Cataloging Policy
Last upated: 9/5/2023
When placing an order, you will be asked to agree to our Terms of Service as well as our Cataloging Policy and Refund Policy. Make sure you read all of these documents and understand them before placing an order.
We wish we could make this legal stuff sound friendly and cheerful, unfortunately the need to be clear and concise makes that difficult. This policy exists to delineate what we agree to do and what we require from you in return. Be assured, we’re happy to have you as a client and look forward to working with you.
GUIDELINES
PCIP data, as with all cataloging, must follow the guidelines established by all current published and recognized standards in order to maintain consistency and accuracy in cataloging. Without these guidelines, cataloging records would vary wildly from library to library, resulting in confusing and possibly contradictory information. We also must adhere to the stringent requirements for MARC records.
We stay up-to-date on the latest developments in library cataloging; however, implementation of changes is at our discretion and happens according to our company-specific timeline.
WAIVER
You agree to absolve us of any responsibility or damages, real or perceived, stemming from your failure to read and comply with our Cataloging Policy, any dissatisfaction with our services on your part, and/or your failure to provide accurate, complete information about your book. You further agree and accept that we retain the sole and exclusive right to make the final decisions on how to catalog any book submitted to us.
You also absolve of us of any responsibility for errors in MARC records in WorldCat and/or SkyRiver when those errors were not of our doing.
ACCURACY OF SUBMISSIONS
We rely on the information you provide to us in our Book Information Form to ensure accurate cataloging of your book. If you provide misleading or erroneous information, we cannot properly catalog your book. We bear no responsibility for errors resulting from incorrect and/or incomplete information provided by you. We may, at our discretion, correct minor errors at your request without a fee. We are under no obligation to make any changes after the cataloging data has been completed and provided to you. Please see our Cataloging Policy and Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
REVIEW OF PCIP DATA
We allow clients two business days, beginning on their chosen delivery date, to review their PCIP data and report any errors to us.
We reserve the sole and exclusive right to decide whether or not errors are of our doing.
As stated above, we reserve the sole and exclusive right to make final decisions about how to catalog any book submitted to us.
Clients do not receive copies of MARC records, due to the format of the records. If you order only MARC records, we will provide you with a summary of the cataloging data that will be incorporated into the records, and you will have two business days to review it and report any errors to us.
FORMATTING
We provide PCIP data as a file in Microsoft Word (.doc) format. It is your responsibility to ensure you have compatible software than can open the file and display it correctly. You PCIP data will be created in the most current, standard format prescribed by the Library of Congress. You agree to all of the following conditions:
Do not alter the relative indention, alignment, capitalization, and punctuation of your PCIP data block, although you may use whatever font and text size suits your design.
Do not alter or remove the statement “Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication Data” that appears at the top of your PCIP data block. Only cataloging data created by the Library of Congress may bear the designation “Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.” Using the LC name for data acquired elsewhere may cause LC to ban you from using any of their services, including the PrePub Book Link program.
Do not include a statement that cataloging data is on file. Include the full PCIP block on your copyright page instead. Even the Library of Congress prohibits the use of this statement because it is confusing to librarians, who must figure out where it’s on file.
SUBJECT HEADINGS & CALL NUMBERS
PCIP data and MARC records must include only subject headings found in the authorized list of Library of Congress subject headings, as well as various approved thesauruses of specialized headings, such as those maintained by BISAC. We cannot create new subject headings; only the organizations responsible for creating and maintaining these thesauruses may do so.
Call numbers must be derived from either the Library of Congress Classification or the Dewey Decimal Classification. We cannot create new numbers; only the Library of Congress and OCLC may add new base numbers to these lists.
With both subject headings and call numbers, numerous alternative choices exist. Based on the information you provide to us, we select the most appropriate authorized headings and call numbers for your book. We reserve the sole and exclusive right to decide which headings and call numbers are most appropriate for your book.
ERROR CORRECTIONS
1. PCIP Data & MARC Records
We will fix any mistakes due to our error at no cost; however, if we deem the error to be not of our doing, we will not make the changes. We do not alter PCIP data simply because the client prefers a different subject heading or call number. Clients pay for our expertise and experience, and our primary goal is to serve the best interests of librarians and library patrons, the ultimate consumers of the data in a PCIP block or MARC records.
2. WorldCat Listings
Due to issues with the OCLC system that runs WorldCat, we do not update MARC records after they have been uploaded. If you notice an error in your WorldCat listing, and if we caused the error, we will contact OCLC on your behalf to rectify the situation. Errors not of our doing will not be corrected.
UPDATES
We no longer offer updates post-cataloging for a fee. If information about your book has changed since the completion of your order, we may, at our sole discretion, agree to make minor changes on your behalf at no charge.