Handle Library of Congress prepublication records
Verify CIP data in the final copyright page
Before print files are final, check that the Cataloging in Publication data block on the copyright page matches what the Library of Congress issued and the book as it now stands.
Authors often hire help with this: library or cataloging.
Why it matters
Libraries copy the CIP block into their catalogs. If the block says one subtitle and the cover says another, or lists an ISBN that was never used, the catalog record inherits the error and the book becomes slightly harder to find and match for years. The check takes ten minutes against a proof.
Your part
- What you do
- Verify. Someone else may do it. Inspect the result yourself.
- Who normally owns it
- Publisher. Publisher prints and maintains the data; author checks the proof
- When
- Before the final print files are approved, typically three to four months before publication (Handle Library of Congress prepublication records: twelve to six months before publication, before the copyright page is final)
Your part changes with your publishing route.
How to do it
The full walkthrough
When the Library of Congress issues Cataloging in Publication (CIP) data, it sends the publisher a formatted block of text: the catalog record, the Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN), subject headings, classification numbers, and the International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) it was told about. The publisher prints that block on the copyright page. It should be reproduced exactly, and it should still describe the book, which may have changed between application and final files.
Read the copyright page proof and compare the block with the book: title and subtitle as finalized, your name as it appears, ISBNs for each format, and any series statement. If something changed after the CIP application, a new subtitle or an added format, the publisher is expected to tell the Library so the record can be updated; ask whether that will happen. With a Preassigned Control Number rather than CIP data the check is smaller, because there is no data block to reproduce: confirm the LCCN is printed correctly and that the ISBNs and title on the copyright page match what you gave the Library. That is the difference between the two programs: an LCCN identifies a Library of Congress catalog record, while CIP creates a fuller prepublication record for eligible publishers. Neither program guarantees that the Library of Congress or any other library will acquire the book.
This is a final-proof task. Do it when the copyright page is otherwise complete, alongside checking the copyright notice.
Common mistakes
- Retyping the CIP block instead of pasting it, introducing typos into the LCCN or ISBNs.
- Changing the subtitle after the CIP application and never telling the Library.
- Listing an ebook ISBN in the block that was later replaced.
- Skipping the check because "the publisher does that", when the author is the one who knows what changed.
Identifiers for Verify CIP data in the final copyright page
Set a status on any record and it joins this step. All book identifiers.
| My status | Identifier | Why this matters | Yours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cataloging in Publication (CIP) A full Library of Congress catalog record prepared before printing and set on the copyright page, open only to publishers the Library admits. | The record is distributed to libraries before your book exists, so it shapes how the book is described in catalogs around the country, and a misspelled name or title in it is much harder to fix once the book is printed. Traditionally published authors normally read the data block when it arrives, check the spelling of their name and title, and confirm the printed copyright page matches it; a hybrid author normally has to ask first, because some hybrid publishers take part and some don't. If you publish the book yourself, this is not available to you under the program's current rules, and the Preassigned Control Number route is where to look instead. Review the data block early enough to raise a correction before the copyright page is final. | Nothing to record | |
| LCCN and the PCN program A free Library of Congress catalog number you can print on the copyright page, if you request it before the book is published. | A number printed in the book makes it easier for a library cataloger to match your book to a catalog record, and that is the whole benefit. It is worth being clear about what it isn't: having one doesn't mean the Library of Congress holds your book, it doesn't oblige any library to buy or catalog it, and it isn't copyright registration. Traditionally and hybrid published authors normally ask whether a number was requested, often as part of the publisher's Cataloging in Publication request, and record it when it arrives; a United States self-publisher who meets the program's rules normally applies through the Author Portal before the book is printed. Record the number, print it in the form the Library specifies, and send the required finished copy after publication. | Add your LCCN |
What done looks like
- The CIP data block on the proof matching the Library's issued text character for character.
- Title, subtitle, author name, and ISBNs in the block matching the final book.
- Any changes since the application reported to the Library by the publisher.
- The final copyright page proof saved with the Book Identity Sheet.
Evidence. Done means someone says the work happened. Verified means you checked the confirmation, link, or public record yourself.
Ask your publisher
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Sources and last checked
- Official source
- No single official page for this step.
- Last checked
- Not checked against its source yet.
- How confident we are
- Verified