On the back of a book, you may have seen the number above the barcode that says "ISBN". This is a unique number that publishers, libraries and bookstores use to identify the title and edition of a book. The number is not very useful for the average book reader, but we can all know about a book from its ISBN.
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Part 1 of 3: Using the ISBN
Step 1. Find the ISBN code
The ISBN code of a title can be found at the back of the book. Usually the code is located above the barcode. The code is always identified by a prefix in the form of ISBN and has a number of 10 or 13 digits.
- The ISBN is also listed on the copyright page.
- The ISBN is divided into four sections, each of which is separated by a hyphen. For example, the ISBN for the classic cookbook The Joy of Cooking is 0-7432-4626-8.
- Books published before 2007 are assigned an ISBN with a total of 10 digits. From 2007 onwards, books are assigned a 13-digit identification number.
Step 2. Know the publisher
One of the most interesting things you can learn from a book that has an ISBN is the scale of the publisher's operations. ISBNs with 10 or 13 digits have their own way of identifying publishers and book titles. If the number of digits in the publisher's section is large, but the number in the title is only one or two digits, the publisher plans to publish only a limited number of books and may even self-publish the books.
Conversely, if the number in the title section is large and the publisher number is only a few, the book is published by a large publisher
Step 3. Use the ISBN to self-publish the book
If you plan to sell your manuscript in bookstores, you'll still need an ISBN even if you're publishing it yourself. You can buy an ISBN number on the ISBN.org website or on the National Library of Indonesia website at isbn.perpusnas.go.id. You will need to purchase an ISBN number for each title to be published as well as for the different editions of the book, including the thick cover and light cover versions. The more ISBN numbers you buy at one time, the cheaper it will be.
- Each country has its own ISBN issuing agency.
- In the US, one ISBN number costs $125, 10 numbers cost $250, 100 numbers cost $575, and 1,000 numbers cost $1,000. In Indonesia, there is no charge for submitting an ISBN number.
Part 2 of 3: Defining the 10 Digit ISBN
Step 1. Look at the first digit for the language information
The first section indicates the language and region in which the book is published. The number “0” indicates the book was published in the United States. The number “1” indicates that the book was published in a language other than English.
For English books, this section is usually just a single digit, but can be much more in other languages
Step 2. Look for the number in the second section to get publisher information
The number “0” will be followed by a dash. The number between the first and second hyphens is the “issuer” identifier. Each publisher has its own unique ISBN section, which will be included in the code for each book it publishes.
Step 3. Look at the third part number for title information
Between the second and third hyphens on the ISBN number, you'll find the identifier number for the title. Each edition of a book made by a particular publisher has its own identification number for the title.
Step 4. Look at the last number to check the code
The last number is the checking number. This will be determined by a mathematical calculation of the previous digit. This number is used to make sure the previous digits are not misread.
- Sometimes the last digit is the letter “X”. This is 10 in Roman numerals.
- The check number is calculated using the modulus 10 algorithm.
Part 3 of 3: Defining the 13 Digit ISBN
Step 1. Find the first three numbers to determine when the book was published
The first three numbers are prefixes that change over time. Since the implementation of the 13-digit ISBN, this series has only ever had a number in the form of “978” or “979”.
Step 2. Look for the second part number for language information
Between the first and second hyphens in the ISBN, you'll see country and language information. This number ranges from 1 to 5 and represents the language, country, and region of the book title.
For books published in the United States, the number is the number “0”. For books published in other English speaking countries, the number will be the number “1”
Step 3. Look for the third part number for publisher information
Between the second and third hyphens in the ISBN, you'll see the publisher's information. This number can be up to seven digits. Each publisher has its own ISBN number.
Step 4. Look at the fourth part number for title information
Between the third and fourth dashes in the ISBN, you'll find the title information. This number can range from one to six. Each title and edition has its own number.
Step 5. Look at the last digit to check the code
The last number is the checking number. This will be determined by a mathematical calculation of the previous number. Number is used to make sure the previous number is not misread.
- Sometimes the last number is an “X”. This is 10 in Roman numerals.
- The check number is calculated using the modulus 10 algorithm.
