Support for Indie Authors discussion

You know us Indies never rest...

In CreateSpace there is an option to have your book registered with the Library of Congress, the cost is $25.00. In researching, the site for L/C there is not an associated charge but there is however forms to complete, legal jargon to understand and a short waiting period.

My questions are:
1. Has anyone jumped through the hoop
2. Was it after release of your book or prior
3. Is it simply easier for CreateSpace to bear the labor for the $25

Thank you for your input and support!

I used them and didn't find it to be a complicated process. Their requirements do state you must apply for the number before the book is published. However, I filled out the forms and obtained a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) after both my books were published. Of course, that meant I had to reload the manuscript as the LCCN must be printed on the copyright page. I'm not sure how Createspace is satisfying that requirement. The other requirement is that a printed copy of the book has to be mailed to the Library of Congress.

Caroline, I've read up on obtaining an LCCN and would like to add a question from your list and hope it's not considered hijacking. With indie authors trying to get their books into libraries, I wonder if having an LCCN would make that easier. If a library wants to carry a book that doesn't have an LCCN, it's my understanding they obtain it themselves. Would libraries be more likely to accept your book if it already has an LCCN? If this is true, it should be possible for an author to donate their book(s) to the library, since libraries do accept book donations. Or is it not that simple? Hugs

The copyright registration is not the same as obtaining a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN). While the copyright office is a division of the Library of Congress it does not issue LCCNs. Copyright only deals with the content of the book. Here is the LCCN official definition, and it's purpose is to provide catalog services to libraries.

"The Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) is a serially based system of numbering cataloging records in the Library of Congress in the United States. It has nothing to do with the contents of any book."

If an author uses the LCCN option provided by Createspace, CS mails a copy of the book to the Library of Congress as part of the service.

Sam (Rescue Dog Mom, Writer, Hugger) wrote: "Caroline, I've read up on obtaining an LCCN and would like to add a question from your list and hope it's not considered hijacking. With indie authors trying to get their books into libraries, I wo..."

Only the publisher of the book can obtain an LCCN. So, not sure what the libraries might be doing. Everything I have read states the number is used by the library for ordering and cataloging. There is only one LCCN per book, but a book can have multiple ISBN's depending on how many versions there are. I'm digging into it to see what I can find.

I sent a copy of my book, along with the fee, to the Library of Congress through CreateSpace. I believe that it was $25.00.

Anita, Thank you for your comment. I guess my hope is that if an indie author with their own ISBN identifying them as the publisher, obtains an LCCN and includes the information on the copyright page, that libraries would be more amendable to carrying indie books since their work is already done. Hugs

I agree, having the LCCN number and being listed in the catalog should provide another opportunity for an author. But herein lies the problem. Not all books that have the LCCN get into the main catalog. Books sent to the Library of Congress get vetted before it is included in the primary catalog system. If the book isn't accepted then it is archived into a dead file that only the LOC personnel have access to.

Ah, I thought my idea was too easy. Knew there had to be a glitch. Drat! ; (

I went through Createspace for my LCCN. For me, I'd rather pay Createspace to mess with the forms and shipping a print copy off to the Library of Congress for me than having to deal with it myself. I hate paperwork and didn't want to risk forgetting to send them a copy.

I was a library acquisitions manager and cataloguer for years. I never referenced the LCCN for acquisitions, it's all ISBN-driven.

Here's the thing. Library tech services departments are understaffed and busy, and catalogers are going to be grumpy about having to hand-build a catalogue database record (a MARC record - that stands for MAchine Readable Catalog) but libraries also share MARC records around with each other all the time. Having a MARC record available and downloadable SOMEWHERE may, in fact, make or break a sale at a particular library, and that can have a cumulative effect. So how do you get that first MARC record out into the digital environment for other libraries to grab? There are a couple of ways, and LOC is one of them. Other ways include:

Having a record built by and in the database of Ingram or Baker & Taylor, which also has the (even more important) advantage of having your book be available for wholesale purchase from the same source that they're buying their mainstream print items.

Having a connection in a library where someone's willing to take the little extra time and work to build that record, as long as that library is part of one of the big aggregators that catalogers borrow records from. In libraryland we call those aggregators union catalogs. So if you've got a connection to a library because you're a local author, it's a useful question to ask: "will putting my book in your collection get it into a union catalog? Which one? How far is the reach?" In my case, in the Denver Metro area, the main union catalog is Prospector, which contains about forty member libraries. So if the book's in any one of them it's easier to get it into any other of them. The biggest union catalog of all is OCLC (worldcat.org) which is, in fact, worldwide.

Shorter answer: it's most important to have your book in a wholesale vendor catalogue, and it's helpful to have it in any library at all anywhere, because libraries talk to each other. But LOC is a big, networked library with a high degree of credibility, and it's a good catalogue to have a record in.

Does that help?

Sam (Rescue Dog Mom, Writer, Hugger) wrote: "...I guess my hope is that if an indie author with their own ISBN identifying them as the publisher, obtains an LCCN and includes the information on the copyright page that libraries would be more amendable to carrying indie books since their work is already done"

I wrote a big long comment below, but essentially: the answer is YES, that's absolutely accurate, but the ISBN is more important than the LCCN for library acquisitions teams. Purchasing workflows are ISBN based.

Elizabeth, Thank you for your helpful comments. My hope... scratch that (must think positive). My plan is to obtain my own ISBN from Bowker, obtain the LCCN from the LOC, and be my own publisher with print on demand through CreateSpace and Ingram Spark. Then I hope to have the courage to give a copy of my book to my town library and ask them if they would like to carry it. *gulp* One hurdle at a time. Thanks again! Hugs

Since I live in a fairly small town (less than 5000 people, I dropped a copy of my first book off at the libraries close to me. (there are 2) I'll do the same for all my books. Considering their collections aren't huge, the one librarian couldn't thank me enough. She said I was one of two writers who shared their work with them without cost. There are over fifteen writers in my little area. Considering most libraries have a VERY limited budget, I did it hoping I could get a few more people reading the book.

After this next book comes out, I'll be doing everything on my own, so I'll probably get the LCCN as I'll be doing my POD through Ingram.

B.A. wrote: "Since I live in a fairly small town (less than 5000 people, I dropped a copy of my first book off at the libraries close to me. (there are 2) I'll do the same for all my books. Considering their co..."


I was wondering about that! I do live in a city, but I was thinking of purchasing a few copies myself to take to libraries and give them a few at a time, especially smaller libraries. And not just in my city, but neighboring towns as well. I just didn't know if that was something they would be interested in, but I do intend to donate them. Now I feel a little more comfortable about that avenue.

Elizabeth wrote: "I was a library acquisitions manager and cataloguer for years. I never referenced the LCCN for acquisitions, it's all ISBN-driven.

Here's the thing. Library tech services departments are understa..."

Thank you so very much for this reply. I remember seeing that they used the ISBN for it, so I went with Createspace to do it for me. I was worried about whether libraries would be able to pick it up with just that, but feel confident they can find it if they need it. But I do plan to donate to local small libraries as well as in neighboring towns. As long as libraries stay open, they shouldn't be struggling to get books out to people in the community.

I have sent my books to the Library of Congress but haven't done more than that. What benefit is there to the Createspace option?

They do the paperwork, and send the book.

I meant, what benefit is there to the paperwork? Is the Createspace option specifically for copyright registry?

Sorry, misunderstood. This service is just for the LCCN, nothing to do with copyright, other than the number is entered on what is referred to as the copyright page of the book, which includes the copyright, the disclaimer, unauthorized copy restriction statement, publisher's name, and the ISBN.

Basically, they are saving an author the hassle of doing the paperwork. They fill out everything for you, submit it to the Library of Congress (LOC) and get you the number. You add it to your manuscript, typically under the ISBN. Once the book is published, they print and mail a copy for you to the LOC.

Elizabeth wrote: "I was a library acquisitions manager and cataloguer for years. I never referenced the LCCN for acquisitions, it's all ISBN-driven.

Here's the thing. Library tech services departments are understa..."
In additon to Elizabeth's comments, you may want to have a Publishers Cataloging In Publication (PCIP) data block prepared and included at the bottom of the copyright page of your book. If you are a new publisher or self-published, you will not qualify to have the Library of Congress prepare the data block for you, although you can still receive an LCCN through the PCN program. I had CreateSpace obtain the LCCN for my book and then had a service prepare the PCIP. The service I used also prepared a MARC record and uploaded it to WorldCat and SkyRiver library catalogs.

K.C. wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "I was a library acquisitions manager and cataloguer for years. I never referenced the LCCN for acquisitions, it's all ISBN-driven.

Here's the thing. Library tech services depart..."
Good information, thank you

D.M. wrote: "I was wondering about that! I do live in a city, but I was thinking of purchasing a few copies myself to take to libraries and give them a few at a time, especially smaller libraries. ..."

Talk to the library first! Smaller libraries love donations but in many medium and larger systems, they won't accept donations but they will BUY YOUR BOOK. Win! (The library system I work for now bought four copies of my first book and then bought two more a few months later!) It's an economies of scale thing - if they accepted donations of every indie/small-press/out of print local interest/oddball thing that came in the door they'd be buried in work, so they don't accept any of them. Smaller systems have a muuuuch smaller volume of that kind of non-standard stuff and so will often accept (or welcome) the donation.

Elizabeth wrote: "D.M. wrote: "I was wondering about that! I do live in a city, but I was thinking of purchasing a few copies myself to take to libraries and give them a few at a time, especially smaller libraries. ..."

Oh, fantastic! Thank you for the information, you are incredibly helpful!

Thank you for the answers about donations to libraries; I hadn't even asked the question yet!

Regarding donations for libraries, I've read from other authors that you need to specifically request that the librarian put your book in circulation in the library. Otherwise it might end up in the discard pile with other donated books.