Www.arrow-net.eu Towards a Lithuanian “Books in Print” Vilnius, 30th August 2011 ARROW Plus is a...

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Towards a Lithuanian “Books in Print”

Vilnius, 30th August 2011

ARROW Plus is a Best Practice Network selected under the ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT

PSP)

Book databases have many different purposes

National Bibliographies Repository of cultural heritage

Cataloguing in Publication (CIP) Basic bibliographic information, sometimes printed in book

Wholesaler/distributor databases Books carried by wholesaler/distributor

Books in Print databases (BiP) Providing information to the book supply chain

National bibliography

Comprehensive historical record of publications Books in and out of print (no discrimination) No updated price and availability data Limited book distribution information Information taken from actual book or ISBN registration

data Normally based on legal deposit Limited use for trade purposes

Cataloguing in publication (CiP)

Collaboration between publishers and National Libraries/ISBN agencies to collect early data

Allows catalogue record to be compiled before publication Record may be printed in book Only basic data included Never updated

Brady, Irene.     Illustrating nature : right-brain art in a left-brain world / written and illustrated by Irene Brady.     p. cm.     Includes index.     ISBN 0-915965-08-9 

1.Natural history illustration. 2. Scientific illustration. 3. Drawing -- Technique. 4. Nature (Aesthetics). I. Title.

 QH46.5.B7 2004508.022--dc22                                            2004110533

Wholesalers’ databases

Usually limited to books available from a single wholesaler or distributor

Designed to provide limited retail information needs of wholesaler’s clients

Often not publicly available – limited to clients Some information (e.g. availability) refers to wholesaler

rather than the publisher

Books in Print

To provide aggregated information to the entire book supply chain

Listing of all books available in print … or soon to be published Contact details for publishers / distributors Comprehensive in coverage Includes descriptive/marketing information Provides updated current price, availability and source

(i.e. distributor) information

National Bibliography entry

Books in Print entry part 1

Books in Print entry (continued)

Why is BiP so important?

Information about every book available for sale Provides all the information that bookshops and libraries

need to make purchase decisions and obtain the book Accurate and up-to-date data

Encourages backlist sales Promotes export sales Facilitates electronic ordering and sales data Essential for Internet bookselling Helps sell more books

Which European countries have BiP services?

Who publishes BiP databases

Bibliographic service companies (e.g. Nielsen, UK) Wholesalers (e.g. Centraal Boekhuis, Netherlands) Trade Associations (e.g. MVB, Germany)

N.B. All of the above examples are ISBN Agencies… Sometimes a collaboration between ISBN Agencies and a

private bibliographic company (e.g. Italian Publishers Association / Informazioni Editoriali, Italy)

The best solution is collaboration

ISBN agencies that are based in National Libraries linked to legal deposit bodies, are well-equipped to collect and aggregate good quality comprehensive data but not to maintain dynamic data such as price and availability

Collaboration between libraries and the trade is the best solution

Italy, Spain and the Nordic countries are good examples of collaboration between organisations (publisher associations, bibliographic service providers, wholesalers, ISBN agencies/national libraries)

All parties benefit if the data quality is improved

Some key components of Books in Print

Database/search software Hosting Web user interface Standard data elements Standard subject classification scheme Mechanism for collecting new title and publisher

information System for collecting and managing updates Publisher awareness of the benefits of contributing good

quality data

ARROW proposal for a shared BiP platform

To create a software and hosting platform capable of meeting all the requirements of different organisations in agreed countries with minimal need for local adaptation All participating countries will have the opportunity of

expressing requirements Development cost will be shared (and funded by ARROW

Plus) On-going maintenance, enhancement and hosting costs will

also be shared amongst all countries using the system and therefore should be less per user.

Agreeing requirements for BiP

Data elements and code lists (e.g. ONIX for Books 3.0) Subject descriptors (N.B. library classification schemes

are not optimal for trade use) …or “borrow” an existing scheme (e.g. BIC)

Any special requirements for user interface Source of initial data and system for collecting and

updating data Requirements for data output (via web or export files) Develop business and marketing plans

Getting data from publishers

Data elements and timings should be agreed with publishers

Mechanisms should be simple forms (preferably web-based) batch exchange from publishers databases

Cost to publishers should be minimal Publishers must understand the importance of keeping

price and availability details current i.e. it will help sell books and enable ARROW searches

Getting data from publishers

Publishers should include the agreed data elements on their own database

Standard codes / identifier systems should be used where possible (e.g. ONIX)

Publishers should regularly check their own BiP records for accuracy Access to BiP must be provided for publishers

Data from publishers is likely to require editorial supervision

Business models - revenues

Payment for access Licensing of entire database Payment for “rich” extended entries (e.g. yellow pages) Contributions from advertising/sponsorship Public funding contributions Value-added services (e.g. electronic ordering and other

transactions, sales data)

Business models - costs

License fees for database software Hardware / hosting costs Design of user interface Staff (management, editorial, chasing publishers) Marketing

A difficult challenge: creating Books in Print databases

Books in Print databases require: Significant investments: difficult to break even in countries

with small publishing industries High level IT competences and specific know how, which

takes time to be created Consensus between stakeholders, both commercial and

public sector Proactive collaboration and commitment by those

stakeholders

The Arrow Plus approach and benefits

Issue 1: reduce need for big investment create one single system that serves more markets, in order to

reduce country investment and future maintenance costs (while ensuring localisation at interface level)

Issue 2: know how Leading BIP and standard organisations are involved (MVB,

AIE, EDItEUR), which will offer a unique opportunity to help build local know-how

Issue 3: consensus All national players are invited to join and express their needs

Issue 4: local commitment Publishers must understand the benefits of providing and

maintaining data

Towards a Lithuanian Books in Print

The ARROW Plus project provides a unique opportunity in Lithuania for: bringing together publisher, bookseller library, wholesaler,

rights organisations to collaborate, share and improve data on books in and out of commerce

taking advantage of the expertise and funding within the ARROW Plus project to build a world class Books in Print database

providing a professional, shared cost solution for ongoing hosting and maintenance of the Books in Print database

http://www.arrow-net.eu

ARROW Plus is a Best Practice Network selected under the ICT Policy Support

Programme (ICT PSP)

FURTHER INFORMATION

Brian Greenbrian@editeur.org

Principal ConsultantEDItEURwww.editeur.org

(previously Executive Directorof the International ISBN Agency)