9 ISBNs and Barcodes

ISBN

The Bowker Identifier Services website is the official ISBN agency in the US for buying and registering a unique ISBN. An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a unique number for every format and edition of every book. ISBNs identify the book as well as the publisher. A hardcover, paperback, and ebook of the same title will have different ISBNs.  This is because the ISBN is what book industry uses to connect all the metadata for the book (title, author, subject, binding, trim size, price, inventory, etc). You can only use one ISBN per title, per format, and per edition. You cannot reuse ISBNs.

ISBNs are purchased individually or in blocks (10, 100, 1000).  The publisher is responsible for assigning the title to the ISBN and adding the associated metadata. Follow these steps to assign a title.

1. Log in to the Bowker Identifier Services website
2. From the top navigation menu, select My Account > Manage ISBNs
3. The first 100 ISBNs are reserved for Publishing Services facsimile reproductions sold through Amazon. The second 100 ISBNs is where the Open Educational Resources titles are assigned. Change the display options to display 100 ISBNs per page and then navigate to page 2.
4. Scroll down to the first available (unassigned) ISBN and click the Assign Title link.
5. Enter the required (*) information  (be sure all this information is available before starting)
   • title
   • medium
   • format
   • genre
   • contributor (and function)
   • publication date
   • title status
   • target audience
   • price (free)
6. If available, enter optional information.  Additional metadata fields are available in the  Form view: Expanded selection.
   • book description
   • front cover
   • author biographies
7. Click the submit button to finish.

Note: some data cannot be changed after submission, so be sure the data you provided is accurate and complete.  Optional data can be added at a later date if not available when assigning the title.

Once the ISBN has been assigned, add it to the Book Info section on Pressbooks and also to the OER Publishing Checklist spreadsheet.

Barcodes

A barcode is a machine-readable representation of the ISBN.  You can get a free barcode for your ISBN at BookOW.

1. Click the ISBN-13 Bookland Barcode Generator link
2. Enter the 13-digit ISBN (with or without hyphens)
3. Add the email address where the barcode should be sent
4. Check the box to consent to receiving an email
5. Click the email .PDF barcode or set a DPI choice and click the PNG option.