An ISBN is an international standard book number. This 10 or 13 digit number identifies a specific book or edition. Publishers assign ISBNs to their books, and retailers use them to order stock.
The ISBN system was first developed in the 1960s by a group of publishers in England who wanted to find a way to standardize book numbers so that they could be used internationally. The first ISBNs were assigned in 1967, and since then over 200 million have been assigned.
ISBNs are used by publishers to track inventory and by retailers to order stock. They can also be used to track sales and to generate marketing data.
ISBNs are also a way for libraries to catalog and track their holdings. And, if a book is lost or stolen, the ISBN can be used to order a replacement copy.
The ISBN is a critical part of the book industry’s infrastructure, and it plays a vital role in ensuring that books can be bought and sold around the world.
The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. ISBNs were introduced in 1970 and assigned to books by publishers; prior to this, books were identified by title and author.
The ISBN is not a measure of quality, but it is a reliable identifier of a particular edition of a book. A good ISBN should be included in the bibliographic record for each book to ensure that the correct edition is identified and ordered.
The ISBN is important because it provides a unique and consistent identifier for books that can be used internationally. This allows for more efficient book inventory management and easier identification of books for purchase or rental. The ISBN also allows for books to be easily found in online catalogs and databases.
The ISBN system is managed by the International ISBN Agency, which is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The ISBN Agency assigns ISBNs to publishers on a national basis.