All copies of a book, pamphlet, fascicle, single sheet, etc., printed from the same typographic image and issued by the same entity in the same format at one time or at intervals without alteration. An edition may consist of several impressions in which the text and other matter are not substantially changed. In older publications, the terms impression and edition are virtually synonymous since type was broken up for reuse after the first printing. For some books, especially reference books and textbooks, the content of the original edition may be revised and the text republished under the same or an altered title. Unless the publisher states that a work is a revised edition or expanded edition, the first revision is known as the second edition. Subsequent revisions are numbered in the order in which they are published. The latest edition is the most current, but older editions may contain useful information deleted from later ones.
In the case of electronic resources, all copies of a work embodying essentially the same content, issued by the same entity, for example, a version of a Web page updated on a specific date. For unpublished items, all copies made from essentially the same master production, for example, the original and one or more carbon copies of a typescript (AACR2). For other materials, including nonprint items, all copies produced from essentially the same master copy and issued by the same entity, whether distributed by that entity or not. In a more general sense, the format (particularly the size and shape) in which a work is published.
Also applies to one of the formats in which a literary work or collection of works is published, usually for a specific purpose or market, for example, a book club edition, colonial edition, deluxe edition, export edition, library edition, limited edition, paperback edition, shorthand edition, special edition, or trade edition. It is not uncommon for a new book to be published in multiple editions, for example, Seabiscuit: An American Legend (2001) by Laura Hillenbrand, published in hardcover, trade paperback, special illustrated collector's edition, hardcover large print, audiocassette, audio CD, e-book, and audio download. In library cataloging, the edition is indicated by ordinal number and/or description in the edition area of the bibliographic description. Abbreviated ed. See also: bibliophile edition, co-edition, facsimile, reprint, and signed edition.
In newspaper publishing, one of two or more printings issued on the same day, for example, the "Early Edition" or the "Late Edition." In radio and television, a program broadcast at a particular time of day ("Morning Edition").