Submission Guidelines for Authors and Publishers

Authors and publishers may submit review copies or promotional information relating to books (or materials in other formats) that they wish to be considered for purchase by The New York Public Library (NYPL). These materials must meet the criteria as stated in the Library's Materials Selection Policy.

The New York Public Library seeks to select materials that support its diverse community needs and its mission. Factors that influence the selection of materials include:

  • Authority
  • Artistic quality
  • Accuracy
  • Content
  • Currency
  • Local interest
  • Mass media publicity
  • Objectivity
  • Popular demand

Review copies and promotional information may be sent to:

Selection Office
New York Public Library
BookOps
31-11 Thomson Ave
Long Island City, NY 11101-3006

Note: Because of the volume of submissions, NYPL cannot return review copies.

Please include the following information:

  • Format of material (print, media, etc.), bibliographic citation, ISBN, intended age level/audience (i.e. juvenile, young adult or adult), price and publication date
  • Information about the author
  • Copies of relevant reviews (preferred review sources include Booklist, Library Journal, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus)
  • Ordering availability. NYPL prefers to acquire material through established library vendors (e.g. Baker & Taylor, Ingram, Midwest Tape). It is not the library's current practice to order from Amazon.com or other online vendors.

Please bear in mind:

  • The NYPL librarians who select materials consider and order hundreds of thousands of titles each year. For this reason, the Library does not notify individual authors or publishers of the order decisions made about each of the many titles it is asked to consider for purchase.
  • All gifts offered to the branch libraries must meet the same criteria as purchased material.
  • Records for titles that are selected can be viewed in the NYPL catalog within six months of the receipt of the material.