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newsletter archives
December 2006 - Article: A “Millennium bug” for the publishing industry - By the bookhitch staff
When the clocks struck midnight on December 31st 1999, many were braced for the ensuing mayhem; the supposed millennium bug had turned the World upside down. Granted, there were a few minor hick-ups, but there was nothing on the scale that many in the media had forecast and hyped. Now, as the January 1st 2007 deadline approaches there is much the same ensuing confusion within the publishing industry.
No, the World will not come to a stand still, and many individuals outside of the industry may not even know of the changes publishers, booksellers and authors are encountering, let alone know what an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is. But, there is much confusion about what changing over from using ISBN 10 to 13 will actually mean in the upcoming New Year.
We have been in touch with the ISBN agency in order to get more information about what exactly needs to be done to new and old books to meet these changes. We were sent some great information that was very useful in answering our questions. So, we thought we would share it with you:
13 Digit ISBN Information:
- As of January 1, 2007, all book and book related products and book industry fulfillment systems should carry 13-digit ISBNs
- The U.S. ISBN Agency provides services to any publisher requesting their list of ISBN-10s to be converted to ISBN-13s. To access the free online ISBN-10/ISBN-13 converter, please visit our website at http://isbn.org/toolkit.html
- This 13-digit ISBN is already represented, and will be identical to current EAN-13 barcode number carrying the “978” prefix (without the hyphens)
- All 10-digit ISBNs must be converted to the 13-digit format and all systems will need to be able to accommodate its use in this format by January 2007. Bowker will send updates regularly to the publishers along with other helpful links to related sites on our website at www.isbn.org
- Now is the time to submit your title information to Books In Print. Every ISBN registered will automatically be converted to 13-digits.
- As each ISBN Agency exhausts its supply of 10-digit ISBNs in various prefix ranges, the International ISBN Agency will issue complete 13-digit ISBNs carrying the new EAN prefix “979”.
- The EAN prefix “979” cannot be used on existing 10-digit ISBNs
- During the transition period, all publications should carry the current EAN-13 barcode on the back cover, and the ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 should both be printed on the copyright page in order to ease the transition
FAQ’s
What do U.S. Publishers Need to be doing right now during the transition period?
Publishers do need to have set plans in place in order to change their internal systems byJanuary 1, 2007 to handle 13-digit ISBNs. Use both the ISBN-10 and the ISBN-13 in all marketing and sales communications materials and business documents. Encourage all trading partners to be able to accept both the ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 prior and post January 1, 2007. Since customers and trading partners may continue to order using ISBN-10s beyond January 1, 2007, publishers should plan to maintain the capability to transact using the ISBN-10, while encouraging the use of the ISBN-13.
Do I just add the “978” prefix to my ISBN-10 in order to convert to the ISBN-13?
NO. The ISBN-13 will not only have the “978” prefix preceding the ISBN, but the check digit of theISBN-10 will be dropped and a new algorithm will be applied to calculate a new check digit. PLEASE do not try to convert your ISBNs by just adding the “978” prefix. The U.S. ISBN Agency now has a converter online at www.isbn.org. There is no fee to convert your 10-digit ISBNs to 13-digit ISBNs.
What procedures should I take when printing new publications? Should I be printing the ISBN-13 on my publications from now on?
It is recommended that the ISBN-13 and ISBN-10 should be printed on the verso of the title page on publications from now on. There’s no need to print the ISBN-13 and ISBN-10 on the back of the publications provided there is an EAN-13 bar code. If an EAN bar code is not printed on the back cover, it is recommended that both the ISBN-13 and ISBN-10 should also be printed there in addition to the verso of the title page. This procedure, when implemented, will allow the ISBN-10 to be easily deleted from reprints after 2007 with little or no cost to the publisher/printer. Below is an example of how the ISBN-13 and ISBN-10 should be printed on publications from now on (please note that this is a sample ISBN only):
ISBN-13: 978-1-873671-00-9
ISBN-10: 1-873671-00-8
If my inventory of 5,000 books is sitting in my warehouse by 2007 with just the ISBN-10, how should I change the printed ISBN-10 to the ISBN-13 on my books?
Publishers will not be expected to sticker their stock with the ISBN-13 because the EAN-3 digit code that appears below the EAN bar code is identical to the ISBN-13 (without the hyphenation). The publishing industry will be able to recognize the ISBN-13 by viewing this code on the back of your publications.
If you have any questions about the ISBN changeover, then contact us. We will pass along your concerns to the agency, and place the answers in a future edition.
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