Books that are "print-on-demand" (POD) should be cataloged according to the monographs workflow with the following considerations based on whether the book is a reproduction or a new title.
If the book in hand is a preservation photocopy, apply the instructions on the photocopied books workflow.
Many print-on-demand titles are reproductions of digitized items, which is common particularly with classic and out-of-print titles. To catalog these materials, follow the instructions for POD reproductions and photocopies in RDA LC-PCC PS 1.11.
When cataloging non-microform reproductions, there should be one provider neutral record for all instances of POD reproductions and photocopies of the same original source. This practice should not be used for regular print publications, republications, reprints, facsimile reproductions, etc., microform reproductions, or for a POD reproduction or photocopy of a book chapter or journal article.
A single provider neutral record should be used for all POD reproductions and photocopies of the same original manifestation, with the majority of fields describing the original manifestation. Such provider neutral records should have the following MARC coding:
| Element | Notes |
| Fixed Fields | |
| Leader/18 | Desc: i |
| 008/06 | Type of date: do not record as "r" |
| 008/07-14 | Dates: record the dates associated with the original resource |
| 008/15-17 | Ctry: code for the place of publication of the original resource |
| 008/23 | Form: r |
| Descriptive Fields | |
| 040 |
‡a UIU ‡b eng ‡e pn ‡e rda ‡c UIU Note: ‡e rda should only be added if you are verifying/re-describing the manifestation according to RDA rules. If you are deriving from an non-RDA record and you are not re-describing the manifestation per RDA, ‡e rda should not be added to the 040 field. |
| 020 |
ISBN: if the reproduction has an ISBN, include it in field 020 ‡a. Each ISBN should be included its own 020 ‡a. Add any qualifiying information to ‡q If the ISBN of the original in available, include it in 020 ‡z. |
| 037 | Source of acquisition: Optional. If desired, add the commercial POD provider. Use multiple 037 fields as needed. |
| 336 337 338 |
33X fields: code for the reproduction |
| 533 | Reproduction note: Create a single 533 field with only this content: 533 ‡a Print reproduction. |
Note: Information related to a specific reproduction may be coded in field 533, but only in the local copy of the record.
Additional information, including definitions and exceptions, can be found in the RDA LC-PCC PS 1.11.
Some print-on-demand titles are not reproductions, but are actually new titles that are only printed at the point of order. These generally have standard publication statements and may also have a printing date on the title page verso or on the final page of the book. These items should be treated as regular monographs and not as reproductions. When searching for a record in OCLC, apply the following guidelines:
If a record is not in OCLC, original cataloging according to RDA is required. If creating an original record according to RDA, apply the following guidelines:
Generally, a bibliographic record should be created that can stand for all printings of the title, regardless of printing/manufacture date, assuming that all other bibliographic information is the same.