FactGrid:Print publications data model

The Print Publications data model is the basic instruction for

• printed materials from single sheets to books
• multi volume publications
• periodical publications

Editions: Independent publications — the central unit on FactGrid

We are trying to focus on editions, print runs — not on individual copies of books (they should remain the primary subject matter of library catalogues that track individual items).

The usual indicator of an edition is that it created copies that could be bought individually.

The following properties are available to give information on an edition, but it is not strictly necessary to address them all. Links into databases that have the full load of information are increasingly important. All editions should therefore have the IDs of national catalogues - of the ESTC in the case of English titles, the VD catalogues in the case of German titles, the STCN for Dutch titles.

Multi volume publications

There are strictly speaking two sorts of multivolume publications: Those that actually sold in different volumes, which could be bought separately and those that came as a single object which one could only buy in one pack.

Treat volumes that could be bought separately as individual publications with a single item for each copy.

Treat volumes that simply segmented the object to be bought as segments of the publication.