Public Domain Archive and Reprints Service - PublicDomainReprints.org
An experimental project to archive and re-publish public domain works
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for This Service
- About This Service
- What is This All About?
- Who is Behind This?
- Do you have an RSS feed?
- Compliance with Archive Terms
- How do you comply with the "non-commercial" requirements?
- Aren't you violating terms of "no automatic querying"?
- Aren't you downloading data in bulk?
- Aren't you erasing watermarks or attributions from the files?
- Requesting Reprints
- How Does It Work
- What type of bindings and sizes do you support?
- How Long Does it Take?
- How Much Does It Cost?
- What the largest number of pages a book can have?
- What if I can't find the book I need?
- What is the difference between a title, edition and a reprint?
- Ordering Reprints
- How do I buy a Reprint?
- Whom do I Contact with Questions About My Order?
- How Can I be Sure the Book Comes Out OK?
- Can I Buy Your Books in a Bookstore?
- Do you offer wholesale or bulk pricing?
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.
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 in parternship with several POD printers.
This project is run by Yakov Shafranovich in parternship with several POD printers.
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.
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 have non-commercial restrictions. While we believe that these terms are not legally binding on public domain books (as per Bridgeman Art Library v. Corel Corp. (36 F. Supp. 2d 191 - SDNY 1999), nevertheless 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 commercial cloud computing services, hosting costs, as well as various administrative costs. We also outsource the printing and ordering to third parties to reduce housekeeping costs. Any profit remaining in the end of the year is donated to the Internet Archive as you can in our blog post for 2007-2008.
Some collections have non-commercial restrictions. While we believe that these terms are not legally binding on public domain books (as per Bridgeman Art Library v. Corel Corp. (36 F. Supp. 2d 191 - SDNY 1999), nevertheless 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 commercial cloud computing services, hosting costs, as well as various administrative costs. We also outsource the printing and ordering to third parties to reduce housekeeping costs. Any profit remaining in the end of the year is donated to the Internet Archive as you can in our blog post for 2007-2008.
Aren't you violating terms of "no automatic querying"?
Our site does not search other archives directly in any way and all requests for book information is placed directly in response to a user request. This is very similar to the way Google's 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. We use existing search engine APIs to power our search engine without touching the original archives. Additionally, caching is used throughout the site in order to reduce any additional load on the archives.
Our site does not search other archives directly in any way and all requests for book information is placed directly in response to a user request. This is very similar to the way Google's 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. We use existing search engine APIs to power our search engine without touching the original archives. Additionally, caching is used throughout the site in order to reduce any additional load on the archives.
Aren't you downloading data in bulk?
We do not crawl, spider or download any data from any of the originating archives in bulk unless they are exposed for bulk download by the archives themselves such as the Internet archive OAI gateway. 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 try to link each item to the approriate page in the originating archive.
We do not crawl, spider or download any data from any of the originating archives in bulk unless they are exposed for bulk download by the archives themselves such as the Internet archive OAI gateway. 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 try to link each item to the approriate page in the originating archive.
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. However, please be aware that in some cases watermarks may be missing from some pages because of automated processing.
We do not remove any content from the original files when we process them including any pages or watermarks added by the originating archives. However, please be aware that in some cases watermarks may be missing from some pages because of automated processing.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
At this time we do not support books larger than 700 pages but multi-volume support is in the works.
What if I can't find the book I need?
You can check other reprint services that are listed on the bottom of our supported archives page, or try Amazon.com.
You can check other reprint services that are listed on the bottom of our supported archives page, or try Amazon.com.
What is the difference between a title, edition and a reprint?
A title usually corresponds to the original title obtained from a digital archive. A title usually produces one or more editions - which correspond to a new physical book. Each edition has one or more reprints, which correspond to various bindings of the same physical book. A request is placed by users in order to obtain an edition or a reprint from a specific set of titles.
In FRBR terms, a title correspond to a work, an edition is a expression, and a reprint corresponds to an manifestation.
A title usually corresponds to the original title obtained from a digital archive. A title usually produces one or more editions - which correspond to a new physical book. Each edition has one or more reprints, which correspond to various bindings of the same physical book. A request is placed by users in order to obtain an edition or a reprint from a specific set of titles.
In FRBR terms, a title correspond to a work, an edition is a expression, and a reprint corresponds to an manifestation.
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.
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.
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, to reduce costs our titles can only be purchased online.
No, to reduce costs our titles can only be purchased online.
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