Prepublication Data Service
Please note: The Prepublication Data Service will close at 5 pm on 16 December 2024 and return from 9 am on 13 January 2025. Enquiries and applications will be responded to after that time, but response times may be affected. The National Library appreciates your patience and understanding during this time.
What is the Prepublication Data Service (PDS)?
The Prepublication Data Service (formerly Cataloguing in Publication (CiP)) is a free service offered by the National Library of Australia. This service is for Australian publishers and self-publishing authors who want the details of their upcoming publications made available to Australian libraries, library suppliers, and other members of the book industry for acquisition purposes.
What are the benefits?
After submitting your application, a brief prepublication catalogue record is automatically generated, and will appear in Libraries Australia and Trove, the national discovery service, within 48 hours. This means that information about your upcoming publication is available to libraries, library suppliers, booksellers and the general public around Australia, creating greater exposure for your book, and increasing the potential for book sales.
You will also receive a cataloguing statement that you may include when you print your publication, stating that there is a catalogue record of it available at the National Library of Australia.
Cataloguing statement with National Library logo
Cataloguing statement with National Library logo
What publications are eligible?
To be eligible for the Prepublication Data Service, your upcoming publication should be published in Australia.
If you are Australian and you have self-published, you are considered to be the publisher even if your book was printed overseas.
See below for more detail on eligible and not eligible types of publications.
- Upcoming new and revised editions of books
- ebooks
- Self-published books
- Print on demand books
- Graphic novels
- Zines
- Government publications, including Commonwealth, State and Local
- Numbered or multi-volumed books in a series
- Textbooks
- Translated books published in Australia
- Exhibition catalogues
- Text documents published on a disk, USB flash-drive or other media
Most publications of notated music, whether available for sale, hire, or gratis, are eligible for the PDS. These include:
- scores (including full, short, miniature, vocal and so on)
- sets of parts or individual parts if they are available separately
- song books and anthologies
- braille music publications
- electronic publications of notated music
- song texts/lyrics
- any of the above forms with accompanying electronic files that are issued as a set.
- Books that have already been published
- Books published overseas
- Reprints where the imprint, publisher, content and format are unchanged
- Magazines, journals, newspapers and other serial publications
- Single articles reprinted from magazines, journals, newspapers and other serial publications
- Audio-visual DVDs
- Audio books
- Maps
- Wall charts
- Computer programs
- Classroom educational material such as workbooks, teaching aid and resource material, test sheets, activity sheets or blackline masters, multimedia kits, course specific guides, primary level readers and study notes
- Books that are temporary in nature such as trade catalogues, telephone directories, almanacs, timetables, comic books, colouring-in books, fill-in books, diaries and calendars
For serial publications, see the Australian ISSN Agency
How to apply
See everything you need to do from filling out the application to after your work has been published.
Have a question?
If you're not sure about your eligibility or have a question about the application process, submit an enquiry via our online form. We can no longer be contacted directly by telephone. You will receive a response within 10 working days. Please note we are closed on public holidays.
