.org.
Unfortunately, we were not able to find any providers in Canada. But if you are one or know of one, please get in touch.
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Many thanks to Pat McCurdy-Crescimanno of the The Donohue Group for presenting this information at the Independent Publishers of New England (IPNE) 2018 conference and for consulting with us on this article.
Read more: Your copyright page: everything you need to know » explains the entire copyright page and provides an easy-to-use Word template.
Read more: Finding your book subject categories » will do the same in book stores that CIP data does in libraries.
Book Design Made Simple. You can do it yourself.
I am grateful for your post here – it is very helpful. I just had to comment though the one thing EVERYONE is thinking but no one and i mean no one wants to say – The PCIP is just so expensive. I was just quoted $85 usd for the first title and then $70 usd for any title after that by one person. More power to her – she’s obviously making big big money if anyone actually uses this service but from looking around i can tell most people don’t get the CIP data at all.
One person whom has been in the book business even longer than I’ve been alive, has said he’s only seen 5 books get it (self published books) and you can see why when you see the prices. I have 6 books and yes I will save up to maybe get at least just 1 of the books a CIP data block – but I’m leaving that for FAR in the future now that I see the pricing. I need to make money first before spending in this case.
We need to break up this strange gatekeeping if you ask me. No offense meant to good cataloguers but what they do couldnt be even 1% as hard as say, programming language. There must be a direct way to work and get this PCIP yourself. The fact that this entire scheme was all FREE in the past further makes me think it shouldnt cost so much now at all. Ive always been a huge encourager of people going to libraries as I did in my youth. I practically lived there. Books stayed the priority of my life but I can see now that I definitely won’t be encouraging this if this type of gatekeeping is going on.
And of course – i havent been to a library in ages now because everything is online. I smell BS. I’ve read it is a MYTH that your book even needs a CIP to get into libraries and is pushed by who else but these crazy cataloguers who gain big profit for the few who actually pay that money out. Use your OWN isbn and libraries can still buy your book. YOU dont need to have that data of the cip in the book. The library themselves will MAKE it – to catalogue the book themselves. That’s their job. so you dont need it imo and a few others online.
Here’s a puzzle for you: why are all CIP blocks produced in ENGLISH only for BILINGUAL children’s books containing the complete story in Spanish and English?
How does that monolingual approach to cataloging help someone like my immigrant mother, a Spanish-language reader, find our award-winning, bilingual Captain Mama aviation books in her local library when she’s there with her kids?
And IF a Publisher wants to include Spanish-language subject headings, or wait for it…TWO complete blocks on the copyright page…one with 5 English LOC subject headings AND a second CIP block with Spanish-speaking “LOC equivalent” subject headings prepared by a bilingual cataloging guru…who’s to say she shouldn’t or can’t?
Is anyone out there in Bilingual Publishing or Library Land DEMANDING bilingual cataloging become standard for bilingual materials?
We all need to ask ourselves: why we are accepting English-only subject headings when more and more materials are being published in two languages by multicultural indie publishers like Gracefully Global Group?
I’m interested in hearing your thoughts and ideas on this topic as we’re going to publish the 3rd book this fall and I’m deep into the CIP steps now.
Hello Graciela,
It took a while to decide how to answer this, but I went to the library and studied the copyright pages of a lot of Spanish and also German books, and then I spoke with a librarian.
First about the foreign language books. Not one of them had any CIP data or the equivalent, whether they were published abroad or in North America. They did have a copyright and an ISBN, though. In other countries they must have more labor-intensive ways to catalog the books without the aid of the CIP data.
About my chat with the librarian. The CIP data is for use by the cataloger in the library so that the book can get the correct call number and sit on the appropriate shelf. If a book has titles in two languages, both titles will appear when a library patron searches on the computer. It doesn’t work for subject headings, though. (You seem to know all of this.)
So I’d say that if you want to put two CIP blocks on your copyright page, go ahead. For the Spanish one, translate the English but use all the same numbers that they add for the librarians. Perhaps you’ll start a new trend, which seems like a good idea. So we say go for it!
Glenna
Hi Glenna 🙂
The thing Graciela and I came up with is to be sure and use authorized thesauri in the subject and genre headings. I use http://catalogo.bne.es/uhtbin/authoritybrowse.cgi.
lcsh-es.org is an online authority cross reference and includes Queens, San Francisco, Bilindex and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spain).
This is an exciting project and I am thrilled to be a small part of introducing Spanish subjects and genres into the CIP for the Captain Mama series!
Thank you for this excellent information!
Glenna, I truly appreciate your thoughtful response on this! Thank you for taking the time to look further into this issue.
I have connected with a bilingual cataloging guru after asking questions like this within an ALA subgroup of librarians serving Hispanic communities: REFORMA.
There’s soooooo much more to say on this – (For example the part about the book showing up if a book has a title in Spanish is only true if the patron looks searches for the book using the exact title. If my immigrant mother, for example, went there looking for children’s books on the subject of AVIADORAS (women aviators) for her daughters, she would likely never find my book there because it’s catalogued under WOMEN AIR PILOTS.
So unless the librarian did a lot of extra work because she/he really cared about equitable ACCESS, that cataloging in Spanish just wouldn’t happen…
YES we are going to start a trend. ..my amazing kindred spirit cataloging guru friend Lisa with Libros for Oregon and I are collaborating. She knows how to do this because she is that person doing the work to ensure this access. I’m so blessed to have been introduced to her!
I promise you will hear about it!
And we’ll go back to the first two award-winning, bilingual Captain Mama/Capitán Mamá children’s aviation books we published (GOOD NIGHT CAPTAIN MAMA
/ BUENAS NOCHES CAPITÁN MAMÁ and CAPTAIN MAMA’S
SURPRISE/ LA SORPRESA DE CAPITÁN MAMÁ) and revise those PCIP blocks now that I’ve had this epiphany!
3rd book in series, TAKING FLIGHT WITH CAPTAIN MAMA/ DESPEGANDO CON CAPITÁN MAMÁ may very well be the first bilingual children’s book published with bilingual PCIP data. We’ll have to research that one. 😉
Thank you for adding to our collective knowledge and for expanding your own, Glenna.
Are there conditions that require issuing a new P-CIP number to a book? I am making a few minor changes to a children’s book – 30 pages – changing fonts, adding some paragraphs, and removing a few sentences, which will not change the story line of the book. Thank you!
Hello Amina,
If you produce a new edition, you do need to revise the CIP data, but with the smallish changes you are planning, I don’t think you need a new edition–thus no need for new CIP data, either.
Good luck with your book.
Glenna
Thanks for the great article Glenna! Just to be clear, Canadian self publishers cannot apply for CIP, MARC or PCN? Is that correct? They only need an ISBN?
Hi Linda,
Canadian self-publishers are no longer eligible for free CIP data from Library and Archives Canada. See the eligibility requirements at
https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/services/cip/Pages/eligibility.aspx.
This is also true of self-published books written in French and published in Quebec:
http://www.banq.qc.ca/services/services_professionnels/editeurs/programme_cip/index.html#cip1.
As for MARC records, I believe these would be produced by libraries after publication, whether or not there is CIP data on the copyright page. MARC records are used with variations all over the world, with Canada and the U.S. using a unified system called MARC 21.
PCN is a U.S. Library of Congress number, so it would be useless for a Canadian publisher. If the publisher has both a U.S. and Canadian address, as we do at Book Design Made Simple, they can get a PCN.
I know it’s confusing. So many numbers! But it’s well worth the effort to get as many of them as eligibility allows, don’t you think?
Sorry for the delayed reply, but I hope this helps.
Glenna