Public Domain Archive and Reprints Service - PublicDomainReprints.org
An experimental non-commercial project to archive and re-publish public domain works
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for This Service



What is This All About?

This is an experimental project dedicated to archiving and re-publishing public domain works. This service can take any book from supported archives (that is in public domain) and reprint it using print on demand services. There is also a short post on my blog about it.

Who is Behind This?

This project is run by Yakov Shafranovich.

Do you have an RSS feed?

We actually have two: one for our blog and a second feed which lists the last 20 books processed by our service.

How do you comply with the "non-commercial" requirements?

Some collections in the Internet Archive as well as all public domain books from Google Books have non-commercial restrictions. We do not operate this service as a commercial service. Rather a small fee of under $1 is tacked on processed requests to cover the cost incurred when renting computing power from Amazon EC2 and similar services, hosting costs, as well as various administrative costs. We also outsource the printing and ordering to third parties to reduce housekeeping costs.

Aren't you violating Google Book Search terms of "no automatic querying"?

Our understanding at this time is that we do not violate this requirement. Our site does not search Google's site in anyway and any request for book information is placed directly in response to a user request. This is very similar to the way Google's own Feedfetcher works as explained in this Google FAQ entry. All searches must be done by users directly at Google's site including those originating from our search page.

Aren't you downloading data in bulk?

We do not crawl, spider or download any data from any of the originating archives in bulk in compliance with the terms of the originating archives. All requests for book information are placed directly in response to a user request and are immideatly cached to reduce load on the originating archives. All searches are redirected to the search engines provided by the originating archives including those originating from our search page. We also link each item to the approriate page in the originating archive and comply with any linking policies.

Aren't you erasing watermarks or attributions from the files?

We do not remove any content from the original files when we process them including any pages or watermarks added by the originating archives. We also attribute the reprints to the original archive in the beginning of the text block, on the back cover and on our website. However, please be aware that in some cases watermarks may be missing from some pages due to the way our resizing process is performed. We try to correct all such occurances.

How Does It Work

Anyone with an email address can place a request on this page using a link from a supported archive. Your request will be forwarded to our conversion server which will convert the appropriate book to printable form, and sends it off to several of the print on demand services we use. When the book has been uploaded, it will be made for immideate ordering and shipping, and you will receive a set of links to it via email and THEN you can make the decision to purchase the book as well as choose the print on demand service you want to purchase the book through. Requesting a reprint does not obligate you to buy the resulting book.

What type of bindings and sizes do you support?

Currently, only soft cover books are supported in 6"x9", 6.625"x10.25" or 8"x11" trim sizes. Books smaller than the trim size will be imposed on the closest page size without shrinking the page. Books larger than 8x11 will be shrunk down.

How Long Does it Take?

At this time, please allow for upto 24-48 hours and possibly longer.

How Much Does It Cost?

Printed reprints currently are priced between $4.99 and $18.99 depending on the number of pages, and in soft cover, perfect binding. This price includes a small under $1 fee that we use to recover costs and does NOT include shipping costs.

What the largest number of pages a book can have?

At this time we do not support books larger than 700 pages but multi-volume support is in the works.

Can I see what a book looks like?

Sure! Here is a preview PDF and a cover PDF for David Crockett: his life and adventures.

How do I buy a Reprint?

You can order a reprint by submitting a reprint request.

Whom do I Contact with Questions About My Order?

Please contact the print on demand service that handled your order with any questions about your order.

How Can I be Sure the Book Comes Out OK?

Every book has a preview PDF that contains 1/3 of the book the way it was submitted for printing. PLEASE NOTE: THERE IS NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. IF THE BOOK DOES NOT COME OUT THE WAY YOU EXPECT, DON'T BLAME US.

Can I Buy Your Books in a Regular Bookstore?

No. This is a non-commercial service and online is the only place you can get them.

Do you offer wholesale or bulk pricing?

No. This is a non-commercial service.


Copyright © 2007-2008 by Public Domain Archive and Reprints Service. Last updated on Wednesday, 02-Apr-2008 12:43:38 EDT. This site is NOT affiliated with the Internet Archive or Google Book Search. All trademarks remains property of their respective owners. This site was built using Prototype and YUI. Menu CSS based on Dynamic Drive CSS Library.