The Transition To ISBN-13

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Agenda

Book Industry Study Group

ISBN-10 Transitions To ISBN-13 What is the transition?

Why is the transition happening?

ISBN-13 and the Bar Code

Global Trade Item Number - GTIN

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BISG Book Industry Study Group

The Transition To ISBN-13

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About BISG

Industry-wide trade association for policy, standards, and research, composed of:

Publishers

Libraries

Booksellers, Retailers

Wholesalers, Distributors

Printers and Paper Manufacturers

Consulting, Service & Tech Companies

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BISG, BISAC, and the ISBN

BISAC is a division of BISG

BISAC has promoted ISBN and its use in the book industry supply chain for over 30 years

BISG and BISAC are partnering with other industry organizations to prepare for the ISBN-13 transition AAP

US ISBN Agency

ABA

ACTS and NASTA

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ISBN-10 Transitions To

ISBN-13

The Transition To ISBN-13

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ISBN (ISBN-10) Origin

International Standard Book Number

Developed over 30 years ago to provide a unique, standard identifier for books

Prior to the ISBN, publishers either did not assign numbers to books or assigned proprietary numbers

When ISBN was introduced, transactions between organizations in the book industry were largely manual

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ISBN – How We’ve Benefited

ISBN-10 as a standard product identifier has enabled significant efficiencies all along the book industry supply chain Publishing

Distribution

Retailing

Industry-wide Reporting

Now, ISBN-13 opens the door to efficiencies on an even broader scale, through compatibility with global standards

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ISBN-10 Transitions To ISBN-13

As of January 1, 2007, the ISBN will be re-defined in length and construction It will become a 13-digit identifier (ISBN-13) rather

than a 10-digit identifier (ISBN-10)

Initially, ISBN-13 will be identical to today’s Bookland EAN - 9780940016736

As the current supply of numbers is exhausted, some new ISBN-13s will be prefixed with ‘979’ instead of ‘978’

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ISBN-10 Components

0-940016-73-7

Part I – Language Group 0

Part II – (Assigning) Publisher940016

Part III – Title 73

Part IV – Check Digit 7

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ISBN-10 Transitions to ISBN-13

0-940016-73-7

978-0-940016-73-6

EAN Country Prefix 978 (979)

Part I – Language Group 0

Part II – (Assigning) Publisher940016

Part III – Title 73

Part IV – Check Digit 6

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Bookland EAN is the ISBN-13

For over 20 years, the Bookland EAN has been used as a mechanism to convey the ISBN-10

Now it will become the ISBN-13

ISBN-10

Bookland EAN

ISBN-13

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ISBN-13 – Why Is It Happening?

To increase available numbers for books There are many new publishers, especially small

presses, who need ISBNs

Publishing in areas where there was little activity has increased significantly

Introducing a new prefix to increase the available numbers has been compared to introducing new area codes to provide more telephone numbers

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ISBN-13 – Why Is It Happening?

To become part of the global numbering system for product identification Trade booksellers offer many non-book products

General retailers sell books

ISBN-13 represents a step in standardization just as ISBN-10 did 30 years ago

ISBN-13 becomes part of the EAN.UCC global product numbering system

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ISBN-13s Are EANs

EANs are the 13-digit product identification numbers used globally EAN is the “International Article Number” Originally “European Article Number” General retailing is aligning with global practice

through “2005 Sunrise” Compliant organizations are able to handle 13-

digit identifiers in addition to the UPC

In format, construction, and allocation ISBN-13s are EANs

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Converting ISBN-10s to ISBN-13s

The conversion procedure is the same one used for 20 years to encode the ISBN-10 for the Bookland EAN

You may:

Convert existing ISBN-10s to ISBN-13s with EAN prefix 978

Convert ISBN-13s with EAN prefix 978 back to ISBN-10 equivalents

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Conversion Don’ts

Do not:

Attempt to convert ISBN-13s with EAN prefix 979 to ISBN-10s! There is no ISBN-10 equivalent for an ISBN-13

beginning with 979

Attempt to make ISBN-13s by prefixing an existing ISBN-10 with 979! The result is either invalid or duplicates a valid

ISBN-13 assigned elsewhere

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Handling the Full ISBN-13

Can we base internal systems on ISBN-10 and just convert to ISBN-13 for the “outside world”? Significant reason not to – eventually, new ISBN-

13s will begin with ‘979’

But what if our systems work on a SKU or “title code”? Then only cross reference tables and displays

need be transitioned to the full ISBN-13

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Phasing in the ISBN-13

A phased transition, as compared to an abrupt cutover, is always encouraged

Dual numbering wherever ISBNs are displayed for human reading is strongly advocated during the transition Show both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13

In books and in printed documents

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Dual Numbering – On Cover 4

An example of dual numbering

Displaying ISBN-10 until publication dates of January 2007 is recommended

Some publishers are electing to begin showing both formats now

ISBN-10 1-4028-9462-7ISBN-13 978-1-4028-9462-6

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ISBN-13 The Bar Code

The Transition To ISBN-13

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No Change In The Bar Code

The ISBN-10 transitions to the ISBN-13 in January 2007, but there is no change in the Bookland EAN bar code itself

ISBN-10UntilJanuary 2007

ISBN-10UntilJanuary 2007

Bookland EANBookland EAN

ISBN-13 Beginning in January 2007

ISBN-13 Beginning in January 2007

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Two Changes in Bar Coding

Display only the Bookland EAN on Cover 4 (back cover) One – Discontinue two bar codes on Cover 4

Two - Replace the Price Point UPC on mass market paperbacks and some juvenile titles

These changes are possible as a result of the “2005 Sunrise” initiative General retailing is making its own transition and

will be able to use Bookland EAN bar code

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Global Trade Item Number

The Transition To ISBN-13

GTIN

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What is the GTIN?

The Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) is actually a family of identifiers that includes: UPC – Used by general retailing in the US EAN – Used by retailing globally ISBN-13 – Becoming the standard for books

“GTIN Format” means expressing any of these identifiers in fourteen digits by prefixing them with zeros This number is correctly called “EAN/UCC-14” It is widely referred to simply as “The GTIN”

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How Is The GTIN Used?

It is the item identifier for transactions in the global supply chain, such as:

Product Data (Metadata) Receiving

Ordering Invoicing

GTIN is not a product identifier for marking individual items

GTINs appear today on cartons (cases) in general retailing; they are especially noticeable in grocery stores

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How Is The GTIN Built?

At the item level, by placing the ISBN-13 (or any other EAN) in a 14-digit field and prefixing with ‘0’

Prefixes ‘1’ – ‘8’ have significance as packaging level indicators

ISBN-13

978-0-940016-73-6

GTIN

09780940016736

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Why The GTIN?

Adopting the 14-digit GTIN standard aligns the book industry with national and global supply chain practices Enables participation in global product data

synchronization (data distribution)

Permits the book supply chain to use package level choice (cartons, stacked on pallets)

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Data Synchronization – GTIN

The GTIN is the standard identifier for Global Data Synchronization (GDS)

Data synchronization means establishing sources of standardized product data Data with known, validated attributes

(properties)

Data that may be used by all participants in a supply chain

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Packaging Level Indication – GTIN

The leading digit of the GTIN permits specifying packaging level (unit, case, pallet)

Packaging level is a major factor in general retail supply chains (case pack handling) Most ordering is by case pack

The case pack identification in GTIN format is evident in the bar codes on cases in grocery store aisles

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GTIN – BISG Policies

BISG endorses only a 14-digit field length for electronic communications Communications practices are outward facing –

they affect trading partners

A single standard for electronic communication is essential to minimize confusion and duplicate provisions for electronic communications

BISG recommends a product identifier field of at least 14-digits in all databases If a system is SKU-based, then cross reference

tables and displays (screen and hard copy) should comply

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ISBN-13 – In Summary The ISBN will be redefined from ISBN-10 to

ISBN-13 as of January 1, 2007 The ISBN-13 is the same as the number

encoded in the Bookland EAN Conversion routines and workarounds will

aid the transition, but handling the full ISBN-13 will be necessary with ‘979’ prefix

There is no change in the bar code itself It is important in your planning that you

consider expressing the ISBN-13 in 14-digit GTIN format

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Book Industry Study Group, Inc.

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the ISBN-10 to

ISBN-13 transition with you!

www.bisg.org/isbn-13