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ISBN


isbn

Introduction to ISBN


                                                            International Standard Book Numbering (ISBN) is a system designed to provide identification for all books published in Sri Lanka. ISBN is a unique and unchangeable number which identifies one work or one binding or one edition of a work issued by a given publisher. The National Agency for Sri Lanka which is the NLDSB, register Sri Lankan publishers that comes under the categories of commercial, governmental and non-governmental institutions and author/ private publishers (individuals) and allocate publisher prefixes as well as ISBN to their publications.
It is in the form of 13 digits, consisting of 5 elements separated by spaces and hyphens
ex. ISBN 978-955-7544-28-1 indicates following information:

  • 1st element- Denotes a specified prefix element (978).
  • 2nd element- Identifies the particular country or geographical area (955).
  • 3rd element- Identifies the particular publisher (7544).
  • 4th element- Identifies the particular edition, format of a specific title (28).
  • 5th element- Check digit (1).

What ISBN does not indicate

  1. It does not give any legal protection.
  2. No copyright protection.
  3. No statement on content form and documentation and distribution of the book.

What ISBN indicates

  1. It is a product number required to assist in internal processing and ordering while book selling.
  2. It provides access to bibliographic data bases used by the book industry and libraries to provide information.
  3. ISBN can be applied by publisher of the book, author of the book if he decides to publish the book himself.

How ISBNs are allocated

                   For the purpose of the ISBN system, a publisher is defined as any person, company, partnership, association, group or body of any kind whatsoever issuing and publishing a book. Note that publishing a book is not printing a book and the ISBN is issued only to the publisher rather than the printer, except in those rare cases where the printer is also the publisher. ie: financing the production of the item. ISBN should be given to:

  • Printed books and pamphlets(and their various product forms)
  • Braille publications
  • Publications that are not intended by the publisher to be updated regularly or continued indefinitely
  • Audiobooks (talking books) either on a physical carrier or accessible on the Internet for download or streaming
  • Digital publications (e-books) either on physical carriers (such as machine-readable tapes, diskettes, or CD-ROMs) or on the Internet (for download or streaming)
  • Digitised copies of printed monographic publications that are available in the supply chain
  • Microform publications
  • Educational or instructional software, films, videos, DVDs, transparencies either on a physical carrier or accessible on the Internet for download or streaming
  • Mixed media publications where the principal constituent is text-based, e.g. book with CD or book with DVD
  • Individual articles or issues of a particular continuing resource where these are made available separately (but not the continuing resource in its entirety)
  • Artbooks and illustrated books with a title page and/or text or captions
  • e-book apps provided that they have a significant textual content and can be considered a monographic publication and are available to the public. Pictures, moving image and sound may be included
  • Maps and atlases

ISBN’s should not be given to:

  • Continuing resources treated in their entirety as bibliographic entities (individual issues may qualify for ISBNs)
  • Abstract entities such as textual works and other abstract creations of intellectual or artistic content
  • Printed or digital materials that are intended for marketing or promotional purposes only such as advertising matter, widgets and the like
  • Printed music
  • Art prints and art folders without title page and text
  • Personal documents (such as a digital curriculum vitae or personal profile)
  • Greetings cards
  • Music sound recordings
  • Software, films, videos, DVDs or transparencies that are intended for any purpose other than educational or instructional
  • Digital bulletin boards
  • Emails and other digital correspondence
  • Games
  • Customized or personalized books not intended for general availability
  • License key vouchers to access digital monographic publications on the Internet
  • 5th element- Check digit (1).
  • 3rd element- Identifies the particular publisher (7544).
  • 4th element- Identifies the particular edition, format of a specific title (28).
  • 5th element- Check digit (1).
  • 3rd element- Identifies the particular publisher (7544).
  • 4th element- Identifies the particular edition, format of a specific title (28).
  • 5th element- Check digit (1).
  • 4th element- Identifies the particular edition, format of a specific title (28).
  • 5th element- Check digit (1).
  • 3rd element- Identifies the particular publisher (7544).
  • 4th element- Identifies the particular edition, format of a specific title (28).
  • 5th element- Check digit (1).
  • 3rd element- Identifies the particular publisher (7544).
  • 4th element- Identifies the particular edition, format of a specific title (28).
  • 5th element- Check digit (1).

The full advantages of participation in the ISBN scheme are achieved only when the ISBN is actually printed in the publication. This means that ISBN must be allocated before a book goes to the printer.

Procedure for application for ISBN
                   Sri Lankan publishers should apply to the National Agency for a publisher prefix and request for ISBNs for individual titles. Publishers must request an ISBN for a forthcoming publication early enough for the number assigned to be printed in the book.

The group agency will assume the responsibility for assigning publisher identifiers. A block of ISBNs will also be allocated for each publisher by the ISBN agency. The assignment of a specific number to a specific publication will be carried out by the agency in consultation with the publishers.
Where to print ISBNs

In the case of printed publications, the ISBN must appear on the:
  • Verso of the title page (copyright page)
  • Foot of the title page, if there is no space on the title verso
  • Lower section of the outside back cover
  • Foot of the back of the jacket, or any other protective case, or wrapper
  • 5th element- Check digit (1).
ISBN should be printed in twelve point or larger font.

In addition to the places mentioned above, a paperback edition should have the ISBN printed on the spine.

When to give ISBNs

Individual ISBNs should be given for:

  • Each title published for the first time. ie: Each first impression.
  • Each new edition of a title published. This includes a change in type of binding, a change in text or format or resetting of type but not a reprint with no textual difference from the original.
  • ISBNs should be assigned to the different bindings of the same title published by the same publisher. ie: The trade hardback, trade paperback and leather bindings issued by a publisher either simultaneously or at different points in time.
  • ISBNs should be assigned to the related versions of the same work.
  • Each volume of a multi-volume set requires a number as well as an ISBN for the set as a whole, eg:
  • (volume I)  ISBN 0-670-01039-1
  • (volume VI set) ISBN 0-670-01045-6
  • ISBNs should be assigned to works related to a text book. ie: The teachers’ manual work book and test manual.
  • 5th element- Check digit (1).

ISBN deposit collection

                   A free copy of every book carrying an ISBN is voluntarily sent to the ISBN agency, by the respective publishers. Sri Lanka ISBN agency was able to build up a Deposit Collection with the aid of these copies and this collection will be a separate collection in the National Library named as ISBN Deposit Collection.

Use of ISBN in publishing houses

  • The different stages of editing and manufacturing a book
  • Stock control
  • Ordering
  • Accounting and billing
  • Handling of returns

Use of ISBN in libraries

  • Ordering
  • Cataloguing
  • Information retrieval
  • Retrieval and downloading of catalogue records
  • Circulation and inter lending
  • The National Bibliography

Changes to publications

                   A separate ISBN shall be assigned if there have been significant changes to any part or parts of a publication in relation to former editions of the publication, or if there are significant changes in the physical or digital characteristics of the publication in the new edition.
This applies for changes to:
  • the title and/or the subtitle of a publication
  • language
  • publisher name or imprint
  • author name
  • textual content other than minor corrections to misprints
  • product form (e.g., from hardback to paperback; from audio book on a physical carrier to audio book available to download)
  • product form detail (e.g., from .pdf to EPUB; change of book dimension)
  • product form features (e.g., from ‘normal’ text font to dyslexic text font; from EPUB version 2 to EPUB version 3)
  • usage constraints (e.g., from printing allowed to printing not allowed, from single concurrent user to multi-user)

                   A change to the cover design or colour or to the price of a monographic publication does not require a separate ISBN, although a separate ISBN may be assigned if required by the supply chain (e.g., media tie-in).
Further information about the application of ISBNs can be found in the International ISBN User's Manual.