What is your institution type? (i.e. academic, special, school, public.)

What is your job role or department? (i.e. acquisitions, technical services, reference, etc.)

What are some words you associate with print-on-demand?

In the context of your job, if a book is print-on-demand, how does that affect your thinking about it or your treatment of it, if at all?

In the context of your job, do you know if a book is print-on-demand, and if so, how do you find out?

Open-Ended Response

Open-Ended Response

Open-Ended Response

Open-Ended Response

Open-Ended Response

vanity works, unedited, poor quality, reprints

I'm reluctant to order a print-on-demand title until I've read some reviews. If I'm cataloging something we've already purchased, it's usually more challenging because authors who use print-on-demand don't often adhere to the same conventions as those who go through traditional publishers. I still have a higher opinion of traditional publishers.

I know of some print-on-demand publishers, so I often recognize them. I will sometimes visit a publisher's website if I'm curious.

economical, convenient, prevents waste

Currently doesn't affect anything.

Not sure we have any experience with it.

I would probably not use without reading reviews by others

I would start with an internet search of the title, author, publisher, followed by reviews of the title in library journals

low quality, errors, hard-to-find, specialty

probably won't buy unless germane to our collection

Yes, via amazon or our wholesaler

Technical Services (Cataloguing)

Becoming the norm

I need to refer to catalogue examples to ensure that dates and relationships are recorded correctly.

There can be a statement on the reverse of the title page or at the end of the book.

self-publishing, document delivery, costs

check publication info online

special library (art museum)

It doesn't affect my thinking if a book is print on demand or not

Usually not. I only find out when I contact the publisher for a copy.

Self-published, vanity press, low quality, typos

Very unlikely to purchase it for our collection. Would only make an exception for a local author who donates a copy.

I can tell with 90% accuracy when ordering via Ingram. Certain factors, like the book not being returnable, are a giveaway.

Reference/Instruction/ILL

alternative, DIY, self-published, questionable, public domain

I think of a print-on-demand book as inherently of lower quality as an object, but not necessarily as lower quality content. For example, we are using POD copies of The Wind in the Willows for a book discussion group this semester, and though the novel is one of my favorites, I'm finding it difficult to read because the text is small, the margins are unjustified, the print is too close to the gutter, etc. In my former position as a public librarian, I would occasionally see POD self-published books come in as donations, and I automatically assumed they were unedited.

In my experience, it's easy to tell a POD book by the quality of the printing and binding and the absence of the usual publishing hallmarks such as copyright information.

137.229.184.108

self-published items, cheap, OER

never really see these except certain OER textbooks

students mention it

assessment, reference, management

ebooks, vanity books,

At the moment, I don't often interact with books that are print-on-demand

Only Springer books through MyCopy. Otherwise, I don't know and have no idea how to find out

instruction/information literacy/reference

availability/patron-driven

Because I was introduced to it in a way that was very positive, I have no problem downloading or acquiring something I may want or need or a student may need in order to fulfill a research request. It's much faster and easier than a request.

Yes, I've figured it out based on a couple of extra steps one must seemingly do to download something.

cataloging/metadata

cheap, copyright, fast

I wonder about copyright issues. I might think the book is cheaper or lower quality (physically and intellectually).

usually rely on publication statements on cover or interior of book

Vanity publishing, scam

In my job, I look for patterns more than individual books. If a certain subject area had POD books predominantly, it would make me skeptical, e.g., that a group of people were pushing fringe theories.

I'm aware of some POD publishers' names, but I don't typically look at many individual records, so most of the time, I probably wouldn't know. With the level of work I do, I'm unlikely to ever look up publishers' names to investigate individual books.

subject librarian/reference

bad dissertations; public domain

i would look twice at it before purchasing but would not count it out

money-saving, hard to catalog, time delay

It complicates cataloging, mostly due to our rules; it complicates shelf-ready and approval plans

I haven't had to deal with any

Shoddy, self-published, low quality

I tend to think of it as more of a short-term acquisition, not really part of the "permanent" collection.

It's become less apparent at the point of purchase. Sometimes I ask. Sometimes I take note of the distinctive qualities left by POD machines.

Reference & Roaming Librarian

limited demand, potentially low-quality, or narrowly focused

Iffy purchase - will seek out additional reviews, etc., unless a known publisher is listed; I've been burned in the past by items either unedited or offered without any layout corrections.

Yes. May be listed in reviews; check Baker & Taylor otherwise.

reference & instruction

low quality; vanity

not relevant to my job

Academic 2 year college

convenient, expensive, questionable

I've been burned a few times. Cheap, fuzzy looking duplication that looked like it had been made on a copy machine in somene's garage. No binding.

I see it as part of the record in Gobi, TitleSource, Oasis, etc.

regional system of public and school with a few special

convenient, "just because you can doesn't mean you should"

expect it to be of lesser quality

printing information on one of the last pages of the book

faculty - coll. dev., reference and teaching

cheap, typos, photocopy, public domain

well I suppose I'd look more closely before ordering it (to see if a better copy was available if it was a reprint or to make sure it's something we want if it's newly published). I know it's also a bit of a pain for the acquisitions dept

Yes, because I select titles so I need the publishing info. I look

Varies in quality, often incomplete

It requires extra time, especially if the agency that does the reprinting is sloppy or unfamiliar with what a library wants and needs.

The colophon often indicates if it is POD. Sometimes, verso of the title page or prefatory information.

community librarian (outreach and programming)

i don't think we know

Fast, easy, convenient, timely, aiding scholarship

Haven't encountered this. If a really necessary book is only available as print-on-demand, and the price was not outrageous, I'd acquire it. If it were only of marginal use, I wouldn't, p-o-d or not.

Truthfully, I don't know. I imagine that a description of a p-o-d book would indicate that it is. If such isn't indicated, I assume it is a regularly published and available title.

If POD is what's available, that's better than no availability

Can tell when it arrives by the printing and binding

Lower-quality images, CreateSpace

Usually requires an original record so they can sometimes take a bit more time.

On the very last page of the book, it will have some small type listing our company's print-on-demand service or in the case of CreateSpace often times there is no publisher listed on the book but it will be on the routing slip that comes with the book from the publisher.

efficient, cost effective

it could be seen as not as "authoritative" as others but i don't think that should be true

state government - environmental department - library for technical staff

is this book going to be accessible without fees/costs?

copyright issue would be of immediate concern

utilize free sources whenever possible - limited budget

Espresso, convenience, out of print

not at all--we don't have any print on demand machines

collections coordinator

prn [as needed], self-publishing, niches, granular, cost-effective

Due to limited people-power and funds, we simply avoid PODs

by looking at the descriptors and by consulting with acquisitions librarian

the problem for me is figuring out the publisher, place of publication, and date of publication; often have to use a combination of information and numerous 264 fields, which is now allowable in RDA

I'm not generally looking for that information, but the final page usually has a date and place of manufacture in POD books

community college

I would likely not print it.

I actually do not know. I would probably to a google search.

Technical services, reference

poor quality, scam

yes, by the binding, publisher name & location, that it is obviously a scan

pain in the ass to catalog, bad reprint, wouldn't have been published by a real publisher

Lack of real publisher name, lack of OCLC record

technical services, catalog

self-publish, inventory management, poor typography

may need to do further research on it, go further afield to determine contents, subject headings

Self-published works I assume are "print-on-demand" academic publishers are also reprinting this way. Unusual barcode on final page and some text seems to indicate "p-o-d"

immediate availability

I would be curious about the internal system codes that are used to indicate that the book is print-on-demand

Internal system coding

Director of Library Services

We check to make sure it is within copyright compliance.

It can be hard to tell, but some ordering systems give that information.

Special (research)

Our director told me he thought the bindings were of poor quality, not long-lasting.

It's very helpful if the book is otherwise out of print.

Usually it says on the web site, or sometimes the publisher tells you, but it's not always obvious/transparent.

128.138.108.190

Academic/Research Library

Metadata (aka cataloging)

variable quality; ecological; innovation

good to know it won't go out of print; doesn't affect treatment

no -- I don't acquire the materials, just describe them

repositories/reference

Adult services, readers advisory

Author, student, Self-publish, cost,

Cataloging (Technical services)

Self published, popular works

Unlikely to acquire: we are a library in a major natural history museum with a worldwide scientific and scholarly reputation. Our primary mission is to provide useful material for curators and researchers. That said, we have acquired some PoD items that were the only up-to-date works in their specific fields.

Yes, easy to find out. If I don't recognize the publisher, or it doesn't show a publisher, I can Google it. The Acquisitions Librarian will know anyway, so for me is just personal curiosity.

unpredictable quality

depends on the publisher

Books In Print usually states print on demand, as do some booksellers

books, self-published, independent, little oversight

self-printed materials rarely have all the identifying characteristics/numbers that publishers have (LC, sometimes ISBN, etc.)

Probably not always, but some are obvious if you look at the printer name. Sometimes it's just a website.

I've received mail in the past from authors (especially scholars) who do their own advertising by sending letters to librarians to promote their work. Subject matter is of utmost importance and the potential demand for such works.

Director of Information and Research

convenience (for patron)

I know that we don't provide these

academic but my library is joint use with a public library system

I probably would not be aware the title exists.

I have never come across this issue and I select for several collections.

really no affect since our budget is so limited

yes - but have never considered

Assistant Director - Technical Services

fast, out of print, self-service, low quality, espresso book machine

I would not want my library to spend materials funds on a print-on-demand book unless it was absolutely necessary. I feel patrons themselves should come up with the funds for printing a book that is not readily available through traditional library acquisitions.

I pay attention to the source of the book. Most of our purchases come from trusted library vendors. Those that come from amazon may include some print-on-demand titles, but I am not personally aware of a method to recognize these.

challenging, scant publication info.

it generally means I'm going to have to do some research

sort of, by lack of publishing info & also there is sometimes a code of sorts later in the book on a blank page

did we really this? is the (physical) quality up to par?

As an experienced cataloger, it is generally easy for me to tell if a book didn't come from a tradiitonal publisher, although I might not know that it is print-on-demand vs. vanity press vs. locally "published" item (e.g. local histories).

low-quality; underground; vanity publishing; fringe; niche

I do copy cataloguing almost exclusively, so while I may not be a fan of the products of print-on-demand services, it does not affect my practical treatment of a print-on-demand book in any substantive way.

I only know for certain by seeing certain publication information in the catalog record, but I can often guess based on the low-quality cover designs and the nonstandard text formatting.

paper, ink, strain on library resources if we have people printing books out or have to purchase/lease a dedicated printer, not certain about quality of finished product, relatively new concept - not sure how it fits in with our workflow, cheaper for consumer?

If I had to catalog the item it might require a bit more work.

I would hope it would be indicated on the item. I'm guessing I could tell by the books construction. I've never dealt with a print-on-demand item.

That the quality of the work might be less than a traditionally published book, that it will be more difficult to catalog (less publisher information, less likely to have been cataloged by someone else)

Usually I know because there is a spot on the last page that says where it was printed. Also, the publishing information gives it away and many times the quality of the cover art, etc. makes it more obvious.

limited quantity, lower quality, unspecified edition

It is often more difficult to locate publication/reprint information for creating records.

It's fairly simple to identify print-on-demand items. They look very different from books published by mainstream publishers. The print quality and covers are different, and the information on the t.p. and verso is different. There is generally a credit to the print-on-demand facility or company appearing somewhere on the back cover or last few pages of the book.

self-published, missing publisher, paperback

A book to catalog is a book to catalog.

I usually find out by looking at the data on the last page before back cover

academic consortium office

PDF, facsimile, limited run, independent publisher

I have to be aware that the rules for describing a particular on-demand copy might mean that my description might not exactly match earlier or later on-demand copies, which could lead to union catalog duplication and questions from catalogers on how to proceed.

In the context of my present job, I don't know that. When I worked in an acquisitions setting, I relied on vendor information, such as from YBP, Amazon, or the publisher's details, to identify on-demand options.

I am more likely to find the item difficult to work with and more time consuming

normally it is the absence of indicators normally found on a book, ex: publisher and copyright information, information about the author. also, Print on demand items typically have lower quality cataloging records for them, if any.

lightning source, vanity press, indie

less professional since there was no vetting process

the imprint and they usually have generic covers. also they are sometimes poorly written and resemble a fan guide.

useful, freeing,enjoyable, creative

no difference, except I wish POD authors would remember to put publishing information on the book

I catalog books, so can recognize the features of a POD book -- they often leave off the publishing details, ISBNs, and other parts that are included in a book published by a traditional publisher. In fact, I have created several POD books myself.

reference and user experience

wonder if students find it easy to use

cheap, low quality, some are good

It doesn't. I just do the best I can with the information I have.

Sometimes. There are publishers we recognize. Sometimes I scan the barcode in Bing to find out the publisher. I assume all or most self-published stuff is POD

Director of Library Services

Cost effectiveness, monograph printing, publishing style

Doesn't change my thinking of it, or treatment of it

I do the book ordering and cataloguing, so I would know if it was POD.

technical services -- catalog librarian --

quick -- out of copyright -- historical --

it is hard to catalog -- requires original oclc cataloging --

you can easily tell by the publisher name -- and by the way it looks --

Out-of-print books, self-published books

Can usually tell by the publisher and/or its appearance as well as the lack of publication information inside of it.

Collection Development

I'm more careful of self-pub titles rather than how it is printed (as some re-releases are being done through POD). I will usually look for public reviews on Amazon or Goodreads before deciding to make a purchase.

We use Ingram for selection and ordering; sometimes if they list 0 stock but it's not out of print, that's a clue that it could be POD. Otherwise I don't know. I tend to pay more attention to the name of the publisher.

crappy renditions / self-published

treatment is the same as any other book format, but I've been suspecting for some time that different treatment should be systematically applied to these.

Yes. 99% of the time it's obvious to me that I have a POD book in hand; otherwise a simple Google search usually solves any mysteries.

fast, cost-effective

wish publication information was presented better... hard to find records

lack of logical publication information... sometimes you see the publication info from Ingram near the back of the book

Cataloging Librarian (who also orders items)

print on my desk printer, have the publisher print something that is no longer in print

not-I don't order print-on-demand

it will have special wording

cataloging and metadata

varying quality, local authors, alumni authors, ISBN problems

Depends on how hard it is to catalog. If the bibliographic information I need is there and if the quality is good, often I might not even notice if something is self-published. When the print quality is poor or the nature of the content makes it difficult to summarize/analyze for subject headings, then I notice.

Knowing the signs (the information on the back that suggests it went through Amazon), bibliographic cues, ISBN issues

mysterious, ambiguous

it's pretty obvious when there is no clear identification of a publisher or it's not the product of the defunct publisher appearing on the title page

It's generally rare as I deal with non-Roman language material and print-on-demand is apparently rare for such materials. I treat it differently only because I must then go look up the cataloging rules/guidelines about how to treat such material when cataloging them, so it generally takes more time than I'd prefer to spend cataloging such items.

You can generally tell based on the formatting; some "publishers" you recognize the names of.

Head of cataloguing

Fast, available, paperback, usually no colour

Require a publishing date

Usually a reprint of an out-of-copyright book, printing info at end of book

Substandard writing, poor or no editing, bad records, poor quality paper and binding. Not to mention poor circ stats.

I often have to catalog it from scratch rather than finding a record for it. Takes time, raises costs.

Yes, I've seen so many of them I can tell. It's also possible to tell by the name of the "publisher" or the lack of a real copyright page and/or CIP data.

vanity publishing,

Likely a local person writing about local topics (genealogy, architecture, history, etc)

looking up the publisher will help. Sometimes there's no ISBN, etc. A scan/photocopy is often sent with the cataloging request.

Academic / Medical

Fast, expensive, postage

The books we need, reading list books, are not currently published this way. Payment would be an issue but my boss has a company credit card.

The person who orders them sits next to me and I know where each comes from and how

146.232.125.159

Saving ; time consuming

I think it might not be available and search for something else.

collection description

scalability, self published,

Yes, from publisher supplied information, from vendor or distributor information, from the look of the book or info on the book

acquisitions, technical services & technology

unreliable content quality

try to avoid it unless no other alternative

from distributor, cover description, MARC record

Academic, two-year

reference, instruction, collection development

I'm less likely to buy it

It's usually reprints of public domain works, and I Google the publisher. Those we have bought have been low-quality and not attractive to students. I will often buy a different edition of that book. My concern is quality.

Quick, ephemeral, expensive

Try for another version

Sometimes- Clicking through links to the content

Yes, I weigh how long I'm willing to wait for the title to be printed

It's usually indicated in the Baker & Taylor seller info

instructional technology

economical, flimsy, black-and-white, flexible

It's not the kind of book we'd hope/expect to keep forever. It's going to have a limited shelf-life, and that's okay :)

I don't deal with print-on-demand titles directly. As far as I know, the only ones we have are in our reserves collection. I think there may be mixed opinions among the library faculty and staff about whether the library should be purchasing print-on-demand titles. I'm in favor of it, but I'd also want to hear about the circulation staff's experiences (and possibly issues) with them.

Newsletter from author or publisher

Espresso book machine

Need to refer patron to area where such printing is available

If it is not clear, we have a database to look up available titles.

Less likely to purchase

Interim Dept. Head Collection & Resource Services

Cost effective, innovative, demand driven

No special treatment. If someone requests, we buy it.

There is a link in the catalog offering opportunity to request book purchase.

Reference, instruction

customized, self-publishing, customer-driven, costs

where it was printed, for what reason (research, recreational, curiosity, etc.), how does it affect other non-print-on-demand books (circulation, purchasing, etc.)

Probably not. At least, if I've encountered one already, I haven't known about it. I'd probably be able to tell if I took a closer look at it and examined the materials, binding, subject matter, and did some additional research on the title itself.

user experience (a blend of IT and public services); subject librarian/liaison

fast, inexpensive, innovative, new publishing methods

depends on publisher -- in some cases, I might think of it as lower quality; in other cases, I think of it as smart and efficient

in many cases, I'm likely not aware; in some cases, it's obvious in the book jobber/selection platform we use (GOBI) that the book is print-on-demand

Price must be higher

technical services (acquisitions & cataloging)

I avoid if possible and think twice about purchasing print-on-demand books because they are often of lower quality and have generic covers and lack information regarding the reprinting/republishing

I often recognize print-on-demand companies by name and some ordering systems identify books as print-on-demand

solo librarian so do it all

I think it's not considered by publisher as worth a commitment

reference, reader advisory

overpriced, poor binding, badly edited

Prefer a digital copy, if available for circulation; will purchase if needed and that's the only format available

Listing on B&T or other acquisitions source

interesting; helpful; cost-effective; need special equipment if you want a bound text

Would probably try to find an alternative

Haven't seen one, but it might show up in our discovery tool

probably wouldn't think of adding it.