Library of Congress Number

[david b mclaughlin]

When would you need a Library of Congress Number? Any tips on obtaining one?

[Feon Davis]

This is a good questions to ask david. What I , understand from other authors.One does need a ISBN number and bare code to have a book within a bookstore. However, I don't know of authors or self-published books was accepted without at least the bare code. I have inclosed a link I hope helps with info. I hope someone who is a author or is knowledgeable than I can answer your specific questions.

http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/index.asp

[Nicole Davis]

Feon, it is possible to do book signings at bookstores without bar codes and ISBN. It is a lot more difficult to setup one but not entirely impossible. If you do not have an ISBN or barcode, get them. If your budget does not allow this, then you'll probably fair better setting up signings at independent stores. But you can maybe get into a few of the BIG BOYS (Barnes & Noble and Borders). Before we became more polished and got into Ingram, we had to call bookstore after bookstore and usually got rejected because we were considered POD. We're not POD. Every now and then, a nice CRM (Community Relations Manager) at Barnes & Noble would say, "you know, we don't carry your book because it's POD but you can bring books and we can set you up a signing). And surprisingly, we showed up with our inventory and signed books. We always sold over 10 books and the people at BN were like "WOW." And we always sent thank you notes. This build rapport and creditablility. Now, we can call them up anytime to setup a signing and the great thing is that we can bring our books or they can order them.

So, the key is to just ask and keep asking and keep asking. There will be more No and Yes but my motto is "It's always too soon to quit."

[Alicia Hill Jones]

David,
Self publishers with less than three published title are not eligible to recieve a LCCN. However, they may qualify for a "Preassigned Control Number", which I have yet to figure out what that is. If you are published through a traditional publishers then they will get the LCCN for you. Here is the link to the Library of Congress website where I got the eligibilty information: http://cip.loc.gov/eligibility.html

Hope this helps!
Alicia

[Nicole Davis]

Hi David, A Library of Congress catalog card number is a unique identification number that the Library of Congress assigns to the catalog record created for each book in its cataloged collections. Librarians use it to locate a specific Library of Congress catalog record in the national databases and to order catalog cards from the Library of Congress or from commercial suppliers. The Library of Congress assigns this number while the book is being cataloged. Under certain circumstances, however, a card number can be assigned before the book is published through the Preassigned Card Number Program.

Alicia, I wanted to update your information a little. A LCCN and a PCN are one in the same. A PCN is a pre-assigned number given prior to the publication of a work. When the work is ready for publication, the publisher or author must list the PCN in the book as follows:
Library of Congress Control Number: 2004012345.

The only eligibility requirement is that you are a US publisher. That is why it is important to start a publishing company yourself if you are not represented by one. The website Alicia gave is correct. Just go there, fill out an application for a PCN and wait.

Alicia may be speaking on the differences between a PCN and CIP.

[Alicia Hill Jones]

Nicole,
Thank you for clearing that up for me! I did think that the LCCN was part of the CIP. I'm glad there's people like you on this network to help out the 'newbies' like me :-)

David, I apologize for mispeaking on the LCCN. Hope I didn't cause any confusion.

-Alicia

[SusieSunshine]

I would like to add to Nicole's post because I have recently applied for a PCN. The PCN is for those publishers who have published 3 or less books. The LCCN is for publishers that have published more than 3 books. Hope this helps.

[Nicole Davis]

The 3 book rule only applies to CIP. The PCN and The LCCN are one in the same. See FAQ below directly from the site: I think you are using CIP and PCN interchangeably. The PCN and LCCN are the same. The CIP is totally different.

What is the difference between Cataloging in Publication (CIP) Program and the Preassigned Control Number (PCN) program?
The Cataloging in Publication program creates bibliographic records for forthcoming books most likely to be widely acquired by U.S. libraries. The bibliographic record (also known as CIP data) is sent to the publisher and printed on the verso of the title page. A machine-readable version of the record is also distributed to libraries, book dealers, and bibliographic networks worldwide via the Library's Cataloging Distribution Service (CDS).

The Preassigned Control Number (PCN) program assigns a Library of Congress Control Number (aka Library of Congress Card Number) to titles most likely to be acquired by the Library of Congress as well as some other categories of books. The publisher prints the control number in the book and thereby facilitates cataloging and other book processing activities for libraries and book sellers who obtain copies of the book. An initial bibliographic record is also created for many of these works when the number is assigned. This record is not distributed and is not printed in the book. The CIP program and PCN program are mutually exclusive. Titles processed in one program are not processed in the other program.


What is the difference between a Library of Congress Card Number, a Library of Congress Control Number, and a Preassigned Control Number?
There is no difference between a Library of Congress Card Number and a Library of Congress Control Number. They are one in the same. The Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) is the number associated with the bibliographic record created by the Library of Congress or another library for a given book. Strictly speaking the LCCN is the control number for the bibliographic record, not the book. In the past, the printed card in a card catalog was the most popular format for displaying the bibliographic record and consequently the number associated with the record was commonly referred to as the Library of Congress Card Number. Other formats, however, were also used to display and distribute catalog records such as: book catalogs, microform catalogs, and online catalogs. As the most popular format for displaying and distributing bibliographic records is now the online automated system, it is more accurate to use the term "Library of Congress Control Number" rather than "Library of Congress Card Number".

A Preasigned Control Number (PCN) is a Library of Congress Control Number which has been "preassigned" to a given work prior to the work's publication. The publisher of an eligible work may may obtain a PCN by way of the EPCN program, assuming, of course, that the work has not yet been published. Published works are otherwise assigned a LCCN during the cataloging process, if they have been selected for addition to the Library of Congress' collections

[SusieSunshine]

I'm trying to get this straight in my head as I had a difficult time before applying for my PCN.

I was under the impression that you couldn't get a CIP unless you had already published 3 books.

I was under the impression that the LCCN and the PCN were the same thing. One was for already published works (LCCN) and the other for works not published yet (PCN). That is why I applied for the PCN.

So was I correct in applying for the PCN?

[Nicole Davis]

OK, the three book rule applies to the CIP. But in your previous post you were saying PCN instead of CIP. It does not matter how many books you have when applying for a PCN or LCCN because they are the same. It's preassigned until you assign it to your book which it then becomes LCCN.

So, everyone applies for a PCN before the book is published. Once the book is published or getting ready to be published, the PCN becomes the LCCN. Books that are already published, cannot go back and get a PCN or LCCN. The process is to apply for PCN, get that number, and then use the number in your book as the LCCN. You must follow this process to get an LCCN for your book. There is no separate process to get an LCCN for an already published book.

Hope that this didn't confuse you anynore. But it may be easier to understand if you forget about the word PCN and just use LCCN. PCN is just the government's way of saying that the LCCN is pre-assigned to a certain book.

[SusieSunshine]

Thank you for making that clearer for me. I appreciate it!

If you have a LCCN then you don't get a CIP. Is this correct?

[Nicole Davis]

Correct.

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