What is an ISBN (International Standard Book Number)?
ISBN is an international standard book number; universal identification code, which is affixed to books regardless of the method of their production, distribution, circulation and volume. An ISBN uniquely and unmistakably identifies only one non-periodical publication of a particular publisher, is unique and is used only for that publication. The ISBN is the key to finding the required editions published worldwide in automated systems at the national and international levels. The use of ISBN makes it possible to combine publishing, book distribution and information service into a single system.
In Ukraine, the obligation to assign an ISBN to book publications is determined by clause 5 of State Standards of Ukraine № 3814:2013 «Information and documentation. Edition. International standard numbering of books».
The International Standard Book Number consists of the abbreviation ISBN and 13 digits.
The numeric part of the ISBN consists of five groups of numbers, separated from each other by a hyphen or a space.
Groups of ISBN numbers are placed in the following sequence:
■ prefix GS1(EAN•UCC) for books;
■ group (country) identifier (identifiers of Ukraine - 966 and 617);
■ publisher identifier;
■ identifier of the publication;
■ key figure.
For example: ISBN 978-617-8126-21-6, where: 978 is a common prefix for books; 617 — identifier of Ukraine; 8126 — publisher identifier; 21 — serial identifier of the publication; 6 is a control number.
The function of the national ISBN agency in Ukraine is performed by the State Scientific Institution «Book Chamber of Ukraine named after Ivan Fedorov», which within its competence carries out: implementation of ISBN systems on the territory of Ukraine; control over the correctness of their functioning; provision of publishers' identifiers, as well as corresponding International Standard Book Numbers; preparation of instructional and methodical documents; consulting on these issues.
Is there a common ISBN registry?
No, there is no common ISBN registry. Some countries have their own national open registers that can be viewed freely (for example, the register of US publications - Bookwire by Bowker), but in most countries, including Ukraine, there are no open registers.
To clarify data on a separate ISBN, you can contact the national ISBN agency directly. If reporting on this ISBN has already taken place (reporting in Ukraine, for example, is carried out quarterly) it will be possible to obtain clarifying information on it.
