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Recommended Formats Statement


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Main | Table of Contents | Introduction | Summary of Digital Format Preferences | Textual Works | Still Image Works | Moving Image Works | Audio Works | Musical Scores | Datasets | GIS, Geospatial and Non-GIS Cartographic | Design and 3D | Software and Video Games | Web Archives | Email

I. Textual Works

NOTE: See also Musical Scores

I. Textual Works - Print (books, etc.)
i. Textual Works - Print (books, etc.)
  Preferred Acceptable
A. Paper

Archival quality paper (ISO 11108: 1996 for Archival Paper)

B. Printing Process, in order of preference
  1. Lithography (offset printing press)
  2. Electrophotography (digital press)
  3. Inkjet (inkjet printer using stable pigment or dye-based inks)
 
C. Binding and Packaging

Slip-cased, if available

Binding, in descending order of preference:

  1. Hard cover
    1. Library binding (NISO Z39.78-2000)
    2. Sewn
    3. Glued only
  2. Soft cover
    1. Sewn
    2. Glued only
    3. Spiral- or plastic-bound
    4. Stapled
  3. Loose-leaf (including all binders and indexes published as part of the deposit and offered for sale and distribution)
 
D. Size

Larger-sized editions (Note: large-type editions are not preferred over editions with conventional size typefaces)

For broadsides and musical compositions, the Library prefers items:

  • In protective folders
  • Rolled (rather than folded)
 
E. Rarity, Special Features, Illustrations
  • Limited editions (including those with special binding or special features)
  • Editions with the greatest number of unique features (such as pop-ups, overlaps, magnifiers, overlays, tabs, notches, etc.)
  • Illustrated editions; original color illustrations preferred over black and white reproductions
 
F. Completeness
  • Complete work. For items published in a finite number of separate components, all elements published as part of the work and offered for sale or distribution must be submitted.
  • All updates, supplements, releases, and supersessions published as part of the work and offered for sale or distribution must be submitted. Insertions (including all binders and indexes) must be received in a regular and timely manner for proper maintenance of the deposit.
 
G. Metadata
  1. As displayed on item:
    1. Title
    2. Creator
    3. Creation Date or Start Date/End Date
    4. Place of Publication
    5. Publisher/Producer/Distributor
    6. ISBN
  2. If available:
    1. Other relevant identifiers (e.g., DOI, LCCN, etc.)
    2. Edition
    3. Subject descriptors
    4. Abstracts
 

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ii. Textual Works - Digital
ii. Textual Works - Digital
  Preferred Acceptable
A. Technical Characteristics

Character encoding, in descending order of preference:

  1. UTF-8, UTF-16 (with BOM), US-ASCII
  2. ISO 8859

Other character encodings not listed in Preferred section

B. Formats, in order of preference
  1. XML-based markup formats, with included or accessible DTD/schema, XSD/XSL presentation stylesheet(s), and explicitly stated character encoding
    1. EPUB3-compliant. (Other versions of EPUB are also preferred formats but EPUB3 is the most common.)
    2. BITS (Book Interchange Tag Suite) version 2.0
    3. Other widely-used book DTDs/schemas (e.g., TEI, DocBook, etc.)
  2. Page-layout formats
    1. PDF/UA (ISO 14289-1 compliant)
    2. PDF/A (ISO 19005-compliant)
    3. PDF (highest quality available, with features such as searchable text, embedded fonts, lossless compression, high resolution images, device-independent specification of colorspace, content tagging; includes document formats such as PDF/X)
  1. Other structured or markup formats
    1. XHTML or HTML, with DOCTYPE declaration and presentation stylesheet(s)
    2. XML-based document formats (widely-used and publicly-documented), with presentation stylesheet(s) if applicable. Includes DOCX/OOXML 2012 (ISO 29500), ODF (ISO/IEC 26300) and OOXML (ISO/IEC 29500).
    3. SGML, with included or accessible DTD
    4. Other XML-based non-proprietary formats, with presentation stylesheet(s)
    5. XML-based formats that use proprietary DTDs or schemas, with presentation stylesheet(s)
  2. Page-layout formats
    1. PDF (web-optimized)
  3. Other formats
    1. Rich text format (RTF)
    2. Plain text
    3. Widely-used proprietary word-processing formats
C. Rarity and Special Features
  • Limited editions (including those with special features such as high resolution images)
  • Editions with the greatest number of unique features (such as additional content, multimedia, interactive elements, etc.)
 
D. Completeness
  • Complete work. For items published in a finite number of separate components, all elements published as part of the work and offered for sale or distribution must be submitted. Includes all associated external files and fonts considered integral to the publication.
  • All updates, supplements, releases, and supersessions published as part of the work and offered for sale or distribution must be submitted and received in a regular and timely manner for proper maintenance of the deposit.
 
E. Metadata
  1. As supported by format (e.g., standards-based formats such as ONIX for Books, XMP, MODS, or MARCXML either embedded in or accompanying the digital item):
    1. Title
    2. Creator
    3. Creation Date or Start Date/End Date
    4. Place of publication
    5. Publisher/producer/distributor
    6. ISBN
    7. Contact information
  2. Include if available:
    1. Language of work
    2. Other relevant identifiers (e.g., DOI, LCCN, original URL, etc.)
    3. Edition
    4. Subject descriptors
    5. Abstracts
 
F. Technological Measures

Files must contain no measures (such as digital rights management technologies or encryption) that control access to or prevent use of the digital work

 

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iii. Textual Works - Electronic Serials
iii. Textual Works - Electronic Serials
  Preferred Acceptable
A. Technical Characteristics

Character encoding, in descending order of preference:

  1. UTF-8, UTF-16 (with BOM), US-ASCII
  2. ISO 8859

Other character encodings not listed in Preferred section

B. Formats, in order of preference
  1. Content compliant with the NISO JATS: Journal Article Tag Suite (ANSI/NISO Z39.96-2015) with XSD/XSL presentation stylesheet(s) and explicitly stated character encoding
  2. Page-layout formats
    1. PDF/UA (ISO 14289-1 compliant)
    2. PDF/A (ISO 19005-compliant)
    3. PDF (highest quality available, with features such as searchable text, embedded fonts, lossless compression, high resolution images, device-independent specification of colorspace, content tagging; includes document formats such as PDF/X
  1. Other structured or markup formats
    1. Widely-used serials or journal non-proprietary XML-based DTDs/schemas with included or accessible DTD/schema, presentation stylesheet(s) and explicitly stated character encoding.
    2. Proprietary XML-based format for serials or journals (with documentation) with DTD/schema and presentation stylesheet(s)
    3. XHTML or HTML, with DOCTYPE declaration and presentation stylesheet(s)
    4. XML-based document formats (widely-used and publicly-documented), with presentation stylesheet(s) if applicable. Includes DOCX/OOXML 2012 (ISO 29500), ODF (ISO/IEC 26300) and OOXML (ISO/IEC 29500).
  2. Page-layout formats
    1. PDF (web-optimized with searchable text)
  3. Other formats
    1. Rich text format
    2. Plain text
    3. Widely-used proprietary word-processing formats or page-layout formats
    4. Other text- or graphic-based formats not listed here that represent textual works
C. Completeness
  • Complete work. All elements considered integral to the publication and offered for sale or distribution must be submitted - e.g., articles, table(s) of contents, front matter, back matters, etc. Includes all associated external files and fonts considered integral to the publication.
  • All updates, supplements, releases, and supersessions published as part of the work and offered for sale or distribution must be submitted and received in a regular and timely manner for proper maintenance of the deposit.
 
D. Metadata
  1. Title-level metadata (e.g..standards-based formats such as ONIX for Books, XMP, MODS, or MARCXML either embedded in or accompanying the digital item):
    1. Serial or journal title
    2. ISSN and ISSN-L
    3. Publisher
    4. Frequency
    5. Place of publication
  2. Article-level metadata as relevant or applicable (e.g., standards-based formats such as ONIX for Books, XMP. MODS, or MARCXML either embedded in or accompanying the digital item):
    1. Volume(s)
    2. Number(s)
    3. Issue date(s)
    4. Article title(s)
    5. Article author(s)
    6. Article identifier (DOI, original URL, etc.)
  3. Include if available:
    1. Other descriptive metadata (e.g., subject heading(s), descriptor(s), abstract(s))
 
E. Technological Measures

Files must contain no measures (such as digital rights management technologies or encryption) that control access to or prevent use of the digital work.

 

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