The work and the edition are different
A literary work may be old enough to be in the public domain in a particular jurisdiction while a modern edition contains new editorial material, notes, typography, or a translation that has separate rights.
That is why a responsible digital library identifies the specific edition it uses instead of assuming the age of the original work answers every rights question.
Translations have their own history
A translation can be much newer than the original book. Even when the source work is public domain, a modern translation may still be protected. Older translations may themselves be public domain depending on the applicable law and publication history.
What transparent catalog metadata looks like
Readers benefit from seeing the edition title, publisher, year, translator where relevant, source identifier, and a clear link or citation to the source used for the digital text. This is useful for trust, citation, and comparing versions.
Why this matters for reading, not only law
Edition details help explain spelling, chapter numbering, omitted material, footnotes, and translation choices. Provenance is therefore a reading feature as much as an administrative one.