Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research (CBSR)

Contribute

The ESTC relies on the contributions of institutions around the world. A database of contributing libraries is available here:

Contributing Libraries

Web Matching

Institutions can add holdings to existing records through our "web matching" process. See this slide show for more information:

Webmatchers' Login

Please enter your user ID and password, then click on "Log In" to enter our catalog.

User ID:
Password:

See the Help Topics page for more information on using our ESTC database. 

Contributing Records

To contribute many records at once, you can send us records from your local OPAC or in-house electronic catalog. We prefer records in the MARC format but can work with other formats too. To find out more information about sending us an extraction of your records, contact estc-technical@cbsr.ucr.edu.

Reporting Individual Items

To mail a report, print and fill out the slip below and photocopy the title page of the item  you plan to report:

_________________________________________________________________________

Library symbol___________ Shelfmark_______________________________________

Format____________ Pagination____________________________________________

Signatures_______________________________________________________________

Ht.____ Plate( )_______ Frontis (Pl)______ Ill______ Frontis (Ill)_____ Table _____

Adv._______ Imp. _____ Other:

Send all photocopy reports to:
Center for Bibliographic Studies and Research
ATTN: Christine Straitt
University of California
INTS 2117B, 900 University Avenue
Riverside CA 92521

You can also email reports to estc-reports@cbsr.ucr.edu. In the event you have more than one item to report, please send a separate email for each item.

Please include the following when possible with your mailed or emailed report:

  • Library symbol: Use the ESTC symbol for your library.
  • Shelfmark: Enter your call number or shelfmark for each book. Some libraries do not include this information.
  • Format refers to the imposition and folding of the paper of the book. Enter 1, 1/2, 2, 4, 8, 12 ° etc. for each book. See Gaskell's A New Introduction to Bibliography: Large and Medium Formats and Small Formats for detailed information.
  • Pagination refers to the number of pages in a book. Please indicate unpaginated pages by using square brackets. Examples: [2], 24, [2] p.; [2], xii, 42 p.; [5], 8-12 p.
  • Signatures: Please report the signature collation according to the formula outlined in Gaskell.
  • Half-title (Ht.): Please indicate the presence of a half-title; transcribe exactly or send photocopy/digital photo if different from title proper.
  • Plate(s): Check here if there are engravings or illustrations that are NOT part of the signatures and explain the type of plate in ‘Other’ (e.g. metalcuts, woodcuts, maps, portraits, engraved title pages). Please give the total number of numbered and unnumbered plates.
  • Illustrations (Ill): Check if there are illustrations forming part of the signatures or included within text. Please provide a description, if possible, i.e. metalcut, woodcut, map, portrait, diagrams, genealogical tables, etc. Ignore ornaments and title page vignettes.
  • Frontis: Check whether this is a plate or an illustration, note if it is a portrait or an additional title page. If the frontis. is an illustration, please indicate on which leaf it occurs.
  • Table: Check if there is a foldout or other material NOT part of a gathering; explain in ‘Other’.
  • Advertisements (Adv.): Check if there are one or more leaves of printer’s or publisher’s advertisements before the title page or at the end of the work. Give location of advertisements and number of leaves in ‘Other’.
  • Imperfections (Imp.): Check if the book has pages or plates missing or mutilated; explain in ‘Other’.
  • Other: Add useful supplementary information such as date of publication from another part of the text or colophon, the author attribution, errata slip information (give position), subject heading information; or details from any section above.

Problems or questions? Please use these email addresses: