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ISBN-13 Frequently Asked Questions
What is an ISBN?
ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It is a unique identifier assigned to every book and monographic publication. The ISBN provides a standard way to identify such publications in global trade.
How is the ISBN being changed?
The International Standards Organization (ISO) has approved changing the length of the ISBN from 10 to 13 digits, effective 1 January 2007. By industry agreement, the 10-digit ISBN is now referred to as "ISBN-10" and the 13-digit ISBN is referred to as "ISBN-13". The new ISBN-13 will match the 13-digit Bookland EAN number already displayed with the barcode of each book.
Why is the ISBN being changed?
The ISBN standard is being changed in order to expand the numbering capacity of the ISBN system and alleviate numbering shortages. It also aligns the numbering system with the worldwide European Article Numbering-Uniform Code Council (EAN-UCC) system used to identify most other consumer goods.
What are the impacts of this change?
Generally, everyone who records, stores, or exchanges ISBN data in an automated system is going to have to ensure that those systems can accommodate the 13-digit ISBN format. Publishers, distributors, retailers, and libraries are the main groups who will be affected by these changes. It will also affect software applications such as ordering and inventory control systems, point-of-sale systems, and library databases.
How is an ISBN-10 converted into an ISBN-13?
There are standard rules for converting an ISBN-10 into an ISBN-13:
Begin with any 10-digit ISBN: 123456789-0
Eliminate the check digit: 123456789-
Add the prefix "978": 978-123456789-
Calculate a new check digit: 978-123456789-4
Two online calculators are available for converting ISBN-10s to ISBN-13s:
http://www.isbn-international.org/converter/converter.html
http://www.isbn.org/converterpub.asp
How will the new ISBN-13 change the way books are ordered?
Please see our page on book ordering for details.
How will the new ISBN-13 change the way books are labelled?
Please see our page on book labelling for details.
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