|
Document Library:
Standards: ISBN-13
ISBN-13: Frequently Asked Questions
The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) provides a standard way to
identify books in global trade. On January 1, 2007 the book industry transitioned
to 13-digit ISBNs, phasing out the use of 10-digit numbers.
Index
Basic
Information
Transitioning the ISBN from 10 to 13
digitS
ABOUT
THE ISBN SYSTEM EXPANSION: ADDING THE '979' PREFIX
Frequently Asked
Questions
What is the ISBN?
ISBN stands for International Standard Book
Number. It is a unique identifier assigned to every book
which provides a standard way to identify books in global trade.
How has the ISBN been changed?
The
International Standards Organization (ISO) approved changing the
length of the ISBN from 10 to 13 digits effective January 1, 2007.
This change has required that all book industry
trading partners now use 13 digits instead of 10 when transacting
business for new and backlist titles.
By
industry agreement, the 10-digit ISBN is referred to as "ISBN-10"
and the 13-digit ISBN is referred to as "ISBN-13".
Why has the ISBN been changed?
The ISBN standard was changed to expand the
numbering capacity of the ISBN system and to alleviate numbering
shortages in certain areas of the world.
Changing the ISBN to 13 digits fully aligns the
numbering system for books with the global GTIN identification
system that is widely used to identify most other consumer goods.
What does the new
ISBN look like?
The
ISBN-13 is exactly equivalent to the 13-digit Bookland EAN (EAN-13) currently
displayed below (and encoded within) every book's Bookland EAN bar code.
In the bar code example
above:
the ISBN-10, in human-readable text
above the bar code: 0-940016-64-8
becomes the ISBN-13/EAN-13 below the bar code: 978-0-940016-64-4
note that the ISBN prefix and check
digit change:
978-
-4
while the core 9-digits remain the same:
0-940016-64
Note:
Every ISBN ends with a check digit whose computed value is based on
all preceding digits. The check digit must be recalculated every
time the numbers in the ISBN change, as when the '978' prefix is placed in front of the 9-digit
core. [See
the
UCC Check Digit Calculator
for more information about conversion rules]
Who is affected by the ISBN change?
Everyone who currently uses ISBNs will be affected by this change.
This includes publishers, booksellers, libraries and educational
institutions throughout the world. Any organization that stores and
exchanges ISBNs in automated systems will have to ensure that their systems can
accommodate the new ISBN-13 format.
What is EAN?
EAN stands for "International Article Number" and is the 13-digit
standard for product identification in global trade. EANs are
distributed by EAN International, an organization that also establishes
the standards and rules for assigning numbers to products and encoding
these numbers in readable bar codes, electronic data interchange
(EDI), and RFID messages.
EAN International designated the prefixes '978' and
'979' for the identification of books within the global EAN
identification system. The prefixes were assigned to the fictitious
country of "Bookland" so that the book identifiers would be
compatible with other EANs worldwide.
For the past 20 years, the book industry has used the
13-digit Bookland EAN (EAN-13) to encode book identifiers in bar
codes for scanning by retailers at point of sale. EAN International established the prefixes '978' and '979' for the
identification of books and book-like products within the global EAN
system.
EAN International, based in Europe, and GS1 (formally
the Uniform Code Council), based in North America, have joined
forces to coordinate global standards for the identification of all
types of goods and services under the EAN.UCC system.
Does the ISBN change affect the bar code on books?
No. There has been no change to the Bookland EAN bar code itself or
to the number
encoded within it.
The human-readable ISBN displayed above the Bookland EAN bar code
has changed, however, with the currently printed ISBN-10
being replaced by the new ISBN-13.
ISBN: 978-1-4028-9462-6
All books that are
presently marked with the Bookland EAN bar code on Cover 4 are correctly bar coded both for
the present and the future. There is NO new bar code for books.
Please note that BISG has adopted a policy recommending there be only one bar code, the Bookland EAN bar code, on Cover 4 (the back cover) of any book.
How have
10-digit ISBNs been affected by the ISBN change?
All ISBN-10s officially changed to
ISBN-13s on January 1, 2007. This has been accomplished by prefixing
all ISBN-10s with the Bookland EAN prefix '978' (not '979') and recalculating the check
digit.
'978' can be thought of as the area code to which
all ISBN-10s belong. All ISBN-13s that begin with '978' can be
presumed to have corresponding ISBN-10s. This logic allows trading
partners to readily translate between ISBN-10s and ISBN-13s.
For example:
the ISBN-10:
1-4028-9462-7
can be converted to the ISBN-13: 978-1-4028-9462-6
and back to the ISBN-10: 1-4028-9462-7
[See
"How is an
ISBN-10 converted into an ISBN-13?" for more
information]
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:
094001685-0
Eliminate the
check digit:
094001685-
Add the prefix
'978': 978-094001685-
Calculate a new
check digit: 978-094001685-9
The ISBN-10:
094001685-0
Converts to the
ISBN-13: 978-094001685-9
Several online calculators have been developed
for those who do not want to convert ISBNs on their own.
For the U.S. ISBN Agency online
converter,
click here.
For the International ISBN Agency
online converter,
click here.
For the Library of Congress online
converter,
click here.
To check the accuracy of an ISBN's check
digit, see
UCC Check Digit Calculator
Note:
Any ISBN-13 prefixed with '978' can be converted to an ISBN-10.
There is no ISBN-10 equivalent, however, for an ISBN-13 beginning
with '979'.
How is
hyphenation handled for ISBN-13?
Beginning January 1, 2007, ISBN agencies
will provide only 13-digit ISBNs comprised of the following five
elements:
-
Element 1: Identifies the EAN prefix
(currently either '978' or '979')
-
Element 2: Identifies the country or
language agency
-
Element 3: Identifies the publisher
prefix
-
Element 4: Identifies the title or
specific edition of a publication
-
Element 5: Identifies the check digit
The elements must be separated clearly
by hyphens or spaces when displayed in human readable form. Of the
five elements, the middle three will be of variable lengths; the EAN
prefixes as currently defined (i.e., '978' or '979') and the check
digit lengths will remain fixed.
The Library of
Congress ISBN Converter can be used to determine the proper
hyphenation for any ISBN.
Click
here to access the
Library of Congress online converter.
For more information about ISBN-13
hyphenation rules and the evolving data and information associated
with the rules see the
ISBN Users' Manual.
Who
should convert ISBN-10s to
ISBN-13 for books originally published with ISBN-10s?
All book industry trading partners are
encouraged to convert ISBN-10s to ISBN-13s (and visa versa) as
needed to accommodate their internal system requirements and
particular position within the ISBN-13 transition.
After January 1, 2007, however, only
ISBN-13s should be stored and sent between trading partners to
communicate the book identifier.
What if my organization is unable to convert ISBN-10s to ISBN-13s
internally?
Publishers and book suppliers will need
to provide ISBN-13s to any trading partner (retailer, distributor,
etc.) who is unable to convert and assign new ISBNs on their
own.
When should 10-digit ISBNs be converted to ISBN-13s?
By January 1, 2007, all ISBN-10s should
be converted to ISBN-13s within all systems.
Which ISBN should be displayed on the outside of cartons (case
packs) containing multiple copies of a specific book?
Cartons should be
labeled with the same human-readable ISBN used to mark the books
inside. If you are marking your books with only a human-readable
ISBN-10 (pre 01/01/07) or only a human-readable ISBN-13 (post
01/01/07) then only the human-readable ISBN-10 or ISBN-13 should be
printed on the product label. Conversely, if you are marking your
books with dual human-readable ISBNs (i.e. both an ISBN-10 and an
ISBN-13 printed above the bar code and on the copyright page) the
product label should be marked with dual human-readable ISBNs as
well.
Please remember,
however, that regardless of the format used to print the
human-readable ISBNs on books and carton labels, the expression of
the ISBN within the Bookland EAN bar code remains the same. [See
DEIG Carton Labeling Guidelines, page
6, for more information].
How
has the
ISBN change affected the way ISBNs are assigned to
future publications?
Beginning January 1, 2007, ISBN agencies
will begin allocating ISBNs beginning with the ISBN prefix
'979'. Because '979' ISBN-13s do not have equivalent ISBN-10s, those
publishers who receive '979' ISBNs will be required to publish books
with an ISBN-13 for which no equivalent ISBN-10 will apply.
Many existing publishers hold large blocks of unassigned ISBN-10s
and will have a significant supply remaining after January 1, 2007. Although
these publishers may continue to use these ISBN-10s until the block is exhausted,
they should convert them to their ISBN-13 formats when assigning them to product in preparation for 2007 introduction into the market.
Some publishers plan to assign dual (10- and 13-digit)
ISBNs to publications until they are satisfied that their trading partners are
prepared to handle ISBN-13s alone. [See
ISBN-13 For Dummies® for more information about dual
numbering]
How has the numbering capacity of the ISBN system been expanded?
The numbering capacity is being expanded
by introducing the second ISBN prefix, '979', into the global
marketplace. Think of introducing '979' as analogous to introducing
a new area code for books. Now, instead of only one area code
('978'), there are two ('978' and '979'). When this occurs, the same
9 digit core will be used with both '978' and '979' ISBNs.
For example,
two ISBNs (potentially from different publishers) will share the same
middle 9 digits. The only difference between the two numbers would
be the prefixes (one would be '978', one '979') and the check digits.
978-123456789-X
979-123456789-0
Once this occurs, an
ISBN will not be unique unless the '978' and '979' prefixes are
used. This is why it is critical that all systems (both paper-based
and computer-based) be able to accommodate the full 13 digit
identifier by January 1, 2007.
How
and when will the '979' ISBN-13 prefix be introduced?
Ranges of ISBNs beginning with '979' are
not expected to be assigned to publishers in North America before
mid-2007. However, ISBNs prefixed with '979' may begin to emerge as
soon as January 1, 2007 on titles imported into North America.
Can ISBN-13s beginning with '979' be converted to ISBN-10s?
No. '979' ISBN-13s do
not have corresponding ISBN-10s.
Do
these
changes affect the EAN price add-on?
No. The transition to ISBN-13 will not
affect the price add-on. However, a recently approved BISAC
initiative did raise the limit of the Bookland EAN bar code price
add-on. Visit
http://www.bisg.org/docs/Price_Increase_in_Add-on.pdf for
more information.
|
