ISBN Numbers
The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a unique identification number which indicates one publication or edition of a publication, produced by a specific publisher, in one format. It applies to any single publication in printed, digital and mixed media formats, and each format of a publication is allocated its own ISBN.
The ISBN system is administered on an international, national and publisher level, and is standardised in the international standard, ISO 2108: Information and documentation. ISBNs assist with information processing in the publishing sector, distribution centres, bookshops and libraries.
Guidance on which products do and don’t qualify for an ISBN, and how to apply the number, is provided in the ISBN Users’ Manual https://www.isbn-international.org/content/isbn-users-manual.
Since 2007 the ISBN has contained 13 digits, which are divided into 5 segments, separated by a space or a hyphen for ease of reading.
In South Africa, should you wish to apply for an ISBN, contact the ISN (International Standard Numbering) Agency, which forms part of the National Library of South Africa.
Tel: 012 401 9799
Email: Marietjie.deBeer@nlsa.ac.za
ISBN Facts
There are five parts to an ISBN number – the current prefix of 978 or 979, the registration group (country), the registrant element (publisher), the publication element (title and format) and the check digit.
An ISBN identifies the registrant, title, edition and format of products used by publishers, bookstores, libraries, etc. and is important for ordering, sales reporting and inventory control. An ISBN increases the chances that your book will be found.
ISBNs were 10 digits in length until 2007, when they expanded to 13 digits.
ISBNs are calculated using a numerical equation in which the check digit confirms the number. The most recent system involves a modulo 10 system where the first digit is to be multiplied by 1, the second by 3, the third by 1, the fourth by 3, etc. All solutions are then added together, and the check digit is added last to make the total a multiple of 10.
The ISBN does not provide any form of legal or copyright protection. However, some countries legally require the use of an ISBN to identify publications.
