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Program Cataloging in Publication

About the CIP Program

A Cataloging in Publication record (aka CIP data) is a bibliographic record prepared by the Library of Congress for a book that has not yet been published. When the book is published, the publisher includes the CIP data on the copyright page thereby facilitating book processing for libraries and book dealers.

Purpose of the CIP Program

The purpose of the Cataloging in Publication (CIP) Program is to serve the nation's libraries by cataloging books in advance of publication.

  • Publishers submit applications via the Library of Congress’s PrePub Book Link.
  • The Library creates a bibliographic record for each publication and sends it to the publisher.
  • The publisher prints the record (known as CIP data) on the verso of the title page.
  • The CIP data is thereby available to each library that acquires a copy of the book.
  • The Library of Congress also distributes these records weekly in machine readable form to large libraries, bibliographic services, and book vendors around the world.
  • Many of these organizations redistribute these records in products and services designed to alert the library community to forthcoming publications and to facilitate acquisition.