How to identify a first printing
- 1898-c.1980: Founded 1898 by Halsey William Wilson as the great library-index and reference house (Cumulative Book Index from 1898, Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature from 1901, Current Biography). Continuing serials and indexes are identified by VOLUME and YEAR with annual or cumulative volumes, so there is no first-edition point system. Reference monographs are identified by edition plus copyright year; a first printing is indicated by the absence of a later-printing notice.
- c.1980-present: Where number lines appear, the lowest digit indicates the printing, but the edition/volume/year remains the identification unit. This is a library-market house with a minimal first-printing premium.
- Post-2011: Wilson merged with EBSCO Publishing (June 2011); EBSCO holds the database business while Grey House Publishing produces the print reference editions under license, so the copyright-page imprint reflects the new arrangement.
Notable points & cautions
- Cornerstone American library-reference house whose indexes defined 20th-century periodical research.
- Collected as runs of serials (for example Current Biography yearbooks) by year, not by printing.
- Database business went to EBSCO; print reference is published by Grey House under license.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: H. W. Wilson, Wilson Web, Grey House Publishing (print reference licensee post-2011), Salem Press (sibling under Grey House). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my H. W. Wilson Company book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 1898-c.1980: Founded 1898 by Halsey William Wilson as the great library-index and reference house (Cumulative Book Index from 1898, Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature from 1901, Current Biography). Continuing serials and indexes are identified by VOLUME and YEAR with annual or cumulative volumes, so there is no first-edition point system. Reference monographs are identified by edition plus copyright year; a first printing is indicated by the absence of a later-printing notice. c.1980-present: Where number lines appear, the lowest digit indicates the printing, but the edition/volume/year remains the identification unit. This is a library-market house with a minimal first-printing premium.
Does H. W. Wilson Company use a number line?
c.1980-present: Where number lines appear, the lowest digit indicates the printing, but the edition/volume/year remains the identification unit. This is a library-market house with a minimal first-printing premium.
Is a book-club edition a H. W. Wilson Company first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Cornerstone American library-reference house whose indexes defined 20th-century periodical research.
What era does this cover?
This covers H. W. Wilson Company (1898-present (print reference continued under Grey House)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.