This will enable the ISBN 10 to be deleted from reprints after 2007 with minimal or no cost.

However, publishers should ensure that they can receive and process orders using

ISBN 13 before putting it on printed material.

For titles published after 1 January 2007, the style should revert to that which has been

adopted:

ISBN 978 1 873671 00 9

The bar code symbol on the back cover of the book will be unchanged, except that the

eye readable number should be changed for titles published after 1 January 2007 to the

full 13 digits preceded by the letters ISBN, with hyphenation retained for clarity. Publishers

and printers using their own software for creating bar codes should ensure that it is

adapted to this new requirement and should check that third party suppliers of film masters

or electronic bar code data have correctly interpreted this requirement.

Example of bar code with eye readable 13 digit ISBN

N.B

. During the period before 2007 publishers and printers should continue to print the

ISBN 10 in eye readable text above the bar code symbol on the back cover of the book

even if they have printed both the ISBN 10 and the ISBN 13 on the verso of the title page.

Users who wish to determine the ISBN 13 based upon the printed bar code and its

associated text should rely upon the eye readable Bookland EAN printed below the bar

code.

The algorithms to enable both 10  and 13 digit ISBNs to be validated and split for display

purposes will be found in the 

ISBN Users' Manual

.  The data files referred to in the

algorithms will be available from the International Agency's website shortly. 

Particular care will have to be taken with catalogues and stock order forms around the time

of the introduction of 13 digit ISBNs. It is recommended that publishers print both 10 digit

and 13 digit ISBNs in these in the period preceding the change. Abbreviated ISBNs should

be avoided to prevent misunderstanding.

It is certain that some booksellers will want to place orders using 13 digit ISBNs ahead of

the change over date. This must be subject to agreement between the trading parties, and

publishers must decide with their systems suppliers whether they should convert all

incoming ISBNs to the 13 digit format when that begins to happen. In any event, they must

be in a position to process all 13 digits after 1 January 2007 to avoid possible ambiguity

with a 979 number.

Responsibility for changes

Organisations are recommended to review all existing systems   manual and electronic 

as soon as possible, develop an action plan, and allocate resources as necessary. It is

recommended that a senior executive in each organisation be nominated to oversee the

necessary transition in all relevant areas. These will primarily affect systems, but they will

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