My name is Adrienne Bashista. I have 17 years of combined experience in libraries and have been creating CIP data for independent publishers for the past 22 years.
I started cipblock.com in 2002 after doing research for my first self-published book. I was reading posts on a self-publishing listserv and folks were complaining that the Library of Congress wouldn’t provide them with CIP data as they do for larger publishers, and I thought, “Hey, I can do that!”
The Library of Congress will only supply free CIP data blocks to those publishers who meet their criteria, many of the growing number of small publishers have been forced to look elsewhere for their cataloging needs. It became obvious to me that the independent publishing community needed quality CIP blocks at a reasonable price, so cipblock.com was born.
I serve self-publishers, start-up publishers, but also small to medium sized publishers who are looking for fast turnaround. Today’s publishing schedule is lightning fast, and waiting weeks and months for CIP data through the Library of Congress doesn’t fit in many press’s production schedules. That’s where I come in.
I earned my M.S.L.S. (Master of Science in Library Science) degree in 1996 from the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. My undergraduate degree is from Bates College, where I graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with a B.A. in English, in 1990. My first job as a professional librarian was as a reference librarian and cataloger at a private junior college.
My goal is to provide quality CIP blocks to the independent publisher at a reasonable price while maintaining a high level of service and quality. In the years I’ve been in business I’ve created over two thousand CIP blocks, working with almost as many publishers or authors. I pride myself at keeping my cataloging standards high, educating my customers about the whats and whys of CIP data, as well as a willingness to revise and compromise. After all, no one knows a book better than its author (or publisher!)
And finally, my other hats. I am the owner of an independent publishing company, DRT Press, specializing in books for families. I do a lot of other things, too, largely around parents and children impacted by neurobehavioral special needs. In 2013 I co-founded a non-profit that educates parents and professionals about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: fafasd.org. I also have a small farm and create floral designs for weddings and other events.
contact me: adriennebashista@gmail.com