International Standard book number - wikipedia International Standard book number For reader help on ISBNs, see Help : ISBN. Unique numeric book identifier International Standard Book Number A 13 - digit ISBN, 978 - 3 - 16 - 148410 - 0, as represented by an EAN - 13 bar code Acronym ISBN Introduced 1970 ; 48 years ago ( 1970 ) Managing organisation International ISBN Agency No. of digits 13 ( formerly 10 ) Check digit Weighted sum Example 978 - 3 - 16 - 148410 - 0 Website www.isbn-international.org The International Standard Book Number ( ISBN ) is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation ( except reprintings ) of a book. For example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, and 10 digits long if assigned before 2007. The method of assigning an ISBN is nation - based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated 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 SBN code can be converted to a ten digit ISBN by prefixing it with a zero ). Privately published books sometimes appear without an ISBN. The International ISBN agency sometimes assigns such books ISBNs on its own initiative. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number ( ISSN ), identifies periodical publications such as magazines ; and the International Standard Music Number ( ISMN ) covers for musical scores. Contents 1 History 2 Overview 2.1 How ISBNs are issued 2.2 Registration group identifier 2.3 Registrant element 2.3. 1 Pattern for English language ISBNs 3 Check digits 3.1 ISBN - 10 check digits 3.2 ISBN - 10 check digit calculation 3.3 ISBN - 13 check digit calculation 3.4 ISBN - 10 to ISBN - 13 conversion 3.5 Errors in usage 3.6 eISBN 4 EAN format used in barcodes, and upgrading 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links History The Standard Book Numbering ( SBN ) code is a 9 - digit commercial book identifier system created by Gordon Foster, Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers WHSmith and others in 1965. The ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker ( regarded as the `` Father of the ISBN '' ) and in 1968 in the United States by Emery Koltay ( who later became director of the U.S. ISBN agency R.R. Bowker ). 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 United Kingdom continued to use the 9 - digit SBN code until 1974. ISO has appointed the International ISBN Agency as the registration authority for ISBN worldwide and the ISBN Standard is developed under the control of ISO Technical Committee 46 / Subcommittee 9 TC 46 / SC 9. The ISO on - line facility only refers back to 1978. An SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit `` 0 ''. For example, the second edition of Mr. J.G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has `` SBN 340 01381 8 '' -- 340 indicating the publisher, 01381 their serial number, and 8 being the check digit. This can be converted to ISBN 0 - 340 - 01381 - 8 ; the check digit does not need to be re-calculated. Since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with `` Bookland '' European Article Number EAN - 13s. Overview An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation ( except reprintings ) of a book. For example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, and 10 digits long if assigned before 2007. An International Standard Book Number consists of 4 parts ( if it is a 10 digit ISBN ) or 5 parts ( for a 13 digit ISBN ) : The parts of a 10 - digit ISBN and the corresponding EAN ‐ 13 and barcode. Note the different check digits in each. The part of the EAN ‐ 13 labeled `` EAN '' is the Bookland country code. for a 13 - digit ISBN, a prefix element -- a GS1 prefix : so far 978 or 979 have been made available by GS1, the registration group element ( language - sharing country group, individual country or territory ), the registrant element, the publication element, and a checksum character or check digit. A 13 - digit ISBN can be separated into its parts ( prefix element, registration group, registrant, publication and check digit ), and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts ( registration group, registrant, publication and check digit ) of a 10 - digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces. Figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. How ISBNs are issued ISBN issuance is country - specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for that country or territory regardless of the publication language. The ranges of ISBNs assigned to any particular country are based on the publishing profile of the country concerned, and so the ranges will vary depending on the number of books and the number, type, and size of publishers that are active. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture and thus may receive direct funding from government to support their services. In other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. A full directory of ISBN agencies is available on the International ISBN Agency website. Partial listing : Australia : the commercial library services agency Thorpe - Bowker ; Brazil : The National Library of Brazil ; Canada ( English ) : Library and Archives Canada, a government agency ; Canada ( French ) : Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec ; Colombia : Cámara Colombiana del Libro, an NGO ; Hong Kong : Books Registration Office ( BRO ), under the Hong Kong Public Libraries ; India : The Raja Rammohun Roy National Agency for ISBN ( Book Promotion and Copyright Division ), under Department of Higher Education, a constituent of the Ministry of Human Resource Development ; Israel : The Israel Center for Libraries Italy : EDISER srl, owned by Associazione Italiana Editori ( Italian Publishers Association ) ; Maldives : The National Bureau of Classification ( NBC ) ; Malta : The National Book Council ( Maltese : Il - Kunsill Nazzjonali tal - Ktieb ) ; Morocco : The National Library of Morocco ; New Zealand : The National Library of New Zealand ; Pakistan : National Library of Pakistan ; Philippines : National Library of the Philippines ; South Africa : National Library of South Africa ; Turkey : General Directorate of Libraries and Publications, a branch of the Ministry of Culture ; United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland : Nielsen Book Services Ltd, part of Nielsen Holdings N.V. ; United States : R.R. Bowker. Registration group identifier The registration group identifier is a 1 - to 5 - digit number that is valid within a single prefix element ( i.e. one of 978 or 979 ). Registration group identifiers have primarily been allocated within the 978 prefix element. The single - digit group identifiers within the 978 prefix element are : 0 or 1 for English - speaking countries ; 2 for French - speaking countries ; 3 for German - speaking countries ; 4 for Japan ; 5 for Russian - speaking countries ; and 7 for People 's Republic of China. An example 5 - digit group identifier is 99936, for Bhutan. The allocated group IDs are : 0 -- 5, 600 -- 621, 7, 80 -- 94, 950 -- 989, 9926 -- 9989, and 99901 -- 99976. Books published in rare languages typically have longer group identifiers. Within the 979 prefix element, the registration group identifier 0 is reserved for compatibility with International Standard Music Numbers ( ISMNs ), but such material is not actually assigned an ISBN. The registration group identifiers within prefix element 979 that have been assigned are 10 for France, 11 for the Republic of Korea, and 12 for Italy. The original 9 - digit standard book number ( SBN ) had no registration group identifier, but prefixing a zero ( 0 ) to a 9 - digit SBN creates a valid 10 - digit ISBN. Registrant element The national ISBN agency assigns the registrant element ( cf. Category : ISBN agencies ) and an accompanying series of ISBNs within that registrant element to the publisher ; the publisher then allocates one of the ISBNs to each of its books. In most countries, a book publisher is not required by law to assign an ISBN ; however, most bookstores only handle ISBN bearing publications. A listing of more than 900,000 assigned publisher codes is published, and can be ordered in book form ( € 1399, US $ 1959 ). The web site of the ISBN agency does not offer any free method of looking up publisher codes. Partial lists have been compiled ( from library catalogs ) for the English - language groups : identifier 0 and identifier 1. Publishers receive blocks of ISBNs, with larger blocks allotted to publishers expecting to need them ; a small publisher may receive ISBNs of one or more digits for the registration group identifier, several digits for the registrant, and a single digit for the publication element. Once that block of ISBNs is used, the publisher may receive another block of ISBNs, with a different registrant element. Consequently, a publisher may have different allotted registrant elements. There also may be more than one registration group identifier used in a country. This might occur once all the registrant elements from a particular registration group have been allocated to publishers. By using variable block lengths, registration agencies are able to customise the allocations of ISBNs that they make to publishers. For example, a large publisher may be given a block of ISBNs where fewer digits are allocated for the registrant element and many digits are allocated for the publication element ; likewise, countries publishing many titles have few allocated digits for the registration group identifier and many for the registrant and publication elements. Here are some sample ISBN - 10 codes, illustrating block length variations. ISBN Country or area Publisher 99921 - 58 - 10 - 7 Qatar NCCAH, Doha 9971 - 5 - 0210 - 0 Singapore World Scientific 960 - 425 - 059 - 0 Greece Sigma Publications 80 - 902734 - 1 - 6 Czech Republic ; Slovakia Taita Publishers 85 - 359 - 0277 - 5 Brazil Companhia das Letras 1 - 84356 - 028 - 3 English - speaking area Simon Wallenberg Press 0 - 684 - 84328 - 5 English - speaking area Scribner 0 - 8044 - 2957 - X English - speaking area Frederick Ungar 0 - 85131 - 041 - 9 English - speaking area J.A. Allen & Co. 0 - 943396 - 04 - 2 English - speaking area Willmann -- Bell 0 - 9752298 - 0 - X English - speaking area KT Publishing Pattern for English language ISBNs English - language registration group elements are 0 and 1 ( 2 of more than 220 registration group elements ). These two registration group elements are divided into registrant elements in a systematic pattern, which allows their length to be determined, as follows : Publication element length 0 -- Registration group element 1 -- Registration group element Total Registrants From To Registrants From To Registrants 6 digits 0 - 00 - xxxxxx - x 0 - 19 - xxxxxx - x 20 1 - 00 - xxxxxx - x 1 - 09 - xxxxxx - x 10 30 5 digits 0 - 200 - xxxxx - x 0 - 699 - xxxxx - x 500 1 - 100 - xxxxx - x 1 - 399 - xxxxx - x 300 800 4 digits 0 - 7000 - xxxx - x 0 - 8499 - xxxx - x 1,500 1 - 4000 - xxxx - x 1 - 5499 - xxxx - x 1,500 3,000 3 digits 0 - 85000 - xxx - x 0 - 89999 - xxx - x 5,000 1 - 55000 - xxx - x 1 - 86979 - xxx - x 31,980 36,980 2 digits 0 - 900000 - xx - x 0 - 949999 - xx - x 50,000 1 - 869800 - xx - x 1 - 998999 - xx - x 129,200 179,200 1 digit 0 - 9500000 - x-x 0 - 9999999 - x-x 500,000 1 - 9990000 - x-x 1 - 9999999 - x-x 10,000 510,000 Total 557,020 Total 172,990 730,010 Check digits A check digit is a form of redundancy check used for error detection, the decimal equivalent of a binary check bit. It consists of a single digit computed from the other digits in the number. The method for the ten digit code is an extension of that for SBNs, the two systems are compatible, and SBN prefixed with `` 0 '' will give the same check - digit as without -- the digit is base eleven, and can be 0 - 9 or X. The system for thirteen digit codes is not compatible and will, in general, give a different check digit from the corresponding 10 digit ISBN, and does not provide the same protection against transposition. This is because the thirteen digit code was required to be compatible with the EAN format, and hence could not contain an `` X ''. ISBN - 10 check digits The 2001 edition of the official manual of the International ISBN Agency says that the ISBN - 10 check digit -- which is the last digit of the ten - digit ISBN -- must range from 0 to 10 ( the symbol X is used for 10 ), and must be such that the sum of all the ten digits, each multiplied by its ( integer ) weight, descending from 10 to 1, is a multiple of 11. For example, for an ISBN - 10 of 0 - 306 - 40615 - 2 : s = ( 0 × 10 ) + ( 3 × 9 ) + ( 0 × 8 ) + ( 6 × 7 ) + ( 4 × 6 ) + ( 0 × 5 ) + ( 6 × 4 ) + ( 1 × 3 ) + ( 5 × 2 ) + ( 2 × 1 ) = 0 + 27 + 0 + 42 + 24 + 0 + 24 + 3 + 10 + 2 = 132 = 12 × 11 ( displaystyle ( \begin ( aligned ) s& = ( 0 \times 10 ) + ( 3 \times 9 ) + ( 0 \times 8 ) + ( 6 \times 7 ) + ( 4 \times 6 ) + ( 0 \times 5 ) + ( 6 \times 4 ) + ( 1 \times 3 ) + ( 5 \times 2 ) + ( 2 \times 1 ) & = 0 + 27 + 0 + 42 + 24 + 0 + 24 + 3 + 10 + 2 & = 132 = 12 \times 11 end ( aligned ) ) ) Formally, using modular arithmetic, we can say : ( 10 x 1 + 9 x 2 + 8 x 3 + 7 x 4 + 6 x 5 + 5 x 6 + 4 x 7 + 3 x 8 + 2 x 9 + x 10 ) ≡ 0 ( mod 11 ). ( displaystyle ( 10x_ ( 1 ) + 9x_ ( 2 ) + 8x_ ( 3 ) + 7x_ ( 4 ) + 6x_ ( 5 ) + 5x_ ( 6 ) + 4x_ ( 7 ) + 3x_ ( 8 ) + 2x_ ( 9 ) + x_ ( 10 ) ) equiv 0 ( pmod ( 11 ) ). ) It is also true for ISBN - 10 's that the sum of all the ten digits, each multiplied by its weight in ascending order from 1 to 10, is a multiple of 11. For this example : s = ( 0 × 1 ) + ( 3 × 2 ) + ( 0 × 3 ) + ( 6 × 4 ) + ( 4 × 5 ) + ( 0 × 6 ) + ( 6 × 7 ) + ( 1 × 8 ) + ( 5 × 9 ) + ( 2 × 10 ) = 0 + 6 + 0 + 24 + 20 + 0 + 42 + 8 + 45 + 20 = 165 = 15 × 11 ( displaystyle ( \begin ( aligned ) s& = ( 0 \times 1 ) + ( 3 \times 2 ) + ( 0 \times 3 ) + ( 6 \times 4 ) + ( 4 \times 5 ) + ( 0 \times 6 ) + ( 6 \times 7 ) + ( 1 \times 8 ) + ( 5 \times 9 ) + ( 2 \times 10 ) & = 0 + 6 + 0 + 24 + 20 + 0 + 42 + 8 + 45 + 20 & = 165 = 15 \times 11 end ( aligned ) ) ) Formally, we can say : ( x 1 + 2 x 2 + 3 x 3 + 4 x 4 + 5 x 5 + 6 x 6 + 7 x 7 + 8 x 8 + 9 x 9 + 10 x 10 ) ≡ 0 ( mod 11 ). ( displaystyle ( x_ ( 1 ) + 2x_ ( 2 ) + 3x_ ( 3 ) + 4x_ ( 4 ) + 5x_ ( 5 ) + 6x_ ( 6 ) + 7x_ ( 7 ) + 8x_ ( 8 ) + 9x_ ( 9 ) + 10x_ ( 10 ) ) equiv 0 ( pmod ( 11 ) ). ) The two most common errors in handling an ISBN ( e.g., typing or writing it ) are a single altered digit or the transposition of adjacent digits. It can be proved that all possible valid ISBN - 10 's have at least two digits different from each other. It can also be proved that there are no pairs of valid ISBN - 10 's with eight identical digits and two transposed digits. ( These are true only because the ISBN is less than 11 digits long, and because 11 is a prime number. ) The ISBN check digit method therefore ensures that it will always be possible to detect these two most common types of error, i.e. if either of these types of error has occurred, the result will never be a valid ISBN -- the sum of the digits multiplied by their weights will never be a multiple of 11. However, if the error occurs in the publishing house and goes undetected, the book will be issued with an invalid ISBN. In contrast, it is possible for other types of error, such as two altered non-transposed digits, or three altered digits, to result in a valid ISBN ( although it is still unlikely ). ISBN - 10 check digit calculation Each of the first nine digits of the ten - digit ISBN -- excluding the check digit itself -- is multiplied by its ( integer ) weight, descending from 10 to 2, and the sum of these nine products found. The value of the check digit is simply the one number between 0 and 10 which, when added to this sum, means the total is a multiple of 11. For example, the check digit for an ISBN - 10 of 0 - 306 - 40615 - ? is calculated as follows : s = ( 0 × 10 ) + ( 3 × 9 ) + ( 0 × 8 ) + ( 6 × 7 ) + ( 4 × 6 ) + ( 0 × 5 ) + ( 6 × 4 ) + ( 1 × 3 ) + ( 5 × 2 ) = 130 ( displaystyle ( \begin ( aligned ) s& = ( 0 \times 10 ) + ( 3 \times 9 ) + ( 0 \times 8 ) + ( 6 \times 7 ) + ( 4 \times 6 ) + ( 0 \times 5 ) + ( 6 \times 4 ) + ( 1 \times 3 ) + ( 5 \times 2 ) & = 130 end ( aligned ) ) ) Adding 2 to 130 gives a multiple of 11 ( 132 = 12 x 11 ) − this is the only number between 0 and 10 which does so. Therefore, the check digit has to be 2, and the complete sequence is ISBN 0 - 306 - 40615 - 2. The value x 10 ( displaystyle x_ ( 10 ) ) required to satisfy this condition might be 10 ; if so, an ' X ' should be used. Alternatively, modular arithmetic is convenient for calculating the check digit using modulus 11. The remainder of this sum when it is divided by 11 ( i.e. its value modulo 11 ), is computed. This remainder plus the check digit must equal either 0 or 11. Therefore, the check digit is ( 11 minus the remainder of the sum of the products modulo 11 ) modulo 11. Taking the remainder modulo 11 a second time accounts for the possibility that the first remainder is 0. Without the second modulo operation the calculation could end up with 11 -- 0 = 11 which is invalid. ( Strictly speaking the first `` modulo 11 '' is unneeded, but it may be considered to simplify the calculation. ) For example, the check digit for the ISBN - 10 of 0 - 306 - 40615 - ? is calculated as follows : s = ( 11 − ( ( ( 0 × 10 ) + ( 3 × 9 ) + ( 0 × 8 ) + ( 6 × 7 ) + ( 4 × 6 ) + ( 0 × 5 ) + ( 6 × 4 ) + ( 1 × 3 ) + ( 5 × 2 ) ) mod 11 ) mod 11 = ( 11 − ( 0 + 27 + 0 + 42 + 24 + 0 + 24 + 3 + 10 ) mod 11 ) mod 11 = ( 11 − ( 130 mod 11 ) ) mod 11 = ( 11 − ( 9 ) ) mod 11 = ( 2 ) mod 11 = 2 ( displaystyle ( \begin ( aligned ) s& = ( 11 - ( ( ( 0 \times 10 ) + ( 3 \times 9 ) + ( 0 \times 8 ) + ( 6 \times 7 ) + ( 4 \times 6 ) + ( 0 \times 5 ) + ( 6 \times 4 ) + ( 1 \times 3 ) + ( 5 \times 2 ) ) , ( \bmod ( , ) ) 11 ) , ( \bmod ( , ) ) 11 & = ( 11 - ( 0 + 27 + 0 + 42 + 24 + 0 + 24 + 3 + 10 ) , ( \bmod ( , ) ) 11 ) , ( \bmod ( , ) ) 11 & = ( 11 - ( 130 , ( \bmod ( , ) ) 11 ) ) , ( \bmod ( , ) ) 11 & = ( 11 - ( 9 ) ) , ( \bmod ( , ) ) 11 & = ( 2 ) , ( \bmod ( , ) ) 11 & = 2 end ( aligned ) ) ) Thus the check digit is 2. It is possible to avoid the multiplications in a software implementation by using two accumulators. Repeatedly adding t into s computes the necessary multiples : / / Returns ISBN error syndrome, zero for a valid ISBN, non-zero for an invalid one. / / digits ( i ) must be between 0 and 10. int CheckISBN ( int const digits ( 10 ) ) ( int i, s = 0, t = 0 ; for ( i = 0 ; i < 10 ; i + + ) ( t + = digits ( i ) ; s + = t ; ) return s % 11 ; ) The modular reduction can be done once at the end, as shown above ( in which case s could hold a value as large as 496, for the invalid ISBN 99999 - 999 - 9 - X ), or s and t could be reduced by a conditional subtract after each addition. ISBN - 13 check digit calculation The 2005 edition of the International ISBN Agency 's official manual describes how the 13 - digit ISBN check digit is calculated. The ISBN - 13 check digit, which is the last digit of the ISBN, must range from 0 to 9 and must be such that the sum of all the thirteen digits, each multiplied by its ( integer ) weight, alternating between 1 and 3, is a multiple of 10. Formally, using modular arithmetic, we can say : ( x 1 + 3 x 2 + x 3 + 3 x 4 + x 5 + 3 x 6 + x 7 + 3 x 8 + x 9 + 3 x 10 + x 11 + 3 x 12 + x 13 ) ≡ 0 ( mod 10 ). ( displaystyle ( x_ ( 1 ) + 3x_ ( 2 ) + x_ ( 3 ) + 3x_ ( 4 ) + x_ ( 5 ) + 3x_ ( 6 ) + x_ ( 7 ) + 3x_ ( 8 ) + x_ ( 9 ) + 3x_ ( 10 ) + x_ ( 11 ) + 3x_ ( 12 ) + x_ ( 13 ) ) equiv 0 ( pmod ( 10 ) ). ) The calculation of an ISBN - 13 check digit begins with the first 12 digits of the thirteen - digit ISBN ( thus excluding the check digit itself ). Each digit, from left to right, is alternately multiplied by 1 or 3, then those products are summed modulo 10 to give a value ranging from 0 to 9. Subtracted from 10, that leaves a result from 1 to 10. A zero ( 0 ) replaces a ten ( 10 ), so, in all cases, a single check digit results. For example, the ISBN - 13 check digit of 978 - 0 - 306 - 40615 - ? is calculated as follows : s = 9 × 1 + 7 × 3 + 8 × 1 + 0 × 3 + 3 × 1 + 0 × 3 + 6 × 1 + 4 × 3 + 0 × 1 + 6 × 3 + 1 × 1 + 5 × 3 = 9 + 21 + 8 + 0 + 3 + 0 + 6 + 12 + 0 + 18 + 1 + 15 = 93 93 / 10 = 9 remainder 3 10 -- 3 = 7 Thus, the check digit is 7, and the complete sequence is ISBN 978 - 0 - 306 - 40615 - 7. In general, the ISBN - 13 check digit is calculated as follows. Let r = ( 10 − ( x 1 + 3 x 2 + x 3 + 3 x 4 + ⋯ + x 11 + 3 x 12 ) mod 10 ). ( displaystyle r = ( \big ( ) 10 - ( \big ( ) x_ ( 1 ) + 3x_ ( 2 ) + x_ ( 3 ) + 3x_ ( 4 ) + cdots + x_ ( 11 ) + 3x_ ( 12 ) ( \big ) ) , ( \bmod ( , ) ) 10 ( \big ) ). ) Then x 13 = ( r ; r < 10 0 ; r = 10. ( displaystyle x_ ( 13 ) = ( \begin ( cases ) r& ( \text ( ; ) ) r < 10 0& ( \text ( ; ) ) r = 10. end ( cases ) ) ) This check system -- similar to the UPC check digit formula -- does not catch all errors of adjacent digit transposition. Specifically, if the difference between two adjacent digits is 5, the check digit will not catch their transposition. For instance, the above example allows this situation with the 6 followed by a 1. The correct order contributes 3 × 6 + 1 × 1 = 19 to the sum ; while, if the digits are transposed ( 1 followed by a 6 ), the contribution of those two digits will be 3 × 1 + 1 × 6 = 9. However, 19 and 9 are congruent modulo 10, and so produce the same, final result : both ISBNs will have a check digit of 7. The ISBN - 10 formula uses the prime modulus 11 which avoids this blind spot, but requires more than the digits 0 - 9 to express the check digit. Additionally, if the sum of the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th digits is tripled then added to the remaining digits ( 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th ), the total will always be divisible by 10 ( i.e., end in 0 ). ISBN - 10 to ISBN - 13 conversion The conversion is quite simple as one only needs to prefix `` 978 '' to the existing number and calculate the new checksum using the ISBN - 13 algorithm. Errors in usage Publishers and libraries have varied policies about the use of the ISBN check digit. Publishers sometimes fail to check the correspondence of a book title and its ISBN before publishing it ; that failure causes book identification problems for libraries, booksellers, and readers. For example, ISBN 0 - 590 - 76484 - 5 is shared by two books -- Ninja gaiden ® : a novel based on the best - selling game by Tecmo ( 1990 ) and Wacky laws ( 1997 ), both published by Scholastic. Most libraries and booksellers display the book record for an invalid ISBN issued by the publisher. The Library of Congress catalogue contains books published with invalid ISBNs, which it usually tags with the phrase `` Cancelled ISBN ''. However, book - ordering systems such as Amazon.com will not search for a book if an invalid ISBN is entered to its search engine. OCLC often indexes by invalid ISBNs, if the book is indexed in that way by a member library. EISBN Only the term `` ISBN '' should be used ; the terms `` eISBN '' and `` e-ISBN '' have historically been sources of confusion and should be avoided. If a book exists in one or more digital ( e-book ) formats, each of those formats must have its own ISBN. In other words, each of the three separate EPUB, Amazon Kindle, and PDF formats of a particular book will have its own specific ISBN. They should not share the ISBN of the paper version, and there is no generic `` eISBN '' which encompasses all the e-book formats for a title. EAN format used in barcodes, and upgrading Currently the barcodes on a book 's back cover ( or inside a mass - market paperback book 's front cover ) are EAN - 13 ; they may have a separate barcode encoding five digits called an EAN - 5 for the currency and the recommended retail price. For 10 digit ISBNs, the number `` 978 '', the Bookland `` country code '', is prefixed to the ISBN in the barcode data, and the check digit is recalculated according to the EAN13 formula ( modulo 10, 1x and 3x weighting on alternate digits ). Partly because of an expected shortage in certain ISBN categories, the International Organization for Standardization ( ISO ) decided to migrate to a thirteen - digit ISBN ( ISBN - 13 ). The process began 1 January 2005 and was planned to conclude 1 January 2007. As of 2011, all the 13 - digit ISBNs began with 978. As the 978 ISBN supply is exhausted, the 979 prefix was introduced. Part of the 979 prefix is reserved for use with the Musicland code for musical scores with an ISMN. 10 digit ISMN codes differed visually as they began with an `` M '' letter ; the bar code represents the `` M '' as a zero ( 0 ), and for checksum purposes it counted as a 3. All ISMNs are now 13 digits commencing 979 - 0 ; 979 - 1 to 979 - 9 will be used by ISBN. Publisher identification code numbers are unlikely to be the same in the 978 and 979 ISBNs, likewise, there is no guarantee that language area code numbers will be the same. Moreover, the ten - digit ISBN check digit generally is not the same as the thirteen - digit ISBN check digit. Because the GTIN - 13 is part of the Global Trade Item Number ( GTIN ) system ( that includes the GTIN - 14, the GTIN - 12, and the GTIN - 8 ), the 13 - digit ISBN falls within the 14 - digit data field range. Barcode format compatibility is maintained, because ( aside from the group breaks ) the ISBN - 13 barcode format is identical to the EAN barcode format of existing 10 - digit ISBNs. So, migration to an EAN - based system allows booksellers the use of a single numbering system for both books and non-book products that is compatible with existing ISBN based data, with only minimal changes to information technology systems. Hence, many booksellers ( e.g., Barnes & Noble ) migrated to EAN barcodes as early as March 2005. Although many American and Canadian booksellers were able to read EAN - 13 barcodes before 2005, most general retailers could not read them. The upgrading of the UPC barcode system to full EAN - 13, in 2005, eased migration to the ISBN - 13 in North America. See also ASIN ( Amazon Standard Identification Number ) CODEN ( serial publication identifier currently used by libraries ; replaced by the ISSN for new works ) DOI ( Digital Object Identifier ) ESTC ( English Short Title Catalogue ) ETTN ( Electronic Textbook Track Number ) ISAN ( International Standard Audiovisual Number ) ISMN ( International Standard Music Number ) ISWC ( International Standard Musical Work Code ) ISRC ( International Standard Recording Code ) ISSN ( International Standard Serial Number ) ISTC ( International Standard Text Code ) ISWN ( International Standard Wine Number ) LCCN ( Library of Congress Control Number ) List of group - 0 ISBN publisher codes List of group - 1 ISBN publisher codes OCLC number ( Online Computer Library Center number ) Registration authority BICI ( Book Item and Component Identifier ) SICI ( Serial Item and Contribution Identifier ) Special : Booksources, Wikipedia 's ISBN search page VD 16 ( Verzeichnis der im deutschen Sprachbereich erschienenen Drucke des 16. Jahrhunderts ) ( in English : Bibliography of Books Printed in the German Speaking Countries of the Sixteenth Century ) VD 17 ( Verzeichnis der im deutschen Sprachraum erschienenen Drucke des 17. Jahrhunderts ) ( in English : Bibliography of Books Printed in the German Speaking Countries of the Seventeenth Century ) Notes Jump up ^ Occasionally, publishers erroneously assign an ISBN to more than one title -- the first edition of The Ultimate Alphabet and The Ultimate Alphabet Workbook have the same ISBN, 0 - 8050 - 0076 - 3. Conversely, books are published with several ISBNs : A German second - language edition of Emil und die Detektive has the ISBNs 87 - 23 - 90157 - 8 ( Denmark ), 0 - 8219 - 1069 - 8 ( United States ), 91 - 21 - 15628 - X ( Sweden ), 0 - 85048 - 548 - 7 ( United Kingdom ) and 3 - 12 - 675495 - 3 ( Germany ). Jump up ^ In some cases, books sold only as sets share ISBNs. For example, the Vance Integral Edition used only two ISBNs for 44 books. References Jump up ^ `` The International ISBN Agency ''. Retrieved 20 February 2018. Jump up ^ Bradley, Philip ( 1992 ). `` Book numbering : The importance of the ISBN '' ( PDF ). ( 245KB ). The Indexer. 18 ( 1 ) : 25 -- 26. Jump up ^ Foster, Gordon ( 1966 ). `` INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BOOK NUMBERING ( ISBN ) SYSTEM original 1966 report ''. informaticsdevelopmentinstitute.net. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` ISBN History ''. isbn.org. 20 April 2014. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014. ^ Jump up to : Manwal ghall - Utenti tal - ISBN ( PDF ) ( in Maltese ) ( 6th ed. ). Malta : Kunsill Nazzjonali tal - Ktieb. 2016. p. 5. ISBN 978 - 99957 - 889 - 4 - 0. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 17 August 2016. ^ Jump up to : Information Standards Quarterly ( PDF ), 8 ( 3 ), ISO, July 1996, p. 12, archived from the original ( PDF ) on 4 August 2014 Jump up ^ US ISBN Agency. `` Bowker.com -- Products ''. Commerce.bowker.com. Retrieved 2015 - 06 - 11. Jump up ^ Gregory, Daniel. `` ISBN ''. PrintRS. Archived from the original on 16 May 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2015. Jump up ^ ISO 2108 : 1978 ( PDF ), ISO Jump up ^ TC 46 / SC 9, Frequently Asked Questions about the new ISBN standard from ISO, CA : LAC ‐ BAC, archived from the original on 10 June 2007 Jump up ^ `` See paragraph 5.2 of ISBN Users ' Manual International edition ( 2012 ) '' ( PDF ). ( 548 KB ) ^ Jump up to : International ISBN Agency ( 2012 ). ISBN Users ' manual ( PDF ). isbn-international.org ( Sixth International ed. ). pp. 7, 23. ISBN 978 - 92 - 95055 - 02 - 5. Archived ( PDF ) from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014. Jump up ^ Some books have several codes in the first block : e.g. A.M. Yaglom 's Correlation Theory..., published by Springer Verlag, has two ISBNs, 0 - 387 - 96331 - 6 and 3 - 540 - 96331 - 6. Though Springer 's 387 and 540 codes are different for English ( 0 ) and German ( 3 ) ; the same item number 96331 produces the same check digit : 6. Springer uses 431 as their publisher code for Japanese ( 4 ) and 4 - 431 - 96331 - ? would also have check digit ? = 6. Other Springer books in English have publisher code 817, and 0 - 817 - 96331 - ? would also get check digit ? = 6. This suggests special considerations were made for assigning Springer 's publisher codes, as random assignments of different publisher codes would not lead the same item number to get the same check digit every time. Finding publisher codes for English and German, say, with this effect amounts to solving a linear equation in modular arithmetic. Jump up ^ The International ISBN agency 's ISBN User 's Manual says : `` The ten - digit number is divided into four parts of variable length, which must be separated clearly, by hyphens or spaces '' although omission of separators is permitted for internal data processing. If present, hyphens must be correctly placed ; see ISBN hyphenation definition. The actual definition for hyphenation contains more than 220 different registration group elements with each one broken down into a few to several ranges for the length of the registrant element ( more than 1,000 total ). The document defining the ranges, listed by agency, is 29 pages. Jump up ^ Canada, Library and Archives. `` ISBN Canada ''. www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 01 - 19. Jump up ^ `` Find an Agency '' Jump up ^ `` About the U.S. ISBN Agency ''. Jump up ^ `` Bowker -- ISBN ''. Thorpe - Bowker. 5 Jan 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2012. Jump up ^ `` TABELA DE PREÇOS DOS SERVIÇOS ''. Biblioteca Nacional, Government of Brazil. Retrieved 8 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` Introduction to Books Registration ''. Hong Kong Public Libraries. Retrieved 12 January 2017. Jump up ^ `` Union HRD Minister Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani Launches ISBN Portal ''. Jump up ^ `` How to get ISBN in India ''. Jump up ^ http://www.icl.org.il/isbn-eng Jump up ^ `` ISBN -- Chi siamo e contatti '' ( ISBN -- Who we are and contacts ) ( in Italian ). EDISER srl. Retrieved 3 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` ISBN -- Tariffe Servizi ISBN '' ( ISBN Service Tariffs ) ( in Italian ). EDISER srl. Retrieved 3 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` ISBN ''. Kunsill Nazzjonali tal - Ktieb. 2016. Archived from the original on 23 October 2016. Jump up ^ Manwal ghall - Utenti tal - ISBN ( PDF ) ( in Maltese ) ( 6th ed. ). Malta : Kunsill Nazzjonali tal - Ktieb. 2016. pp. 1 -- 40. ISBN 978 - 99957 - 889 - 4 - 0. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 17 August 2016. Jump up ^ `` Gazzetta tal - Gvern ta ' Malta '' ( PDF ). Government Gazette. 23 January 2015. p. 582. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 23 November 2016. Jump up ^ `` ISBNs, ISSNs, and ISMNs ''. National Library of New Zealand. New Zealand Government. Retrieved 19 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` International Standard Book Number ''. National Library of the Philippines. Retrieved 25 December 2017. Jump up ^ Libraries and Publications official page ( in Turkish ) Jump up ^ `` Nielsen UK ISBN Agency ''. Nielsen UK ISBN Agency. Retrieved 2 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` Bowker -- ISBN ''. RR Bowker. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013. Jump up ^ `` ISBN Ranges ''. isbn-international.org. 29 April 2014. Select the format you desire and click on the Generate button. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014. Jump up ^ See a complete list of group identifiers. ISBN.org sometimes calls them group numbers. Their table of identifiers now refers to ISBN prefix ranges, which must be assumed to be group identifier ranges. Jump up ^ Hailman, Jack Parker ( 2008 ). Coding and redundancy : man - made and animal - evolved signals. Harvard University Press. p. 209. ISBN 978 - 0 - 674 - 02795 - 4. Jump up ^ International ISBN Agency ( 5 December 2014 ). `` International ISBN Agency -- Range Message ( pdf sorted by prefix ) '' ( PDF ). isbn-international.org. p. 29. Retrieved 15 December 2014. Jump up ^ See Publisher 's International ISBN Directory Archived 21 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Splane, Lily ( 2002 ). The Book Book : A Complete Guide to Creating a Book on Your Computer. Anaphase II Publishing. p. 37. ISBN 978 - 0 - 945962 - 14 - 4. Jump up ^ `` ISBN Ranges ''. isbn-international.org. International ISBN Agency. 15 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014. Jump up ^ `` ISBN Users ' Manual -- 4. Structure of ISBN ''. Isbn.org. Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Retrieved 2013 - 05 - 27. Jump up ^ For example, I'saka : a sketch grammar of a language of north - central New Guinea. Pacific Linguistics. ISBN `` 0 - 85883 - 554 - 4 ''. Jump up ^ `` ISBN Users ' Manual International edition ( 2012 ) '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 29 April 2014. ( 284 KB ) Jump up ^ Lorimer, Rowland ; Shoichet, Jillian ; Maxwell, John W. ( 2005 ). Book Publishing I. CCSP Press. p. 299. ISBN 978 - 0 - 9738727 - 0 - 5. Jump up ^ 020 -- International Standard Book Number ( R ) -- MARC 21 Bibliographic -- Full. Library of Congress. Jump up ^ `` The Myth of the eISBN Why Every eBook Edition Needs a Unique Number -- Publishing services for self publishing authors and businesses ''. Publishing services for self publishing authors and businesses. 2013 - 06 - 28. Retrieved 2017 - 01 - 16. Jump up ^ Frequently asked questions, US : ISBN, 12 March 2014, archived from the original on 16 April 2014 -- including a detailed description of the EAN - 13 format. Jump up ^ `` ISBN '', ISO TC49SC9 ( FAQ ), CA : Collections Jump up ^ `` Are You Ready for ISBN - 13 ? '', Standards, ISBN Jump up ^ `` xISBN ( Web service ) ''. Xisbn.worldcat.org. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2013. External links Wikidata has the properties : ISBN - 10 ( P957 ) ( see uses ) ISBN - 13 ( P212 ) ( see uses ) Find more aboutInternational Standard Book Numberat Wikipedia 's sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Wikimedia Commons Data from Wikidata Documentation from MediaWiki ISO 2108 : 2005 International ISBN Agency -- coordinates and supervises the worldwide use of the ISBN system Numerical List of Group Identifiers -- List of language / region prefixes Free conversion tool : ISBN - 10 to ISBN - 13 & ISBN - 13 to ISBN - 10 from the ISBN agency. Also shows correct hyphenation & verifies if ISBNs are valid or not. `` Implementation guidelines '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 12 September 2004 ( 51.0 KB ) for the 13 - digit ISBN code Books at Curlie ( based on DMOZ ) `` Are You Ready for ISBN - 13 ? ''. R.R. Bowker LLC. RFC 3187 -- Using International Standard Book Numbers as Uniform Resource Names ( URN ) International numbering standards Standards ISO 2108 : International Standard Book Number ( ISBN ) ISO 3297 : International Standard Serial Number ( ISSN ) ISO 3901 : International Standard Recording Code ( ISRC ) ISO 6166 : International Securities Identification Number ( ISIN ) ISO / IEC 7812 : Issuer identification number ( IIN ) ISO 10957 : International Standard Music Number ( ISMN ) ISO 13616 : International Bank Account Number ( IBAN ) ISO 15511 : International Standard Identifier for Libraries... ( ISIL ) ISO 15706 : International Standard Audiovisual Number ( ISAN ) ISO 15707 : International Standard Musical Work Code ( ISWC ) ISO 17316 : International Standard Link Identifier ( ISLI ) ISO 17442 : Legal Entity Identifier ( LEI ) ISO 21047 : International Standard Text Code ( ISTC ) ISO 26324 : Digital Object Identifier System ( DOI ) ISO 27729 : International Standard Name Identifier ( ISNI ) CAE / IPI Virtual International Authority File ( VIAF ) ISO standards by standard number List of ISO standards / ISO romanizations / IEC standards 1 -- 9999 5 6 7 9 16 17 31 - 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 128 216 217 226 228 233 259 269 302 306 361 428 500 518 519 639 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 6 646 657 668 690 704 732 764 838 843 860 898 965 999 1000 1004 1007 1073 - 1 1155 1413 1538 1629 1745 2014 2015 2022 2033 2047 2108 2145 2146 2240 2281 2533 2709 2711 2720 2788 2848 2852 3029 3103 3166 - 1 - 2 - 3 3297 3307 3601 3602 3864 3901 3950 3977 4031 4157 4165 4217 4909 5218 5426 5427 5428 5725 5775 5776 5800 5964 6166 6344 6346 6385 6425 6429 6438 6523 6709 6943 7001 7002 7010 7027 7064 7098 7185 7200 7498 - 1 7736 7810 7811 7812 7813 7816 7942 8000 8093 8178 8217 8373 8501 - 1 8571 8583 8601 8613 8632 8651 8652 8691 8805 / 8806 8807 8820 - 5 8859 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 8 - I - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 8879 9000 / 9001 9036 9075 9126 9141 9227 9241 9293 9314 9362 9407 9506 9529 9564 9592 / 9593 9594 9660 9797 - 1 9897 9899 9945 9984 9985 9995 10000 -- 19999 10005 10006 10007 10116 10118 - 3 10160 10161 10165 10179 10206 10218 10303 - 11 - 21 - 22 - 28 - 238 10383 10487 10585 10589 10646 10664 10746 10861 10957 10962 10967 11073 11170 11179 11404 11544 11783 11784 11785 11801 11898 11940 ( - 2 ) 11941 11941 ( TR ) 11992 12006 12182 12207 12234 - 2 13211 - 1 - 2 13216 13250 13399 13406 - 2 13450 13485 13490 13567 13568 13584 13616 14000 14031 14224 14289 14396 14443 14496 - 2 - 3 - 6 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 14 - 17 - 20 14644 14649 14651 14698 14750 14764 14882 14971 15022 15189 15288 15291 15292 15398 15408 15444 - 3 15445 15438 15504 15511 15686 15693 15706 - 2 15707 15897 15919 15924 15926 15926 WIP 15930 16023 16262 16612 - 2 16750 16949 ( TS ) 17024 17025 17100 17203 17369 17442 17799 18000 18004 18014 18245 18629 18916 19005 19011 19092 ( - 1 - 2 ) 19114 19115 19125 19136 19407 19439 19500 19501 19502 19503 19505 19506 19507 19508 19509 19510 19600 19752 19757 19770 19775 - 1 19794 - 5 19831 20000 + 20000 20022 20121 20400 21000 21047 21500 21827 : 2002 22000 23270 23271 23360 24517 24613 24617 24707 25178 25964 26000 26300 26324 27000 series 27000 27001 27002 27006 27729 28000 29110 29148 29199 - 2 29500 30170 31000 32000 38500 40500 42010 55000 80000 - 1 - 2 - 3 Category Books Production Authors Binding By date Decade Year Covers Jackets Design Editing Illustration Literature Printing History Incunabula Publishing By country Typesetting Consumption Awards Bestsellers Bibliography Bibliophilia Bibliotherapy Bookmarks Bookselling Blurbs Book towns Shops Censorship Clubs Collecting Digitizing Fairs Furniture Bookcases Bookends Libraries Legislation Lists Print culture Reading Literacy Reviews Other By country Brazil France Germany Italy Pakistan UK US Formats Audiobooks E-books Genres Children 's Fictional History of books Historians Intellectual property ISBN List of best - selling books Outline Terminology Types Category Commons Portal WikiProject BNE : XX535036 BNF : cb119466343 ( data ) GND : 4072934 - 5 LCCN : sh85067449 NDL : 00575287 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=International_Standard_Book_Number&oldid=856597717 '' Categories : Book publishing Bookselling Book terminology Checksum algorithms ISO standards Unique identifiers International Standard Book Number Hidden categories : CS1 Maltese - language sources ( mt ) CS1 Italian - language sources ( it ) Articles with Turkish - language external links Webarchive template wayback links Wikipedia semi-protected pages Articles with short description Use dmy dates from March 2013 Wikipedia articles needing clarification from October 2017 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from June 2016 Articles containing Maltese - language text Articles with unsourced statements from August 2014 Articles with unsourced statements from March 2012 Articles with Curlie links Wikipedia articles with BNE identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with NDL identifiers Talk View source Contents About Wikipedia Wikispecies Afrikaans অসমীয়া Asturianu Avañe'ẽ Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه বাংলা Bân - 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Question: where does the isbn number go on a book
Answer: on a book's back cover