By John Mutter (Shelf Awareness) -- To help encourage the use of ONIX (Online Information Exchange), which has become increasingly important as more and more information about books is sent and used in electronic form, the Book Industry Study Group has set up an online ONIX Users Directory.

The directory allows companies a central place for announcing their ONIX sending and receiving requirements. The directory also includes information about ONIX technical service providers. Some of the more than 30 companies already listed include Barnes & Noble, Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Bowker and a range of publishers, distributors and service providers.

The ONIX International standard was created in January 2000 so that publishers can distribute electronic information about their books to wholesalers, retailers, other publishers and anyone else involved in bookselling. Before the standard was created, companies sent and used information about books--everything from author name, title and price to categories, pub date, etc.--in a variety of formats and styles, a time-consuming, expensive and error-prone approach.

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The ONIX Users Directory resembles the ISBN-13 Readiness Directory, set up by BISG in September. Already more than 60 companies have registered on it. Designed for publishers, booksellers, wholesalers, POS vendors and others, the directory allows companies to track their progress toward ISBN-13 implementation; provides a central place for trading partners to check each other's readiness plans; and allows companies to compare their transition plans with other companies' plans.

The book industry worldwide is making the transition to 13-digit ISBNs in just a little over a year, on January 1, 2007. For more information on the general subject, count to 13, then click here.

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