The Library of Congress’ Cataloging Page for Publishers

For the first time in 16 years, the Library of Congress is rolling out an all-new CIP (Cataloging in Publication) database. PrePub Book Link (PPBL) overhauls the outdated 2003 system. It took more than one and a half years, involves more than 3,000 major scholarly and trade publishers and more than 50,000 books each year. “It’s a very significant milestone,” says Karl Debus-López, chief of the U.S. Programs, Law, and Literature Division and former Chair of the ISSN International Centre Governing Board, which oversees the program. “It’s a success story of collaborative work.” The new system is faster, allows publishers to log-in by multiple accounts and attach a PDF file for the book, and provides auto-filled data boxes to streamline the process.