Overview

Introduction
Number Structure
Retrospective Conversion
Responsibility for Changes
FAQs
Glossary: Terminology & Acronyms
Key Dates

Key Dates

October 1, 2004 Publishers began submitting ISBN-13 to the Library of Congress for inclusion in the CIP block on the verso of title pages.

Winter 2004 Non-book product may contain 13-digit EANs as identifiers.

January 1, 2005 (Sunrise 2005) General retailing should be able to read and store 13-digit identifiers.

Spring 2005 Books began to be advertised with ISBN-13 as well as ISBN-10.

Summer 2005 Books that used to have UPCs on Cover 4 began to have only EAN.

Summer 2006 Publishers will start using ISBN-13 for 2007 publication dates.

January 1, 2007 All books should be described in terms of ISBN-13.