BS: Books: a name for the 'publisher' page?

Subject: Books: a name for the 'publisher' page?
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 10 Sep 02 - 05:31 PM

Obscure question, I know.

Is there any recognised term for the page, very early in a book, that contains all the copyright, publishing, ISBN etc. information?

I'm sure that you know the page I mean.

Thanks for any help.

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: Books: a name for the 'publisher' page?
From: Burke
Date: 10 Sep 02 - 05:37 PM

I know, but publishers like to get cute, so it's not a standard as you may think. Usually it's on the verso of the Title Page. If it's in the back of the book, it's the colophon.

As a cataloger I get my publication, distribution, etc. information from "Title page, other preliminaries, colophon"

Subject: RE: BS: Books: a name for the 'publisher' page?
From: Amos
Date: 10 Sep 02 - 05:40 PM

Standard definition of it is the verso of the title page. See this site of Library Definitions.

title page

Page in the front of a book which gives the complete title, the name of the author(s) or editor(s), name of translator, publisher, and place of publication.

Publication date and ISBN are usually printed on the back (verso) of the title page.

Regards,

A

Subject: RE: BS: Books: a name for the 'publisher' page?
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 10 Sep 02 - 05:49 PM

Well, thank you both!

I sometimes curse mudcat for the amount of drivel there is, but ask a decent question and you get a decent answer really quickly!

Thanks again

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: Books: a name for the 'publisher' page?
From: greg stephens
Date: 10 Sep 02 - 05:52 PM

early days yet, Ed, there'll be a troll along in a minute.

Subject: RE: BS: Books: a name for the 'publisher' page?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 10 Sep 02 - 06:10 PM

I spent 25+ years in the college textbook biz and always called it the "legal page". However, I'm sure the term is strictly jargon and not approved for legal use. If you need a legally accepted term, see Amos' post.

Bruce

Subject: RE: BS: Books: a name for the 'publisher' page?
From: GUEST,Ed
Date: 10 Sep 02 - 06:12 PM

No legal issues concerned, simply curiosity

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: Books: a name for the 'publisher' page?
From: Burke
Date: 10 Sep 02 - 06:26 PM

Actually here's the real official definition from the Anglo-American Cataloging rules jointly published by the British, Canadian, Australian & American Library Associations, the Libray of Congress and the British Library:

"Title page. A page at the beginning of an item bearing the title proper and usually, though not necessarily, the statement of responsibility and the data relating to publication. The leaf bearing the title page is commonly called the 'title page' although properly called the 'title leaf.'"

Bruce, 'legal page' may be jargon, but librarians have the jargon too.

In newspapers the information in the the 'masthead.' I don't know why a generally usable term for all that stuff in books has never really caught on.

Subject: RE: BS: Books: a name for the 'publisher' page?
From: Hrothgar
Date: 11 Sep 02 - 04:01 AM

In magazines, this is called the "colophon" and usually includes information about advertising, distribution, subscriptions, etc. It tends to come either one page after the contents page or at the back of the magazine, but it can crop up anywhere.

Definitions of "colophon" from The Macquarie Dictionary: 1. An inscription at the close of a book, used esp. in the 15th and 16th centuries, giving the title, author, and other publication facts. 2. a publisher's distinctive emblem.

Item 1 seems to answer the question except for the positioning in the book.

Item 2 would probably be referred to as a "logo" these days. Logo is actually an abbreviation, I think, of logogram or something like that.