Friend of the Corner, Albert Tucher, emailed me this explanation of the ISBN number and gave me permission to pass the information along:
"Now you've done it, Sandra. You've awakened my librarian's didactic soul :-)
The International Standard Book Number is a unique identifying number. Anyone who issues a book can acquire ISBNs from the Brodart Company. They're essential, because distributors like Amazon, Ingram and Baker & Taylor can't or won't handle a book without an ISBN. It's a little strange that a publisher would try to do without the ISBN.
ISBNs were originally ten digits long, but they were recently converted to 13-digit barcode format."
Thanks, Al!
5 comments:
It's actually Bowker that issues the ISBNs, not Brodart. They are the official U.S. ISBN agency.
And for what it's worth, ISBNs are important for distribution, not so much copyright. You'd register a copyright with a separate office.
You're right, Eric.
Not just didactic, but wrong!
I have learned quite a bit about ISBNs in the past few months. But before ROUND 1, they were just numbers in a book with little consequence to me.
Thanks, guys! I knew you had to purchase the number but for some reason I had it in my head that it was so you could register your book or periodical with the Library of Congress. Hadn't thought about needing it to be able to sell it, but I can see where the number would be easier for identifying your product than just an author and title.
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