Overview
What does this mean for our customers?
Frequently Asked Questions
Key Dates
Additional Information
Effective January 1, 2007, the length of the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) will officially change from 10- to 13-digits. This change will require book industry organizations to use 13-digit ISBNs instead of 10-digit ISBNs when identifying books in global trade. In common with the rest of the worldwide books trade, Thieme is preparing for 13-digit ISBNs.
The Book Industry Study Group (BISG) decided early in the process that the move to 13-digit ISBNs should be a phased transition rather than an abrupt cutover. Book industry organizations are urged to proceed with the change, but use 2006 as a transition period somewhat at their own pace. During the transition period, the BISG urgently recommends that both 10-digit ISBNs and 13-digit ISBNs be used whenever possible. Such places are a book's copyright page, a book's back cover, catalogs, printed invoices, printed statements and the company website.
We have already changed our database systems to include both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13. Customers can start to see the new 13-digit ISBNs on our product pages and in our trade catalogs.
What are 13-digit ISBNs?
Because the stock of unallocated ISBNs is running out, the International Standards Organization (ISO) has extended the number from 10- to 13-digits. Every 10-digit ISBN has an equivalent 13-digit ISBN (known as ISBN-13). This change will bring it in line with the 13-digit EAN identifier used throughout the world to identify other products in retail and wholesale channels. (The EAN identifier is the non-hyphenated 13-digit number shown on the bar code.)
Are ISBN-13s the same as EANs?
The goal of obtaining additional numbers for books could have been reached by changing the ISBN-10 to an 11-digit number rather than a 13-digit one. The 13-digit number was chosen, however, because by redefining the ISBN in this way, the number can become part of a larger system of identifiers called EAN. EANs are 13-digit identifiers assigned to all products available for retail sale worldwide. In short, using the 13-digit ISBN will make it easier to distribute and to sell books worldwide. Note: In the beginning, EAN stood for European Article Number. Although the identifier is now officially named the International Article Number, it maintains the shortened name EAN.
Where is this happening?
This change is supposed to take place in all countries in the world and at all levels of the supply chain, including publishers of all types, wholesalers, libraries and all retail channels.
What is the difference between the 10-digit and 13-digit ISBN?
At first, a 978 prefix will be added to the core nine digits of the existing ISBN. The last number is a recalculated check digit, which differs from the final ISBN-10 digit. At some future point, ISBNs will have a 979 prefix.
Will I need the new ISBNs for products that have already been published?
No. Existing ISBNs have been converted from the 10-digit format to the 13-digit format (prefixed by 978). The ISBN and bar code on books will not need to be changed until the book is reprinted as the bar code already represents the EAN-13, which is identical to the new 13-digit ISBN.
Will I be able to order using ISBN-10 after January 1, 2007?
After January 1, 2007, Thieme will be able to accept orders for titles that already have an ISBN-10. Titles published after January 1, 2007 will only have an ISBN-13.
January 1, 2005
General retailing and publishers should be able to read and store 13-digit identifiers.
Spring 2005
Books began to be advertised with ISBN-13 as well as ISBN-10.
Summer 2005
Books that used to have UPCs on Cover 4 began to have only EAN.
Summer 2006
Publishers will start using ISBN-13 for 2007 publication dates.
January 1, 2007
All books should be described in terms of ISBN-13.
Sales/general
Please visit the Contact Us page: www.thieme.com/imprint.html.
Web
For Web queries, please e-mail webteam@thieme.com.
Book Industry Study Group
http://www.bisg.org/pi/index.html
International ISBN agency
http://www.isbn-international.org/en/revision.html
American Booksellers Association
http://www.bookweb.org/education/6865.html
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