Preface

Preface to the fourth edition

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) has experienced remarkable success. In almost thirty years it has conquered the world's publishing industry, and the book trade would not be able to function without it. Ordering and distribution have gained a new quality with ISBN, and the huge amount of publications on the market can only be regulated by the ISBN-driven directories of the Books in Print type.
The ISBN is relatively short, machine-readable in the form of the Bookland EAN bar code and not just applicable to print media. It is also applicable to most non-printed book material, especially electronic publications, provided their character is monographic and stable.
Since the publication of the third edition of the Users' Manual in 1986, the publishing world has experienced rapid development, and book professionals have asked for more specific guidelines for ISBN application. Most recently, an agreement between the International ISBN Agency, the International Article Numbering Association (EAN) and the Uniform Code Council (UCC) has led to the standardization of guidelines for the use of the Bookland EAN bar code.
Hopefully the present edition which is the result of the cooperation of ISBN agencies and experts worldwide will fill this need!
Special thanks are due to Don Riseborough of the US ISBN Agency, who prepared the first draft of this revised edition.

Berlin, October 2001                          H. W.

Preface to the third edition

In the light of the experience gained since the last publication of the ISBN Users' Manual in 1978 and a number of changes, a revision of the manual seems to be necessary.
At the 11th meeting in 1984, the International ISBN Agency Advisory Panel took into account the continuing demand officially to extend the proven ISBN system to microcomputer software. The special guidelines for ISBN assignment to software are to be found in section 7.
Increasing system sophistication in the book world as well as the desire to achieve fast and efficient processing of information, i.e. by replacing manual input procedures, has led to intense discussions on machine readable presentation of the ISBN. It is now possible to translate the ISBN into a bar code of the type seen on grocery and other products. This allows the numbering system of the book world to be used more widely. It also allows the book world to use scanning equipment developed for much larger trades.