answered by Paula Kurdi at R.R.Bowker
What do U.S. Publishers Need to DO Now?
Publishers do NOT need to change their internal systems by January 1, 2005 to handle 13-digit ISBNs. What they DO need to have in place by this date is the ability to communicate with trading partners that MAY now be using Bookland EAN-13s as part of conforming to the EAN-13 "sunrise" date. It is to be noted that this need to support EAN-13 identifiers with trading partners by this date will exist independent of any decision made by the publishing community on the overall 13-digit ISBN timetable.
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 the ISBN 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 ISBN Agency now has a converter online at www.isbn.org <http://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 if the title page on publications from now on. There is 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 5000 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 13-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.
It is early in the transition process, but the main purpose is to have publishers begin a plan for changing their internal systems accordingly.
Go to www.isbn.org to view the Transition to the 13-digit ISBN.
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