ISBN (identifier)
| File:EAN-13-ISBN-13.svg A 13-digit ISBN, 978-3-16-148410-0, as represented by an EAN-13 bar code | |
| Acronym | ISBN |
|---|---|
| Organisation | International ISBN Agency |
| Introduced | 1970 |
| No. of digits | 13 (formerly 10) |
| Check digit | Weighted sum |
| Example | 978-3-16-148410-0 |
| Website | isbn-international.org |
The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier that is intended to be unique.[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.[1]
An ISBN is assigned to each separate edition and variation (except reprintings) of a publication. For example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book will each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is ten digits long if assigned before 2007, and thirteen digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007.[lower-alpha 3] The method of assigning an ISBN is nation-specific and varies between countries, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country.
The initial ISBN identification format was devised in 1967, based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering (SBN) created in 1966. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO 2108 (the 9-digit SBN code can be converted to a 10-digit ISBN by prefixing it with a zero digit '0').
Privately published books sometimes appear without an ISBN. The International ISBN Agency sometimes assigns such books ISBNs on its own initiative.[3]
Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN), identifies periodical publications such as magazines and newspapers. The International Standard Music Number (ISMN) covers musical scores.
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- ↑ "The International ISBN Agency". Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedLAC FAQ - ↑ Bradley, Philip (1992). "Book numbering: The importance of the ISBN" (PDF [245KB]). The Indexer. 18 (1): 25–26.
