The 13 digit ISBN is necessary because existing stocks of numbers in certain parts of the

world are running low. In order to maintain the system, therefore, the additional 979 prefix

is being adopted to expand number availability. 

May publishers use the 979 prefix on their existing 10 digit ISBNs?

No.  See next FAQ below.

Will our publishing company get the same prefixes in the new 979 range as we have

in the 978 range?

Almost certainly not. One of the reasons for the current shortage of 10 digit ISBNs is that

prefixes were allocated too generously in the past, resulting in some publishers having

many more numbers than they require. ISBN agencies will seek to assign smaller blocks

of numbers in the future, and this will lead to new criteria for the allocation of prefixes.

Should both a 10 digit and a 13 digit ISBN be printed in a publication?

For books published after 1 January 2007 only the 13 digit ISBN should be printed. In

order to minimise the amount of change that will be required, publishers are encouraged to

print both the 10 digit and 13 digit ISBNs on the title verso of their publications as soon as

possible in such a way that the 10 digit version can be deleted from reprints after that date.

There is no need to include the 13 digit ISBN above the bar code before 1 January 2007

since the Bookland EAN number already shown in the bar code and in eye readable form

below the bar code is the same number as the ISBN 13 (although without hyphenation).

However, for publications published after 1 January 2007, publishers should print the

13 digit ISBN in eye readable form above the bar code on the back cover of their

publications, retaining the correct hyphenated structure.

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