isbn/issn number

ISBN and ISSN Systems: General Information and Resources

• General Information and Resources

ISBN and ISSN Standards

This resource guide provides general information and a history on the ISBN and ISSN standards.  

ISBN General Information

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a 13-digit number that uniquely identifies books and book-like products published internationally. The ISBN is intended for a monographic publication: text that stands on its own as a product, whether printed, audio or electronic. ISBNs are never assigned to music, performances or images, such as art prints or photographs. ISBNs are not assigned to magazines, academic journals or other periodicals. However, if a single issue of a periodical is being sold as a book, then that issue alone may be assigned an ISBN. 

When participating in the ISBN standard, publishers and self-publishers are required to report all information about titles to which they have assigned ISBNs. For more than thirty years, ISBNs were 10 digits long. On January 1, 2007 the ISBN system switched to a 13-digit format. Now all ISBNs are 13-digits long. If you were assigned 10-digit ISBNs, you can convert them to the 13-digit format at the converter found on the ISBN website . A 10-digit ISBN cannot be converted to 13-digits merely by placing three digits in front of the 10-digit number . There is an algorithm that frequently results in a change of the last digit of the ISBN.

ISBNs beginning 979 will not be issued in the United States for at least several years until current inventories of ISBNs are depleted. When they are assigned, they will not replace those beginning with 978.

• ISBNs beginning 978 and 979 will coexist in the book industry for a number of years.
• 978 ISBNs cannot be converted to 979 ISBNs.
• 979 ISBNs are not convertible to a 10-digit format and exist only in a 13-digit format.

ISBN Resources

• Buy ISBNs & Other Identifiers (U.S. only) Offers the purchase of ISBNs, barcodes, and self-publishing packages.
• ISBN FAQ - Publication Formats, Reprints, Editions, etc. Provides a chart of products/entities that are eligible for ISBNs.
• United States ISBN Agency Bowker is the official source for ISBNs in the United States. An ISBN uniquely identifies your book, and facilitates the sale of your book to bookstores (physical and digital) and libraries. Using ISBNs allows you to better manage your book's metadata, and ensure maximum discoverability of your book.

ISSN General Information

The ISSN is a U.S. standard and an international standard. The number itself -- unlike the coded digits of the ISBN -- has no significance other than as a brief, unique, and unambiguous identifier; an ISSN consists of eight digits, specifically two groups of four digits, in Arabic numerals 0 to 9, except for the last -- or check -- digit, which can be an X. Its proper reference is for the two groups of four digits to be separated by a hyphen and preceded by the letters ISSN.

Assignment of ISSNs is handled by the U.S. ISSN Center at the Library of Congress and is free. There is no charge associated with the use of the ISSN. An ISSN application form may be completed online. Enter the required information and then email or fax the form (in the interests of conserving paper and bandwidth, please limit faxes or email attachments to no more than five pages), or mail the application by U.S. mail or private carrier. A suitable representation of the publication must accompany the application. For print serials a sample issue or photocopy of the title page, cover, or masthead should be provided. For electronic serials in a tangible form such as CD-ROM or floppy disk, an actual issue and printouts of title screens should be submitted. For online serials, provide an appropriate URL or e-mail actual issues or mock-ups which will accompany the application form.

ISSN Resources

• ANSI/NISO Z39.9 International Standard Serial Numbering (ISSN) Well-known as the ISSN, this standard defines the structure and presentation of a code to uniquely identify serial publications in print and nonprint formats. This standard sets forth the format and characteristics of the ISSN and designates a central authority for code administration.
• ISSN-L When a publication is published on several media, a linking ISSN is assigned so that the media can be easily grouped and the contents are easier to manage.
• ISO 3297 Information and documentation -- International standard serial number (ISSN) Defines and promotes the use of a standard code (ISSN) for the unique identification of serials and other continuing resources.
• ISSN International Center (CIEPS) The CIEPS, also known as the ISSN International Centre, is an intergovernmental organization which manages at the international level the identification and the description of serial publications and ongoing resources, print and online, in any subject.
• U.S. ISSN Application Form The ISSN application is a "fillable" pdf form. Once completed, it should be emailed, faxed, or mailed to the Library of Congress for processing. Full instructions and a link to the form are provided on the application forms page.
• U.S. ISSN Center The U.S. ISSN Center, part of the international ISSN Network, assigns International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSN) to serials published in the U.S. The ISSN is a standard identifier for serials (e.g., journals, magazines, newsletters, newspapers, annuals) whether published in print, online or other media. Each medium version is assigned a separate ISSN.

• Next: History >>
• Last Updated: Jun 28, 2022 3:15 PM
• URL: https://libguides.ala.org/isbn-issn

ISBN, DOI, ISSN: A Quick Guide to Publication Identifiers

Publication identifiers help in finding information on an article or publication using a set of codes. All of us have names and other identifying characteristics and titles; however, these could be common to several thousands of people. In the United States, a person’s unique identifying tag is his or her Social Security number. The same is true of titles of articles, subject matter, and a host of other characteristics of the written word. A publication identifier is unique to that journal, article, or book.

There are several types of publication identifiers. Some of these are discussed here.

International Standard Book Number

• The International Standard Book Number ( ISBN ) is for books. ISBNs identify printed or digital books and are used as inventory-tracking devices.
• The code is usually found on the back cover of a book and includes a barcode. One shortcoming of the ISBN is that it does not provide information on all versions of a particular book because each has its own unique code, which might not be an issue since it is recognizable.
• The ISBN has 13 digits and contains five types of identifying information or “elements” such as: a prefix, registration group (e.g., individual country or territory), registrant, publication, and “checksum” (i.e., a figure that is used to detect errors).
• If you are a self-publishing author in the United States, you can easily retrieve your own ISBN through Bowker , the country’s official ISBN source.
• If not, you can find this information on ISBNs in your country from the International ISBN Agency . By purchasing an ISBN for your publication, you ensure a better chance of it being found in a search.

Related: Need instant updates on academic writing on your cell phone? Download the FREE Enago Academy mobile app now.

Digital Object Identifier

• A Digital Object Identifier ( DOI ) is used mainly in scientific journals.
• Each article in each of the thousands of journals has its own unique DOI. Understanding a DOI is important when doing specific research.
• The DOI format is usually numerals and letters, including some punctuation. For example, a DOI created by Wiley might look like “10.1111/j.1365-2575.2012.00413.x.”
• The first number identifies Wiley, the “j” indicates a journal article, and the number range indicates the ISSN. These are followed by the year the article was received by the publisher and the tracking number.

International Standard Serial Number

• The International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) comprises of seven digits followed by a “check digit” to identify any errors in citations.
• ISSNs help to identify serial publications, which are those that are published regularly in sequence, such as magazines, journals, newspapers, and databases. They don’t identify content or certify its validity .
• Although ISSNs do not identify the journal owner, if a journal name changes, a new ISSN is necessary. This is important when considering a title change because the change will affect cataloging and indexing.
• ISSNs also have some limitations. There might be an ISSN for printed text and a different one for electronic versions.
• “E-journals” are becoming quite popular given the Internet capabilities. Publishers are finding it much less costly to publish their serials online, and many do so exclusively. In addition, many of these journals are open access publications, which allow researchers to more easily gather needed information.
• The ISSN format is “ISSN 0000-0000,” which is printed on the journal cover. For electronic versions, “e-ISSN” is posted on the home page and is included in the DOI.

PubMed Indexing and Referencing Numbers

• The PubMed Indexing Number (PMID) is used for articles in the PubMed database , which contains more than 27 million citations from several sources.
• PMIDs are unique identifiers and are assigned to each record in the PubMed system. The code is found at the end of a PubMed citation and below the article’s author list and title.
• The PubMed Central referencing number (PMCID) is required for listing in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant proposals and reports.
• PMCIDs are assigned to an article in PubMed Central, which differs from the PubMed database. These articles comply with NIH’s Public Access Policy . PMCIDs are listed below the abstract.

Serial Item and Contribution Identifier

• The Serial Item and Contribution Identifier (SICI) identifies specific parts of a serial, such as volume number.
• It provides more information to those involved in indexing titles and content. SICI was created by the Serials Industry Systems Advisory Committee (SISAC) to be an extension of ISSN to help identify specifics of an article. The code has become widely accepted and used by both publishers and researchers.
• Item : The ISSN.
• Contribution : Signifies the page numbers, title code.
• Control : Type of SICI, part of article referenced (e.g., abstract), how content is presented (e.g., text), and version.

For example, “0095-4403(199502/03)21:3<12:WATIIB>2.0.TX;2-J” is SICI for “Bjorner, Susanne. “Who Are These Independent Information Brokers?” Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science , Feb–Mar. 1995, Vol. 21, no. 3, page 12.”

• A CODEN is a six-character, alphanumeric code for both serial and non-serial science publications.
• CODEN was designed and published in 1953 by a researcher at the Chronic Disease Research Institute to help him remember his reference publications, but became popular with scientists of all disciplines and is used for bibliographic indexing.
• Usually, CODEN is for articles related to chemistry; however, publishers of non-chemistry articles can request a CODEN from the International CODEN Service.
• Serial publications have a six-letter CODEN. The first four letters represent the journal title, and the fifth and sixth letters refer to one of the first six letters of the alphabet and the check character, respectively.
• For non-serial publications, the first two characters of the CODEN are numbers followed by letters. The fifth character is taken from the entire alphabet, and the sixth is the check character.

In addition, as a researcher, you should recognize these various codes to make your searches less time-consuming. The links here will provide more identifying codes that you might also want to use; however, those listed here are the most common and universally used.

Rate this article Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Enago Academy's Most Popular Articles

• Promoting Research
• Thought Leadership
• Trending Now

How Enago Academy Contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Through Empowering Researchers

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universal call to action to end…

• Language & Grammar
• Reporting Research

Best Plagiarism Checker Tool for Researchers — Top 4 to choose from!

While common writing issues like language enhancement, punctuation errors, grammatical errors, etc. can be dealt…

• Industry News
• Publishing News

2022 in a Nutshell — Reminiscing the year when opportunities were seized and feats were achieved!

It’s beginning to look a lot like success! Some of the greatest opportunities to research…

• Manuscripts & Grants

6 Tools to Create Flawless Presentations and Assignments

No matter how you look at it, presentations are vital to students’ success. It is…

• Reference Management

Are Reference Managers Enough to Organize and Curate Different Scholarly Knowledge Resources?

I pulled my collar up, my hat down, and secured my glasses when I realized…

Top 12 Must Have Online Tools for Researchers at All Stages

Digital Classrooms: The Future of Education

Overcoming the Paywall Barrier Through Dissemin’s Green Open Access

Free E-Tools for Smart Researchers: Mendeley, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, and…

Sign-up to read more

Subscribe for free to get unrestricted access to all our resources on research writing and academic publishing including:

• 2000+ blog articles
• 50+ Webinars
• 10+ Expert podcasts
• 50+ Infographics
• 10+ Checklists
• Research Guides

We hate spam too. We promise to protect your privacy and never spam you.

I am looking for Editing/ Proofreading services for my manuscript Tentative date of next journal submission:

As a researcher, what do you consider most when choosing an image manipulation detector?

Frequently Asked Questions

The International Standard Serial Number is an 8-digit code used to identify unambiguously newspapers, journals, magazines and periodicals of all kinds and on all media–print and digital.

The ISSN can be thought of as the social security number of the serials world. Just as an individual's social security number is used in many automated systems to distinguish that person from others with the same or similar names, the ISSN distinguishes a particular serial from others with which it might be mistaken.

-  Publishers  who wish to identify their serial publications and incorporate a barcode on the magazine, journal or newspaper for sale via major retailers.

-  Libraries  that use the ISSN as a fundamental identifier for distinguishing between identical serial titles and facilitating checking and ordering procedures, collection management, legal deposit, digital preservation, interlibrary loans, etc.

-  Catalogue databases  that use the ISSN as a record control number and can make use of the records from the ISSN register.

-  Documentation centres and databases  that handle bibliographic references and use the ISSN for more accurate serials citation, abstracting and indexing services, etc.

-  Subscription agencies  which act as intermediaries between publishers and their customers, use the ISSN to ensure the correct serial publication is delivered.

-  Academics  who wish to cite publications with full details for research purposes.

-  Retailers / wholesalers  that use ISSN-based barcodes within their own internal systems in order to assess and control magazine/newspaper circulation.

Publications that are issued over time with no predetermined conclusion, whether print or digital (online resource, application for mobile device, CD-ROM for instance): serials (journals, newspapers, magazines, monographic series...), ongoing integrating resource(s) (websites, databases...).

The ISSN identifiers are assigned at the request of publishers or third parties. ISSN are assigned either by ISSN National Centres for resources handled by publishers located in their respective countries or by the ISSN International Centre for publishers based in countries without a National Centre, for international organizations, or for multinational publishers having a specific agreement with the ISSN International Centre [see section  8. You are a publisher, or a third party requesting an ISSN assignment ]. The ISSN International Centre and the 89 ISSN National Centres form together the  ISSN Network .

When a serial is available in more than one physical format and a separate ISSN has been assigned to each format, the ISSN Network designates a linking ISSN (ISSN-L) from one of these ISSN. The ISSN-L is available for use when there is a need to identify and link to a continuing resource without regard to format, for example in services such as OpenURL, library catalogues, search engines or knowledge bases.

Books (monographs) published within a series and annual / biennial publications are eligible for both ISBN and ISSN assignment. An ISBN identifies an individual book in a series, or a specific year for an annual or biennial, and a different ISBN is used for every book. An ISSN identifies the title of the monographic series, or the ongoing annual or biennial, and the same ISSN is displayed on every book published within that series as long as the series title remains unchanged. The series title must be clearly and explicitly stated on each book, for example, on the front or back cover, on the title page, or on the editorial page, in order to be eligible for an ISSN.

No, unlike the ISBN code, which contains country and publisher prefixes, an ISSN is an opaque identifier associated with a serial title, containing no information as to the publisher or its location.

No, the ISSN is not related to ownership of a journal and does not confer copyright. A new ISSN will be required if the change of publisher results in a change of the serial title.

ISSN is assigned to a specific title. A new ISSN is usually needed if a title changes.

Separate ISSN are needed for serials published in different physical formats. If your printed serial already has an ISSN and an online version is being produced for the first time, the online version is considered to be a new serial.

If a publication is being relaunched with the same title, then the existing ISSN is still valid for use, even if there has been a publishing gap. No new ISSN should be assigned in this circumstance. If a serial reverts to a title that it held previously, a new ISSN needs to be assigned. The publisher cannot revert to using the previous ISSN.

[See section  My publication has been assigned an ISSN. How should I print / display it? ]

• Non-Fiction
• Author’s Corner
• Reader’s Corner
• Writing Guide
• Book Marketing Services
• Write for us

Your Definitive Guide to ISBN. What Is an ISBN and How to Get an ISBN

An International Standard Book Number is an important commercial book identifier used by publishers, booksellers, libraries, internet retailers, and other supply chain participants to accurately identify and track different editions and formats of a specific book title. ISBNs help organize, distribute, and manage book inventory across the global publishing industry. This definitive guide provides an in-depth look at what an ISBN is, how it works, and how both publishers and self-publishing authors can obtain the number for their books.

What is an ISBN?

An International Standard Book Number is a 13-digit number that uniquely identifies a commercial book title or specific edition across the entire supply chain. The number allows publishers, booksellers, libraries, distributors, and retailers to identify, track, order, stock and sell available book formats in their inventory systems.

ISBNs only apply to commercial books made broadly available for sale to the public. They do not apply to private documents, public domain books, ebooks, print-on-demand books or unpublished works not intended for commercial distribution through regular publishing sales channels. Each commercially published print, audio book and Braille edition in the supply chain receives its own unique 13-digit number during the publishing process.

An International Standard Book Number contains important information about a book including its country/geographic origin, publisher name, format details and a check digit used to validate the number to prevent errors. It provide an organized method for the industry to identify and distinguish between different editions and bindings of the same book title.

When did ISBNs start?

The International Standard Book Number system was created by ISO (International Organization for Standardization) in 1970 to provide the book industry with a universal product coding system at a time when automation started playing an increasing role in inventory management, order fulfillment and sales processing. ISBNs replaced the older SBN identifier in use since 1966.

The purpose was for ISBNs to become the single global standard numerical book identifier shared across the entire international publishing industry for all commercially available books. This helped pave the way for computerized book inventory systems and global online bookselling.

Who uses ISBNs?

International Standard Book Numbers are widely used by every player in the global book industry supply chain including:

• Publishers – Identify and track different book editions and formats
• Printers – Organize print runs of book editions
• Book, ebook and audio book retailers (online and bookstores) – List available inventory
• Libraries – Catalog and shelve book inventory
• Distributors and wholesalers – Process book orders
• Authors – Track royalties on specific editions
• Consumers – Identify and find book editions

ISBN Format and Elements

The International Standard Book Number is a 13-digit number broken into five parts consisting of numbers 0 to 9 plus the Roman numeral X represented in the form of 5 hyphenated numbers:

978-1-4028-9462-6

The parts of the International Standard Book Number indicate:

Prefix Element – Either 978 or 979 which designates the ISBN is part of the GS1 global trade item numbering system. Helps distinguish International Standard Book Numbers.

Group or Registration Group Element – 1 to 5 digits indicating a geographic/language area participating in the ISBN system. Assigned by designated International Standard Book Number agencies in each country.

Publisher Element – Variable number of digits assigned by agency and identifies a specific publisher or imprint.

Title Element – Number assigned by the publisher to identify a unique format or edition of a book title after the prefix, group and publisher elements.

Check Digit – Single digit number calculated mathematically from the other digits to validate the entire International Standard Book Number. Detects errors.

Hyphens are used to make the number easier to read and manually handle by dividing it into more manageable groups of numbers. However, ISBNs still work without hyphens and are often represented without hyphens in computer databases.

What information does an ISBN carry?

While the ISBN contains only a short 13-digit number, it actually reveals and carries contextually important information embedded in its structure about a book. Specifically on where it was published geographically, which publisher released it, a title identifier and format details. This helps distinguish between editions during ordering and sales.

For example, in the 978-1-4028-9462-6:

• Prefix 978 identifies it as an ISBN product in the GS1 system
• Group 1 signifies it was issued in an English speaking country
• Publisher identifier 14028 stands for the specific publisher
• Title number 9462 indicates a format or edition variant
• Check digit 6 verifies accuracy of entire number

When decoded, the International Standard Book Number provides basic metadata clues about publisher location, book edition and binding variant that sets it apart from other versions of a title. This aids book handling in inventory systems.

Do all books have ISBNs?

While all commercially published books made widely available for sale to the public require an ISBN, there are some exceptions. Specifically, International Standard Book Numbers do NOT apply to:

• eBooks or digital-only publications (these use digital ASIN identifiers or other schemes)
• Print-on-demand or custom one-off books printed individually
• Private documents not commercially sold to the public
• Public domain books with expired copyright protection that anyone can publish
• Unpublished or vanity works not distributed to regular sales channels
• Textbooks and academic books distributed directly by publishers to schools
• Documents issued by private companies, governments or organizations

However both paperback and hardcover editions that publishers commercially print, market and distribute through normal book selling channels require dedicated ISBNs, no matter the subject, language origin or distribution method.

Do self-published books need an ISBN?

Self-published print books that will be broadly distributed through bookstores, online retailers and regular wholesale distribution channels require an ISBN for inventory management and sales tracking. Self-publishing platforms will usually provide instructions on obtaining a valid number if you intend to sell your book through normal publishing outlets beyond just personal sales and marketing.

An International Standard Book Number acts more like a commercial product numbering SKU allowing self-published print books to be identified and ordered by retailers the same as any other book title in their systems. So ISBNs are necessary to expand distribution and sales of your print book to get it stocked in bookstores and online marketplaces. Self-published ebooks usually rely more on retailer-specific ASIN numbers for distribution.

How many ISBNs do you need?

Typically each separately published commercial format or edition of a book (except reprints) needs its own unique ISBN. So every commercial print and audio book edition in circulation is assigned a number during production even if it is just a special binding, book cover design or alternate language version.

Publishers only need to assign one number to each broad edition or format of a book title intended for commercial distribution. However, that single number can never be reused or duplicated across any other book title for inventory and sales tracking accuracy.

Common scenarios requiring separate International Standard Book Numbers:

• Hardcover, softcover and spiral bound editions
• Special retail or library bindings
• Alternate cover art, colors or designs
• Differing page count, dimensions or maps
• Audio book format recordings
• Braille, large print and translated language editions
• Book club, annotated or licensed editions
• Differing publisher imprints

Basically any edition where production details or distribution differs enough that sales channels must distinguish between versions requires assignment of a discrete ISBN. This allows detailed inventory tracking as books pass through the supply chain.

How to Get an ISBN?

Publishers and self-publishing authors looking to acquire an ISBN number to publish and sell a commercial print book have two main options:

• From Your Publisher If you have signed a formal contract with an established publishing house to release your book, your publisher will handle assigning an ISBN from their own purchased block of numbers or catalog system. You do not need to apply separately if going the standard publisher route.
• Purchase Your Own ISBN For self-published authors or smaller presses, you can directly purchase single ISBNs or blocks of registration numbers for a fee from official national ISBN agencies like Bowker in the US, Nielsen in Canada or associated groups in your country.

ISBNs are sold individually or in bulk blocks ideally suited for publishers planning to release multiple book titles per year. You officially own the purchased ISBN numbers and can assign them to books as needed for inventory tracking across all sales channels.

Where to Buy ISBNs?

Every country participating in the global ISBN standard designates an official national ISBN registration group or agency responsible for selling and coordinating ISBNs within that geographic region. These agencies in turn report to and coordinate with the central ISBN International Agency.

In the United States, R.R. Bowker is the designated ISBN agency authorized to assign ISBN registration numbers. Bowker sells ISBNs in both single quantity or blocks suitable for larger publishers through its MyIdentifiers.com service.

Other major country ISBN agencies include:

• United Kingdom & Ireland – Nielsen Book Services
• Canada – Canadian ISBN Service
• Australia & New Zealand – Thorpe-Bowker
• South Africa – ISBN Agency
• India – Raja Rammohun Roy National Agency

Depending on where your publishing company is registered geographically determines which ISBN agency you would buy your ISBN numbers from. They each sell ISBNs tailored for local publishers and regional publishing needs. Prices can range anywhere from $125 USD per single ISBN number to over $2000+ for extended blocks allowing many future book title assignments.

How Much Do ISBNs Cost?

The cost to buy an ISBN differs slightly country to country based on local economic factors. But in general, here are typical pricing tiers for purchasing ISBNs:

Single ISBN A single ISBN allowing you to identify one book format or edition typically costs between $125-$275 USD depending on the country ISBN agency. This is the minimum quantity that can be purchased.

Block of 10 ISBNs A small block of 10 ISBN numbers for assigning across future book titles and editions ranges from $250-$500 depending on region. This allows publishers to save money by buying ISBNs in bulk upfront instead of individually each time a new book is released.

Block of 100 ISBNs Larger publishers who release high quantities of book titles and editions can save substantially on ISBN costs by purchasing a block of 100 ISBNs. Pricing ranges from $1000-$2500+. Buying this quantity scale offers the cheapest per ISBN cost and allows hundreds of books to be assigned inventory numbers for several years into the future.

Block of 1000 ISBNs Some national ISBN agencies offer extremely large blocks of 1,000 ISBN numbers which translates into inventory and tracking capacity for thousands of individual book titles and editions. Cost is $5000+ but offers biggest bulk rate saving on individual ISBN cost to around several dollars per number. Subject to eligibility.

Note regional pricing, incremental discounts and local taxes can alter exact ISBN costs so verify current rates with your country’s ISBN registration agency. But in general buying ISBN number blocks in larger volumes saves publishers substantially over individually purchasing each separate ISBN at retail cost.

How to Assign an ISBN?

Once you or your publisher purchase a block of registered numbers from your regional ISBN agency, you can start assigning ISBNs to books as part of pre-production and inventory tracking:

• Select an unused 13-digit number from your purchased listing or catalog system
• Write the ISBN on sticker on the outside back cover of your print book to identify for scanning
• Input the number and associated book details into your sales, royalty and inventory database systems
• Provide number details to printer, distributors and retailers for ordering
• Market the number in all locations your book is sold so buyers can easily look up
• Never duplicate or reuse an already-assigned number across separate books

Important: Each commercially published edition and format should be assigned its own 13-digit ISBN number for inventory tracking across all worldwide sales channels. Every print and audio book needs a discrete ISBN if you intend to distribute commercially.

Where to Place an ISBN on Books?

Once assigned to a book, the 13-digit ISBN number must be prominently printed in bar code format along with human readable digits on the outside lower back cover of your publication above the bar code for retail scanning purposes. This allows bookstores, libraries, distributors, and warehouses to reliably scan your number to identify, categorize and manage inventory like any other book title.

Some publishers also opt to discreetly print the ISBN and a small publisher logo on one of the inside front matter pages near the title page and disclaimers though this is considered more of an identifier.

• Only print ONE ISBN on the outside back cover, not multiples.
• The barcode should be large, flat and free from marks or creases for easy retail scanning.
• Include the human readable digits printed underneath the bar code.
• Do not print number on removable book jacket cover or othertransitory components.

The back cover printed barcode is essential as the primary inventory tracking identifier for retailers, so placement matters to keep your book identified accurately across all sales channels.

ISBN Bar Code Guidelines

To ensure broad compatibility across all retail sales points and online systems, the ISBN printed on books should follow standardized bar code specifications:

• Code 128 Barcode Symbology
• Calculated Check Digit
• Large Font Human Readable Numbers
• Clear Space Around Barcode
• Printed Horizontally 50-75mm Long
• High Resolution Print Quality
• Printed on Matte Background Color
• Dark Ink, Not Reflective Silver

There are specific printing requirements around barcode size, placement, check digit calculations and formatting to ensure retail scanning devices can easily read the ISBN off the back book cover across stores worldwide. Following bar code publishing standards also allows sales channels to accurately track books.

How ISBNs Tie to Book Metadata?

While an ISBN is just a short unique 13-digit number, it serves as a shortcut numeric identifier that ties together important descriptive metadata about your book. It unlocks a wealth of associated information about your book automatically across industry databases:

• Publication Date
• Retail Price
• Category/Subject
• Product Images
• Edition Format Notes
• Distribution Rights
• Sales Statistics
• Publicity/Reviews

This metadata is maintained in the supply chain allowing customers, retailers and distributors to learn key details about your book quickly from the single ISBN. So ISBNs act as important relational identifiers connected to expansive descriptive book data feeding wider online visibility. Ensure details are kept updated.

Do eBooks Use ISBNs?

While print books use the 13-digit number for inventory tracking across physical supply chains, ebooks and digital publications actually use distinct identifiers called ASINs or other ebook identifiers specifically for online distribution sales channels. This avoids duplicate number conflicts between digital and print formats which may confuse buyer systems.

ASIN stands for Amazon Standard Identification Number and is a unique 10-character alphanumeric identifier that Amazon assigns to each ebook. ASINs only work on Amazon and are used by Kindle ebook readers to manage and synchronize ebook libraries.

So International Standard Book Number still uniquely identifies the intellectual book title and any commercial print editions. But digital ebook formats flowing through online-only sales channels utilize specialized ASIN codes or other identifiers compatible with top ebook retailers. This segmentation keeps the inventory tracking separate.

Ebook authors must associate their title to ASIN identifiers to distribute on Amazon Kindle and other major ebook platforms. Print ISBNs generally cannot be used directly for digital editions. Self-published ebook authors who only release digitally may not require any number assignment.

How ISBNs Connect Books Globally?

What makes International Standard Book Numbers so incredibly useful is that they interlink millions of print books worldwide across a single cohesive identification system spanning publishers, distributors, booksellers, and libraries everywhere, both digitally and physically.

The shared global standardization of the International Standard Book Number format means any book can be uniquely identified and tracked across all sales channels, languages, and borders to:

• Streamline ordering and returns processing between publishers, distributors and retailers
• Integrate shared title, author and publisher databases across systems
• Allow customers to easily search and find books at local booksellers based on International Standard Book Number
• Help retailers categorize inventory based on standardized publisher and subject metadata
• Eliminate ambiguity between book edition variants during sales
• Provide publishers valuable real-time sales channel analytics based on ISBN scans

No matter the country, language, or retailer, the 13-digit number ties every commercially published book together into a single universal indexing system, supporting sales globally.

Future of ISBNs

While established for over 50 years supporting print book distribution, the core values and processes behind International Standard Book Numbers remain highly relevant in our increasingly digital-first ebook world. This is evidenced by ISBNs still going strong, with over 365 million registered numbers assigned across over 154 designated national agencies as of 2023.

However, to modernize International Standard Book Number for more efficient digital identification, updated ‘ISBN-A’ proxy identifiers are starting to get introduced to better support online bookselling channels on top of the legacy 13-digit ISBN standard.

Additionally, newer digital-first products like audio books, book apps, blogs, serial content and multimedia bundles are exploring ways to leverage ISBN-type identifiers to better catalog and manage emerging digital formats.

Yet the need to accurately identify and track iterative book releases across fragmented global supply chains will keep core ISBNs essential for managing print inventory despite industry shifts to digital. By neatly encompassing important metadata within a short unique number sequence, ISBNs offer a future-proof method for publishers, distributors and sellers to cooperate universally.

In Summary The International Standard Book Number remains the globally accepted 979 prefix registration identifier cementing order and visibility across international publishing. Assigned to each commercial book edition, compact 13-digit numbers establish a common language linking publishers, distributors, booksellers and readers to accurately exchange and track inventory across channels anywhere worldwide. As the universal book product code greasing wheels of the expansive print supply chain, ISBNs are indispensable identities interconnecting books globally through underlying metadata meaning.

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Sign me up for the newsletter!

Share post:

How to write a book proposal

How to publish a book in 2024: a beginners’ guide, the best traditional book publishing companies in 2024, the world of amazon self-publishing: a comprehensive guide for authors aspiring to go indie., how to query literary agents and land a publishing deal, more like this related, book marketing and promotion services.

We provide genuine and custom-tailored book marketing services and promotion strategies. Our services include book reviews and social media promotion across all possible platforms, which will help you in showcasing the books, sample chapters, author interviews, posters, banners, and other promotional materials. In addition to book reviews and author interviews, we also provide social media campaigning in the form of contests, events, quizzes, and giveaways, as well as sharing graphics and book covers. Our book marketing services are very efficient, and we provide them at the most competitive price.

The Book Marketing and Promotion Plan that we provide covers a variety of different services. You have the option of either choosing the whole plan or customizing it by selecting and combining one or more of the services that we provide. The following is a list of the services that we provide for the marketing and promotion of books.

Book Reviews

Book Reviews have direct impact on readers while they are choosing their next book to read. When they are purchasing book, most readers prefer the books with good reviews. We’ll review your book and post reviews on Amazon, Flipkart, Goodreads and on our Blogs and social-media channels.

Author Interviews

We’ll interview the author and post those questions and answers on blogs and social medias so that readers get to know about author and his book. This will make author famous along with his book among the reading community.

Social Media Promotion

We have more than 170K followers on our social media channels who are interested in books and reading. We’ll create and publish different posts about book and author on our social media platforms.

Social Media Set up

Social Media is a significant tool to reaching out your readers and make them aware of your work. We’ll help you to setup and manage various social media profiles and fan pages for your book.

We’ll provide you our social media marketing guide, using which you may take advantage of these social media platforms to create and engage your fan base.

Website Creation

One of the most effective and long-term strategies to increase your book sales is to create your own website. Author website is must have tool for authors today and it doesn’t just help you to promote book but also helps you to engage with your potential readers. Our full featured author website, with blog, social media integration and other cool features, is the best marketing tool you can have. You can list each of your titles and link them to buy from various online stores.

Google / Facebook / Youtube Adverts

We can help you in creating ad on Google, Facebook and Youtube to reach your target audience using specific keywords and categories relevant to your book.

With our help you can narrow down your ads to the exact target audience for your book.

For more details mail us at [email protected]

The Bookish Elf is your single, trusted, daily source for all the news, ideas and richness of literary life. The Bookish Elf is a site you can rely on for book reviews, author interviews, book recommendations, and all things books. Contact us: [email protected]

Quick Links

• Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

Funny story by emily henry, table for two by amor towles, how to write a powerful thesis statement: unlock academic success.

• About the ISBN standard
• Industry Standards
• Helpful Links
• FAQs: General Questions
• FAQs: ISBN eligibility
• FAQs: International Issues
• FAQs: How Changes Affect the ISBN
• FAQs: Ownership and Re-Usage Rights
• FAQs: Formats Reprints Editions
• FAQs: ebooks and ISBNs
• FAQs: Spanish
• ISBN Converter

Welcome to the U.S. ISBN Agency!

Bowker is the official source for ISBNs in the United States.

An ISBN uniquely identifies your book, and facilitates the sale of your book to bookstores (physical and digital) and libraries. Using ISBNs allows you to better manage your book's metadata, and ensure maximum discoverability of your book. Your book is listed in Bowker Books in Print ® , which is used by all the major search engines and most bookstores and libraries.

You can go to My Identifiers to get your ISBNs instantly.

How to Understand an ISBN Code

Last Updated: September 23, 2023

This article was co-authored by Megan Morgan, PhD . Megan Morgan is a Graduate Program Academic Advisor in the School of Public & International Affairs at the University of Georgia. She earned her PhD in English from the University of Georgia in 2015. This article has been viewed 102,138 times.

On the back of your books you’ve probably seen a number above the barcode labeled “ISBN.” This is a unique number used by publishers, libraries, and bookstores to identify book titles and editions. The number is less useful to the average book reader, but we can all learn something about a book from the ISBN.

Using the ISBN

• The ISBN should also be available on the copyright page. [1] X Research source
• It is separated into four parts, each separated by a hyphen. For example, the ISBN for the classic cookbook The Joy of Cooking is 0-7432-4626-8.
• Books published before 2007 were given 10 digit ISBNs. From 2007 on, they have been given 13 digit identifiers. [2] X Research source

• Conversely, if the title string is long and the publisher string is short, the book was released by a major publisher. [3] X Research source

• Each nation has its own ISBN granting corporation. [4] X Research source
• A single ISBN number costs $125, 10 cost $250, 100 cost $575, and 1,000 cost $1,000.

Interpreting a 10 Digit ISBN

• For English books, this string will typically only be a single digit, but it can be longer for other languages.

• Sometimes the last digit is an “X.” This is the Roman Numeral 10.
• The check number is computed using a modulus 10 algorithm.

Interpreting a 13 Digit ISBN

• For books published in United States, this number should be “0.” For books published in other English speaking countries it should be “1.”

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.isbn.org/faqs_general_questions
• ↑ http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2009/09/self-publishing-basics-isbn/
• ↑ https://www.isbn-international.org/content/what-isbn

About This Article

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

William Palmer, Jr.

Jun 16, 2021

Did this article help you?

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

Library Resource Identifiers -- Call Number, Barcode, ISBN, ISSN, DOI and Persistent Link: Home

Call number.

A call number on the book spine tells the user where the book is specifically and physically located on the shelf. Functioning like a book's address in the library, a book call number is a combination of letters and numerals labeled at the bottom of the book spine. Each book's call number is unique.

To find one particular book on the shelf, you have to know its call number first, which you obtain by searching either the classic catalog or OneSearch . The first letter(s) represent(s) the subject associated with the book. For instance, H is for social science and RT is for nursing. Once you find the book you are looking for, you will notice that the neighboring books bear the same or similar subjects. Letters are read in alphabetical order and numbers in numerical order. ( Hint : Remember that everything after the decimal is read as a decimal.) The whole call number system is called the Library of Congress (LC) Classification system . Sometimes books in different collections at York have different prefixes on their spine labels, which tell books' locations, too. For example, REF for reference collection, RESE for materials put in the Circulation and Reserve, and CMC for the Curriculum Materials Center (children and juvenile literature collection). Books in the general Stacks collection don't bear a prefix. This picture below shows what call numbers look like on the shelf in the general collection.

Each book has a unique barcode, which is usually affixed to the last page prior to the back cover in our library's books, or sometimes to an interior page to avoid covering significant text. As the system inventory number for each book, barcodes can be read electronically. When you take the book to the Circulation Desk, its barcode will be scanned into the computer system, you will be told how long you can keep the book out and when you should return it. Due to system migration in the past, our library has a substantial number of books that don't have barcodes. If you come across books without barcodes, please kindly take them to the Circulation Desk, and they will be passed on to cataloging professionals so that they can get barcodes and be checked out.

International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

Generally speaking, ISBNs are nationally or internationally standardized numbers that publishers obtained for monographic publications from the affiliated ISBN agency. The ISBN , assigned on or after 1 January 2007, has 13 digits and 10 digits if assigned before 2007.

" Each ISBN is unique to a title, edition of a book, or monographic publication -- braille, microform, and electronic publications, as well as audiobooks, educational/instructional videos/DVDs and software -- published or produced by a specific publisher or producer." That means a paperback, a hardcover, and an ebook of the same title will have a different ISBN . ISBN is an effective identifier to help you locate a particular book in the library system.  

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

ISSNs are eight-digit, unique, standardized numbers assigned to serial publications, such as magazines and journals, for the purpose of registering, ordering, and cataloging. An ISSN is an effective access point that helps one locate a specific serial in the library system, which can be very helpful especially since sometimes more than more journal has the same (or a similar) title. An official ISSN is usually formatted with a hyphen between the first four digits and the last four digits. When a serial is published in various media, a linking ISSN or ISSN -L will be assigned to group them together.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

A Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a unique code mainly assigned to each article in academic journals. It can also be used for book chapters and other publications when it is considered necessary by publishers, too. The format of DOI is quite different from that of ISBN and ISSN, and it usually includes numerals and letters, some times punctuations as well. A DOI will keep the article forever retrievable in the event that a journal changes its name or ceases publishing. ISBN and ISSN don't need to be included in citation lists. However, a DOI, if it can be identified from the article that you downloaded, needs to be included in citation list. If the database didn't provide the DOI, you can check Crossref to look up the DOI. ( Hint : When using Crossref, use the second option to "Search on article title", then enter the last name of the primary author, and enter the title of the article but do not enter the subtitle .)

Here are a few examples of DOI in citation lists.

DOI in APA Reference List

Herbst, D. M., Griffith, N. R., & Slama, K. M. (2004). Rodeo cowboys: Conforming to masculine norms and          help-seeking behavior for depression. Journal of Rural Mental Health, 38, 20-35. doi:10.1037/rmh0000008

DOI in MLA Reference List

Reinhart, Katrinka. "Rethinking Urbanism in the Early Bronze Age of China: The Role of Craft Specialists and Community        Politics in the Social Construction of Yanshi Shangcheng." Archeological Research in Asia , vol. 14, pp. 106-120.        ScienceDirect, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2017.04.002.

DOI in Chicago Style Reference List

Peltonen, Kirsi, Noora Ellonen, Helmer B. Larsen, and Karin Helweg-Larsen. “Parental Violence and Adolescent Mental Health.” European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 19, no. 11 (2010): 813-822. doi: 10.1007/s00787-010-0130-8.

Acceptable DOI Format in Citation

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2017.04.002 doi: 10.1016/j.ara.2017.04.002

Unacceptable DOI Format in Citation

10.1016/j.ara.2017.04.002 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2017.04.002

Note: In old way, a DOI number should be preceded by "doi:"  According to recent change, "http://dx.doi.org/" is preferred by publishers as prefix. Both are the right formats. To be safe, take and include what you directly see from the article. In APA style, no period is used at the end of the doi; in MLA and Chicago, the doi is ended with a period.

Persistent Link

The link in the address bar or the Universal Resource Locator (URL) are not permanent gateways pointing to electronic resources, especially when using a subscription database. To cite an electronic resource and indicate its permanent location in the database, ejournal or ebook, you need its Persistent Link, which is also called Permanent Link or Stable URL. When you want to save a link to an article, make sure that you take its Persistent Link. Do not copy and paste links from the address bar. Here is an example from JSTOR:

You can also create a Persistent Link when using OneSearch. Below is the Persistent Link for the same article in OneSearch. You will notice that the digital ID number in JSTOR is part of the link that OneSearch automatically generates.

Note: Compared with DOI, Persistent Links are not one hundred percent persistent. Persistent Links can change according to publishers' needs.

ORCID stands for Open Researcher and Contributor ID. ORCIDs are unique, persistent, alphanumeric digital identifiers provided to individual researchers ( not materials) to identify and represent themselves, ensuring their online digital identities are recognizable and transferrable. ORCIDs can be used in conjunction with other professional information, such as affiliations, educational background, employment history, and scholarly achievements and activities. A typical example could be https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1908-3577. An  ORCID is a researcher's digital identity, which does not need to be included in the reference list. Some publishers may request that researchers submit their ORCIDs along with manuscripts.

Asst Prof/Head of Cataloging & Serials

• Last Updated: Aug 9, 2022 2:46 PM
• URL: https://libguides.york.cuny.edu/identifiers

Looking to publish? Meet your dream editor, designer and marketer on Reedsy.

Find the perfect editor for your next book

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Last updated on Apr 05, 2024

How to Get an ISBN Number for Your Book

A common question that self-publishing authors ask us at Reedsy is, "How do I get an ISBN number for my book?" The truth is that purchasing an ISBN is really simple. In some circumstances, you can get one for free — and sometimes, you won't even need one at all.

In this guide, we'll show you how to get an ISBN number for your book — either at a rock-bottom cost or for free.

What is an ISBN number?

An International Standard Book Number, or ISBN, is a 13-digit code used as a unique identifier for books. An ISBN is assigned to each edition of a book, helping  publishers , bookstores, and libraries keep track of their stock and sales. Readers can also use them to look up specific editions online.

ISBNs usually appear on the back of a book alongside the barcode.

So, with that in mind, let's see how you go about securing a code of your own. 

How to Get an ISBN in 3 Steps

As a self-publishing author, you can get an ISBN barcode for your book by purchasing it from an ISBN agency like Bowker for $125, or for free from other publishers and distributors, like Draft2Digital. Keep in mind you’ll need an ISBN number for each version of your title (e.g. print or ebook). 

Here's a simple way to get an ISBN:

• Choose between free and paid ISBNs
• Identify providers in your region 
• Buy ISBNs in bulk for the best value

1. Choose between free and paid ISBNs

There are a handful of big ISBN vendors, like Bowker and Nielsen, who are the go-to sources for most authors. However, depending on your publishing aims, it’s also possible to use cheaper or free ISBNs. 

Where to get free ISBN numbers

In the US and UK, many aggregators (companies that distribute your book to multiple retailers) will assign indie authors an ISBN for free, or at a discount. These aggregators include:

Some government territories, such as Canada, provide free ISBN numbers (lucky you)! The second step of this how-to will give you more information about your regional providers.

A note on ASINs

While we’re talking about free ISBNs, it’s worth mentioning an alternative: the ASIN. The ASIN functions similarly to the ISBN, but is only used within Amazon — and you’re given one for free whenever you publish a book on Amazon . 

So why would you need both? Basically, while you cannot rely on a book’s ASIN to find it outside of Amazon, you can always count on an ISBN.  For that reason, if you plan to “go wide” on other sites — or have distribution in brick-and-mortar stores — you’ll need an ISBN in addition to an ASIN. If you plan to self-publish on Amazon exclusively, you can, by all means, forego the ISBN costs and stick to the free ASIN. 

Do you need an ISBN number?

It'll only take a minute!

Why you might want to buy an ISBN anyway

So you can get an ISBN for free or at a discounted price, or if you’re only publishing digitally on Amazon, you don’t need an ISBN at all. So why would anyone ever pay for an ISBN? 

Aha! Here’s the catch: when you register for an ISBN number through an aggregator like the ones we listed above, industry regulations mean that you are limited to the retail channels of that company alone, whereas simply buying an ISBN from the start means you can expand wherever you see fit. 

To show you what we mean: maybe you’re selling your book on Amazon (an individual platform), and then decide to go wider through Draft2Digital (an aggregator). The former provides you with a free ASIN and the latter with a free ISBN. 

But let’s say your sales aren't too strong, and you want to make your book available on other distribution channels, like BookBaby and eBookPartnership. If you didn't buy your ISBN independently, you’ll need to register for separate numbers from each of those publishing companies as well. This can snowball into you having several ISBNs and different publishers all listed for the same book, which looks seriously unprofessional and may harm your book’s chances of getting stocked in brick-and-mortar bookstores and libraries.

Ultimately, it’s up to you whether you want to keep your ISBN consistent between aggregators or if you’re happy with a mix. If you aren’t sure which decision is in your best interests, perhaps consider working with a professional book marketer to ensure you maximize your chances of success.

MEET THE BEST PUBLISHING PROFESSIONALS

Polish your book with expert help

Sign up to browse 2000+ experienced editors, designers, and marketers.

2. Identify providers in your region 

Each country or territory has its own regional provider of ISBNs. Perhaps the best-known ISBN provider is Bowker , the official administrator for the United States. In the United Kingdom, authors can buy a number through Nielsen. 

To find out whether ISBNs are free in your country (and for instructions on requesting a number), you can look up your local agency here .

Once you’ve identified your local provider, you’re ready to buy!

3. Buy ISBNs in bulk for the best value

One book, one ISBN needed, right? Not so fast.

Not only do ISBNs have a heavy discount on bulk purchases, but a single ISBN is rarely enough. Say you’re publishing a paperback. If you ever want to revise or release that paperback in a new edition, you’ll need a new ISBN. You’ll also need another ISBN for a future hardcover edition, and the same applies to releasing an audiobook. If you make all those single purchases via Bowker, you’re looking at $500 for 4 ISBNs, while a bulk purchase of 10 ISBNs will only set you back $295. 

We’ve broken down these  Bowker costs  for US authors and publishers, as well as the  Nielsen costs for those in the UK, in the table below:

Even if you’re only working on one book at the moment, 10 ISBNs are a sensible investment when you’re starting out. 

Bonus tip: Register your ISBN with Bowkerlink

Regardless of where you live or who provided your ISBN, once you have received your number, you should register it at Bowkerlink . This will automatically add your title to Bowker’s Books In Print : a bibliographic database consulted by libraries around the world. Books In Print currently hosts about 7.5 million US book, audiobook , and movie titles, as well as 12 million international titles — and yours is about to be one of them!

Now you’ve sorted out all the practicalities and your book is ready for sale, why not check out more of our resources on what to do next. If you haven’t yet got a plan in place for promoting your book, our guide on that is a good place to start!

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

We made a writing app for you

Yes, you! Write. Format. Export for ebook and print. 100% free, always.

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

• For educators
• Go to my projects
• Português (PT)
• Português (BR)

BibGuru ISBN Citation Generator

Cite websites, books, articles, ...

What is an ISBN citation generator and how can it help you?

Getting citations and reference lists correctly done can be very confusing and time-consuming.

The good news is that our ISBN citation generator can do it automatically for you and it is FREE to use! 🎉

Not convinced yet? Here are 5 reasons why you are going to love the BibGuru ISBN citation maker :

😌 No flood of distracting ads

👌 Simple and intuitive interface

🎓 APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, and thousands of other citation styles

🥇 Most accurate citation data

With BibGuru we have made a citation tool that truly helps students to focus on the content of their work instead of worrying about how to get their reference list correctly done.

BibGuru can turn the ISBN number of any book into a correctly formatted APA citation or MLA citation in seconds! Those days of wasting time entering data manually or losing grades on incorrect bibliographies are finally gone!

If you need to know more about ISBNs check out our What is the ISBN? section.

Why, when, and what do I have to cite?

Why The broad scientific knowledge we have today is the accomplishment of many researchers over time. To put your own contribution in context , it is important to cite the work of the researchers who influenced you. Cited sources can provide key background information, support or dispute your thesis, or offer important definitions and data. Citing also shows that you have personally read the work.

When In addition to crediting the ideas of others that you used to build your own argument, you need to provide documentation for all facts and figures that are not common knowledge. Common knowledge is knowledge that is known by everyone, or nearly everyone, and can basically concern any subject. An example for common knowledge would be "There are seven days in a week".

What The number of sources you cite in your work depends on the intent of the paper. In most cases, you will need to cite one or two of the most representative sources for each key point. However, if you are working on a review article, the aim is to present to the readers everything that has been written on a topic, so you will need to include a more exhaustive list of citations.

What is the ISBN number?

An ISBN, or International Standard Book Number , is a numeric commercial book identifier, which is a number unique for every book including e-books and audio books.

ISBNs are calculated using a specific mathematical formula and include a check digit to validate the number. They are used by publishers, booksellers, libraries, and other retailers worldwide in the marketing and buying of books.

On most books, the ISBN number can be found on the back cover, next to the barcode. You most likely have seen them many times.

ISBNs usually start with 978 followed by 10 digits or 9 digits plus an X. An ISBN can be split into blocks of digits giving information about the language of the book and publisher.

How do I cite with ISBN?

With BibGuru, you can automatically create a citation in thousands of different citation styles just entering the ISBN of your book. All you need to do is pick a citation style and then search for the ISBN of your book. BibGuru will then automatically create an accurate citation in the style you chose.

While all the specific rules of the ISBN citation style might sound very complicated, you don't need to worry about getting them wrong with BibGuru.

Use our ISBN citation generator above to create the fastest and most accurate ISBN citations possible.

With the BibGuru ISBN citation generator, you can create a citation in thousands of different citation styles by entering the ISBN of your book. All you need to do is pick a citation style and then search for the ISBN of your book. BibGuru will then automatically create an accurate citation in the style you chose.

Yes, the BibGuru ISBN citation generator is free.

Yes, the BibGuru ISBN citation generator stores all your references. Once you are done adding all your references, you only have to copy and paste the list into your paper.

The easiest way to cite an ISBN is to simply use BibGuru . Just enter the ISBN of your book in the search box and BibGuru will automatically create an accurate citation in the style you chose.

ISBNs are not included in the Works Cited list in the MLA citation style for a number of reasons. If you want more information on that topic, the MLA Style Center is a good resource.

Yes, every major and most minor publishers will automatically assign an ISBN to any book they publish. Only self-published books are most likely not going to have an ISBN. Also, ISBNs were developed only in the second half of the twentieth century, so older books won’t have them.

No, they are not the same thing. ISBNs are used to identify each unique publication whether in the form of a physical book or related materials such as eBooks or software. A DOI, or Digital Object Identifier, is a string of numbers, letters and symbols used to permanently identify an article or document and link to it on the web.

On most books, the ISBN number can be found on the back cover, next to the barcode.

Citation generators

Citation guides, alternative to.

• NoodleTools
• Getting started

From our blog

• 📚 How to write a book report
• 📝 APA Running Head
• 📑 How to study for a test

ISBN Search

Using an ISBN is the most accurate and reliable way to search for a book. Use our search engine to find book information and the best prices for books.

Typical location of an ISBN on the back of a book.

ISBN Database

If you’re looking for a book database with comprehensive book data searchable via API, check out ISBNdb.com . Subscription starts from only $14.95/mo per 5,000 daily calls.

Apply for an ISBN, ISSN or ISMN

International Standard Numbers are unique identifiers for books, serials and music scores. They are not mandatory and do not provide copyright. They are used internationally across publication trades and the library sector.

Apply for an International Standard Book Number through the Australian ISBN Agency at Thorpe-Bowker in Victoria, Australia.

Apply for an International Standard Serial Number  through the Australian ISSN Agency at the National Library of Australia.

Apply for an International Standard Music Number through the Australian ISMN Agency at the National Library of Australia.

The National Library of Australia acknowledges Australia’s First Nations Peoples – the First Australians – as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land and gives respect to the Elders – past and present – and through them to all Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Cultural Notification

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website contains a range of material which may be considered culturally sensitive including the records of people who have passed away.

How to Retrieve Book Data Using an ISBN

In this comprehensive guide, you'll learn how to retrieve book data using an ISBN (International Standard Book Number)

Since reading became a widespread human privilege, hundreds of millions of individual book titles have been published. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how to retrieve book data using an ISBN (International Standard Book Number).

Each book has distinct metadata—title, author, publication year, etc. That means those who need to handle books by the millions must work with unfathomable information levels.

By all means, institutions that work professionally with books—such as libraries, booksellers, colleges, and more—should struggle with this massive amount of data. However, their tasks are made much easier thanks to the existence of bibliographic databases and, of course, ISBNs.

Simple yet effective, ISBNs are the foundational stone of book management—a few numbers can be the key to accessing countless data within seconds, at least if you know how to do it.

Luckily, it is not as complicated as it seems.

What Is an ISBN to Retrieve Book Data?

ISBN is an acronym that stands for International Standard Book Number, and it is essentially a publication identifier attached to every book.

As its name indicates, it is a standardized method that assigns a unique numeric code to printed and digital books. This code can help distinguish books with similar titles or authored by writers with the same name. Likewise, the same book can receive different ISBNs according to the edition or formatting style, making locating limited edition issues or digital copies much more convenient.

Upon its creation in 1967, the ISBN consisted of a 9-digit number. Afterward, it expanded to accommodate new books—first into a 10-digit code and eventually into a 13-digit format.

You can easily find a book’s ISBN on the copyright page or right above the barcode on the back of the book. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how to retrieve book data using an ISBN (International Standard Book Number).

How Do You Use an ISBN?

Locating any book’s ISBN can provide extensive information about its particular edition. In reverse, you can use the ISBN to retrieve a specific book.

The manual and old-fashioned way to use an ISBN is by learning the code groups. The numbers in an ISBN code are not random. Instead, they each have a meaning that can help you understand critical information about the book.

The number is composed of five code groups, each representing a specific type of data about the book it is assigned to.

The prefix began when the ISBN system expanded from 10 digits to 13. At first, the prefix was exclusively 978 , but the massive number of books published required the incorporation of a new prefix, 979 .

Next comes the registration group number , which encompasses a particular region. It can be a country, a geographic area, or a language.

Third is the publication number , which identifies the publisher, the specific book edition, or the format.

Finally, there is the check digit , a single digit at the end of the ISBN that validates the number beforehand. It follows a mathematical formula to ensure the number is correct.

While knowing this information can help you learn everything you need to know about the identity of a certain book, the truth is that hardly anyone can decode this on their own.

Luckily, multiple book-related apps and websites can do the job for you.

How Do You Retrieve a Book Using an ISBN to Retrieve Book Data

To retrieve a book, you don’t need to know the meaning of every single number and code in an ISBN—you just need an internet connection and some know-how.

The Internet is full of online bibliographic databases, all of which have compiled the ISBN information of millions of books and are readily available for users seeking them. They vary in the number of books they support, the specifics of the information they provide, and whether or not they charge service fees to unlock all information.

Users can retrieve information from these book databases using ISBN through database websites and book APIs. Not all databases provide both options, so it’s up to the user to research the one that is most convenient for them.

1. Retrieve a Book From a Database Website

Database websites are the most accessible and user-friendly method for anyone unfamiliar with the process. They offer a straightforward interface that requires little tech know-how and makes it easy to receive information.

As their name indicates, database websites are sites provided by the book database providers. They often include a simple search field that allows users to input an ISBN code and immediately receive the metadata of the book it is associated with.

Database websites are your best choice if you only need information from a handful of books. All you need to do is select the ISBN number lookup site that provides the information that aligns the best with your project needs and enter the corresponding ISBN. Within seconds, you will receive the information available within the database.

2. Retrieve a Book by Making a Request to the API

On the other hand, APIs are the default option for commercial use, as users can download the metadata of millions of books simultaneously. They also allow business owners to insert tools into their websites to enable users to find the books they want. Keep reading this tutorial to understand how to retrieve book data using an ISBN (International Standard Book Number).

However, using APIs is a bit more complex for newcomers, so retrieving book information from them requires a couple of additional steps and know-how not required for ISBN database websites.

For starters, API stands for Application Programming Interfaces, digital bridges that allow communication between different software applications. As such, book APIs grant specific applications direct access to their database.

To retrieve book data through APIs, your application must first send a request to the book API server of your choice. This request is none other than the list of ISBNs whose data you need. Once sent, the database will authorize the request according to the methods established by the developers.

Upon authorizing the request, the server will process it and gather the data requested. Then send it back according to the database’s possibilities. The odds are that you will receive the information in the form of XML or JSON files. Which are unreadable to the average user, so you will need to parse it to convert it into a readable format.

For example, if you require metadata from a broad category of books. Such as contemporary romance novels released in 2018 or literature textbooks . You would need to send a query to your chosen book database API with the ISBNs. Upon which the API will send you back a file with all the information it provides for each book.

What Kind of Book Data Can You Retrieve with an ISBN?

It depends.

While ISBNs can identify the same book across countless databases and the information they store is consistent and unchangeable. The type of data they provide will always depend on the case.

For example, all free book databases provide title, author, and publication date. However, very few of them provide high-quality data, as most are hidden behind a paywall. This means that information such as book cover, pricing data, or sale values will not be available through free access.

Likewise, the number of books supported always varies between book databases. Which means that some obscure or niche books may not be easily found within free options.

Naturally, this means that the information you can obtain with the ISBN is limited to the quality of the database you access.

Final Thoughts

Obtaining book information through ISBN is a straightforward process with many pitfalls.

Although regular users who only need the information of a handful of books. Have access to countless websites with open information. So, businesses require API access to large databases and quite a bit of programming know-how. However, the databases offer varying information, so it’s quintessential to understand which provides the best data for your purposes.

Nevertheless, despite the challenges, acquiring book data through ISBN is a doable process. That can be done within seconds once you master the know-how.

More From Visualmodo

3 Tabletop Gaming Apps You Should Check Out in 2024

What Makes a Successful Entrepreneur?

How Pay N Play Has Become An Important Factor For Conversion For Casino Websites

Amplify Security: Safe Beats for Music Pros!

Technological Advancements in Background Checking: What’s New and What Matters

The Benefits of Adding American Hartford Gold to Your Investment Portfolio

The Importance of Proactive Crisis Management: Insights and Advice from PR Firms

How to Get Started Playing Online Slots

Smart Contract-Based Land Registration System Using Blockchain

Ieee account.

• Change Username/Password
• Update Address

Purchase Details

• Payment Options
• Order History
• View Purchased Documents

Profile Information

• Communications Preferences
• Profession and Education
• Technical Interests
• US & Canada: +1 800 678 4333
• Worldwide: +1 732 981 0060
• Contact & Support
• About IEEE Xplore
• Accessibility
• Terms of Use
• Nondiscrimination Policy
• Privacy & Opting Out of Cookies

A not-for-profit organization, IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. © Copyright 2024 IEEE - All rights reserved. Use of this web site signifies your agreement to the terms and conditions.