03 What is "Books In Print"?
Description
This article is from the Books FAQ, by Evelyn C. Leeper eleeper@jaguar.stc.lucent.com with numerous contributions by others.
03 What is "Books In Print"?
Just about every public library and every bookstore in the country has,
for public use, a multi-volume reference work called "Books in Print."
It is just about what the title claims it is. It is a listing by
title, by author, and by subject of every book currently listed by
publishers as being currently in print in the United States. (There
are versions for other countries as well; in Britain it's WHITAKER'S.)
It tells you the list price and the publisher. It also has a volume of
out-of-print books and a separate volume that lists the mailing
addresses of the publishers. The local B. Dalton keeps it at the
information desk. Almost bookstore or public library will have a set
that they would be happy to have you look at.
Also, "Books in Print" is available as file number 470 in Bowker's Online
Databases on DIALOG. Bowker can be reached at 800-323-3288 and
DIALOG at 800-334-2564.
There is also a similar database on Compuserve.
There is a similar reference set called "Paperback Books in Print." I am
not sure what it would list that would not be listed in its bigger cousin,
but that reference might also be of interest. In Britain, there is "British
Books in Print." At this time, there is no public site that provides "Books
in Print" on-line.
(For used books, there is BOOKMAN'S, the used book trade magazine. Lots
of books are advertised there that haven't been in print for decades.
You may be able to find the annual bound copy of BOOKMAN'S PRICE INDEX
(the used book dealer's pricing bible) in your local library. There's
no guarantee that the book you want will still be for sale if you go
that way, but it is a good way to plan your budget.)
One way of getting out-of-print titles is to get in touch with
University Microfilms, Inc. (or other such companies). They'll print a
copy of a book from microfilm, generally within 3 weeks of your order.
They take care of the copyright issues & royalty payments, and you get
the book (although the printing quality is what you'd expect for a
photoreprint from microfilm). They're a standard resource for
librarians.
A 106-page book was recently quoted as US$30.00, with a US$6.00
surcharge for cloth binding. (The default is paperbound). And of
course,not all books are available for reprinting--they've obviously
specialized in academic books.
University Microfilms, Inc.
300 North Zeeb Road
Ann Arbor, MI
48106
313-761-4700
800-521-0600
800-343-5299 (works in Canada)
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