About ISBN

Princeton Press International Standard Book Number - an unique identifier number, displayed in barcode format on publications. Princeton Press is USA based Publishing Company.

What ISBN indicates

• It is a product number required to assist in internal processing and ordering while book selling.
• It provides access to bibliographic data bases used by the book industry and libraries to provide information.
• ISBN can be applied by publisher of the book, author of the book if he decides to publish the book himself.

What ISBN does not indicate

• It does not give any legal protection.
• No copyright protection.
• No statement on content form and documentation and distribution of the book.

Scope and Assignment of ISBN

• Monographic works (books) that are textual and/or have an instructional content
• Publications not intended by the publisher to be updated regularly
• Individual articles
• Educational instructions, films, videos including audio books not purely for entertainment
• Electronic publications, Mixed media text based publications
• Print on demand publications
• Set of volumes or packs of books

Products which do not qualify for ISBN

• Serials/periodicals/journals (these are suitable for ISSN)
• Journals, record books
• Videos, DVDs or other media for entertainment
• Documentaries on video/CD-ROM, DVD or other media
• Computer games
• Computer application packages
• Music scores
• Items available to a restricted group, e.g. a course book only available to students on the course
• Websites
• Non text-based publications

Benefits of ISBN

• Unique international identifier for monographic publications.
• Assigning ISBN replaces handling of long bibliographic descriptive records-saving time, reducing staff costs & coping errors.
• Correct use different product forms to be clearly differentiated, enabling comparisons between different subject areas, publishing houses.
• Facilitates compilation and updating of book trade directories and bibliographic databases.
• Fast and efficient method of ordering and distribution of books, managing sale system in shops, supply chain systems, managing sales data, stock control.
• Ensures that the book is widely known.