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1. www.arrow-net.eu 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)

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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 • Natural history illustration. 2. Scientific illustration. 3. Drawing -- Technique. 4. Nature (Aesthetics). I. Title. • QH46.5.B7 2004 • 508.022--dc22                                            2004110533

5. 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

6. 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

7. National Bibliography entry

8. Books in Print entry part 1

9. Books in Print entry (continued)

10. 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

11. Which European countries have BiP services? • Belgium • Czech Republic • Denmark • Finland • France • Germany and Austria • Greece • Italy • Netherlands • Norway • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland (via France, Germany and Italy) • UK and Ireland

12. 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)

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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)

20. Business models - costs • License fees for database software • Hardware / hosting costs • Design of user interface • Staff (management, editorial, chasing publishers) • Marketing

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. FURTHER INFORMATION Brian Green brian@editeur.org Principal Consultant EDItEUR www.editeur.org (previously Executive Directorof the International ISBN Agency) http://www.arrow-net.eu ARROW Plus is a Best Practice Network selected under the ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT PSP)