What are small prints?
Small prints or ephemera is a generic term for diverse bibliographically unrelated library material that for the needs of processing, keeping and use is unified in a group according to some common elements.
The National and University library “St. Kliment Ohridski” – Skopje has organised the complete library material in a Collection of small prints.
Selecting
Criteria:
- large scale of similar/identical (of the same type) publications;
- preparatory (not final);
- handiness;
- informative / propaganda;
- ephemeral;
- intended for limited number of users (limited edition);
- formal look of the printed material.
Small prints are:
- address book;
- bulletins;
- brochures (without an author);
- reports;
- registers;
- informative publications;
- catalogues;
- leaflets;
- posters;
- programmes and (plans);
- patents;
- postal and revenue stamps;
- draft laws and other regulations;
- prospects;
- postcards;
- advertising materials;
- pulp novels;
- standards;
- photographs.
Meaning
The content of the small prints are important for the researchers and other users because of their primacy, origin/originality and documentarism.
Completion
Principally, the holdings of the Collection of small prints are national and are being completed as a obligatory sample.
A small part of it is foreign and is completed as a gift or exchange.
Obligation to supply
The supply of the small print is of public interest regulated by the Law on Legal Deposit (Official Gazette of Republic of Macedonia no. 11/94).
The small print is delivered by the printing houses and the publishers to the National and University Library “St. Kliment Ohridski” – Skopje in 5 samples.