Support : Publications : Chronolog Archives : April 2001

Books In Print^® on Dialog: Reloaded and Current

As of March 2001, Books In Print (File 470) on Dialog is current and has returned to monthly updates with the February 2001 update. There are now almost 3 million records in the file with details of print status, bibliographic information, publisher data, and awards granted to each title. Also, with the reload of the file, the Dialog MAP feature is once again working with File 450: Publishers, Distributors, and Wholesalers. Both databases are produced by R.R. Bowker, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Use RN to MAP the Bowker Publisher Identification Number in either file.

The Books In Print database is a major source of information for all books published or distributed in the United States that are available to the general public or trade for single or multiple copy purchase. The database includes scholarly, popular, technical, law, medical, adult, juvenile, reprint, and all other types of books covering all subjects. Records typically include title, author, ISBN, status, series name (if any), publisher, pagination, binding, intellectual and grade level, and hard copy source. Records may also include multiple ISBN entries for books that are published in multiple formats. Extensive subject classification is also provided through Bowker Subject Headings and other descriptor lists.

With the reload, there is a new field to indicate Awards (AW=) presented to the book, including Newbery, Caldecott, and Pulitzer awards. EXPAND the AW= index to see the full scope of the awards.

MAP

Use Books in Print (Dialog File 470) to track down the publisher of a book. Then use the MAP feature to search File 450 to find publisher information, to get their toll-free number, and to check what discount schedules they may offer. File 450 is a directory database of the entire U.S. book and electronic publishing industry. It provides company and contact details of publishers' imprints and subsidiaries and divisions, as well as details of wholesalers and distributors of their titles. The file contains address and ordering information, including discount scheduling. You may also begin your search in File 450 if you know the publisher name and wish to find a list of titles for that publisher in File 470.

ALERTS

Alerts for File 470, Books In Print, will begin running again with the February 2001 update. If you wish to view records in your search query that have been added to the database during the year 2000 (which covers most of the time the database was not updating), you may use the RS= index (Date of record in file). Use SELECT RS=2000? to retrieve all records added to the file during the year 2000. There are 344,800 records that are retrieved with this RS search. Please be sure to EXECUTE your Alert and then AND your final set with RS=2000?.

See Figure 2 to view a search example on how to retrieve records added to File 470 in the year 2000.

For more information on either File 470 or File 450, contact R.R. Bowker at 800-323-3288 or 908-464-6800. A revised Bluesheet for File 470 is included with the April Chronolog. Please annotate your Bluesheet for File 450 to reflect that the MAP code is now RN instead of PU. You may also find both corrected bluesheets in Dialog Bluesheets™ (File 415) and on the Dialog website (http://library.dialog.com/bluesheets/).

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