Awarding of the Thirteenth of July Award Bećir Vuković for the book "Homeless Houses" raised a number of questions regarding its bibliographic status, accessibility, and compliance with laws and procedures.
Presence in library databases
Until Friday, July 4, 2025, the book "Homeless Houses" by Bećir Vuković was not catalogued in COBISS.CG (Montenegro) or COBISS.SR (Serbia). However, a search of COBISS by title will find the books "Homeless Houses" and other stories by the author. Božo Živanović, on the poetry book “Homeless House” Benamin Isović, as well as the article “The Sky of the Homeless House” Velimir Ralević.
On the same day, it was established that the record in the COBISS.SR system had been changed, using a previously created record from April 2, 2025. The book was then registered as "in print", with a note that no library in the COBISS.SR system owns a copy of it.
According to data from COBISS.SR, the book was published in 2024, and the publishers listed were "Obodsko slovo" (Podgorica) and "Štampar Makarije" (Belgrade). However, bookstores in Podgorica did not have any information about the book or a copy, instead listing the collection "Poneti na pusto ostrvo" from 2024 as Vuković's last book.
The National Library "Đurađ Crnojević" confirmed that the book is not registered in COBISS.CG, there is no request for a CIP (catalog record in publication) or an ISBN with this institution. They only have the book "Poneti na pusto ostrvo" in their possession, writes today's Victory.
Bibliographic record identity
Librarians have determined that the existing record from April (probably for a different publication) had its content changed on July 4, 2025, and that the book “Homeless Houses” was then entered. It was also assigned the ISBN: 978-86-6311-469-2 at that time.
The members of the jury for the Thirteenth of July Award had different answers: one member claims that the book physically existed, with proper library nomenclature. Another confirmed that he had read the poetry, but did not specify the format. The president of the jury did not answer Pobjeda's question whether the book existed in physical form or whether the manuscript was being evaluated.
The Ministry of Culture and Media informed the newspaper that it does not decide on the validity of applications and that the jurisdiction lies solely with the jury. It can only conduct checks at its request, which was not sent.
Legislative framework and disagreements
According to the laws in both countries: CIP and ISBN are mandatory before printing. In Serbia, each publisher must submit legal deposit copies to the National Library (6 copies). The COBISS system does not provide for retroactive cataloging, which further complicates the status of the book. However, as of July 7, 2025, the National Library of Serbia confirmed that it does not own a copy of the book. The COBISS page still shows the “in print” label, with no physical copies available. The following questions are also open: How is it possible that a book for 2024 was entered into the system in July 2025, after it was announced that it did not exist? How did one ISBN number (issued in April for another book) end up on this one? Why is there no promotion or media coverage of that collection, except for the mention in the explanation for the award?
There are confirmed elements of irregularities in the way the book “Houses of the Homeless” became part of the official bibliographic record, including retroactive changes to the record, the absence of a CIP and a physical copy in libraries. The jury remains the only body that can provide a reliable explanation of the criteria on the basis of which the book was evaluated and awarded. Until then, the facts remain – the book is officially “in print”, with no copies in the system, and the decision on the laureate of the award has been made.
What is COBISS?
COBISS (Cooperative Online Bibliographic System and Service) is an integrated library information system that enables joint cataloging, searching bibliographic data, maintaining electronic catalogs, and managing library materials.
The system was developed in the late 1980s in the then Yugoslavia, and today it functions as an international network of national library systems, present in eight countries in the region: Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria and partly Kosovo.
COBISS is based on the principle of cooperative cataloguing, which means that libraries share bibliographic records with each other and cooperate in entering data on books and other publications. The system has national centers in each country, and central technical support is provided by the Institute of Information Sciences IZUM in Maribor (Slovenia).
Main functions of COBISS:
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Joint cataloguing |
Libraries do not catalog the same book multiple times – they use existing records. |
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CIP records |
A catalog entry in a publication that is created before printing (mandated by law). |
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Dodge's ISBN |
In some countries it is also linked to the procedure for assigning an international publication number. |
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Catalog search |
Citizens and institutions can search for titles, authors, years of publication, libraries, etc. |
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Display of material status |
It shows whether the book is in print, in the library's possession, unavailable, etc. |
What is CIP?
CIP (Cataloguing in Publication) is a cataloguing record in a publication, i.e. book data (author, title, publisher, year, ISBN...) that is entered into COBISS before the book is published. It is created based on the publisher's application, printed on the verso of the book's title page, and provides libraries with easier recording and identification of the publication.
Without a valid CIP, a publication cannot legally enter the COBISS system or be recognized as a publication according to the standards of the library and publishing industry.
All national libraries in the member countries of the COBISS network play a key role in its functioning. In Montenegro, this is the National Library "Đurađ Crnojević" (Cetinje), in Serbia, the National Library of Serbia (Belgrade).
Each country has its own subdomain page (e.g. cobiss.co.me for Montenegro, cobiss.rs for Serbia) through which local databases and records are accessed.
Why is COBISS important?
Legal validity - Registration in COBISS (via CIP) is a legal obligation for publishers.
Transparency - Provides insight into whether a book exists, where it is located, when it was published, and who the publisher is.
Basis for awards and recognition - A book that is not registered according to the regulations cannot be legally considered for state awards.
Protection against manipulation - The system clearly shows whether a physical copy of the book exists and in which library.
COBISS is not just a bibliographic tool, but a fundamental pillar of transparency and legality in the field of publishing and cultural policy. Everything happens through it - from the entry of a book into the system, through the assignment of a library label, to its availability in libraries. Any irregularity in the method of entry, timing, or validity of data in this system may indicate potential abuse or procedural errors.
Bonus video:
