Let’s play!
An ISBN, or International Standard Book Number, is a controlled identification number (10 or presently 13-digits) which allows libraries, publishers, educational institutions, and, vendors, to identify specific books and book-like things. Now, challenge yourself with some finer points. Statements are True or False. Test your awareness before reading the remark that follows.
1. An ISBN validates that the book has been copyrighted.
ISBNs are administered by a private company for the purpose of book trade. Copyright is administered by Library of Congress and relates to intellectual property law. (False)
2. Self-published materials should have ISBNs.
ISBNs are considered to be essential, if the author intends to offer the book for distribution, purchase or placement in a library. (True)
3. 13-digit ISBNs will always start with “978”.
In 2007, ISBNs changed from 10-digits to 13-digits. The 13-digit ISBNs all began with the number sequence “978”. In 2020, Bowker, the primary U.S. source for ISBNs, no longer has sets (or blocks) of 978 number sequence identifiers available. So, Bowker has started issuing ISBNs beginning with “979”. Publishers, however, who had acquired blocks of “978” numbers previously and have a good supply of them on hand, are likely to be using them up for a few more years. (False)
4. Different forms of a book can all share the same ISBN.
Each format needs a unique ISBN, whether it is regular print, large print, or an audiobook. A book translated into a different language needs a unique ISBN. New editions of books need different ISBNs also. (False)
5. A book that is going to be reprinted by a different printer and distributed by a different distributor needs a new ISBN.
A book with no significant alteration to the text may be reprinted and distributed using the original ISBN, even if the printer and distributor change. (False)
6. ISBNs can expire and be reused.
ISBNs never expire and are not intended to be reused. (False)
7. DVDs can be issued ISBNs.
If a DVD is instructional or educational, then the DVD is eligible for an ISBN. If the DVD is for entertainment or performance, then technically, it should not get an ISBN. Sometimes the retail market persuades publishers to bend on this in order to manage product identification. (True)
8. An ISBN on a book is the same thing as its barcode.
Although you may see the ISBN printed above a barcode, they are not alike. The barcode is derived from the ISBN (which is a constant) and can also include pricing and currency form (so this portion can change). (False)
9. ISBNs can only be purchased from Bowker.
ISBNs are used throughout the world. Countries have different systems for issuing them. In the United States, ISBNs can be purchased directly from Bowker (starting at $125 each and getting much cheaper in bulk). Private publishers also can purchase ISBNs in blocks or sets from Bowker and administer their use. All titles and ISBNs must be registered (through Bowker). Barcodes can be obtained after title/ISBNs are registered. Amazon issues free ISBNs for print material that they publish; however, they also impose further restrictions the material usage. ISBNs issued by Amazon for print material also have a matching ASIN, or Amazon Standard Identification Number. (False)
How did you do? It’s always fun to gather new information! And, speaking of fun and new information… remember that the OLC Technical Services Retreat is coming up April 15 and 16th , 2020 in Columbus. Hope to see you there!
What do those OCLC prefixes mean?
Have you ever looked at an OCLC number in your ILS and wondered what those prefixes (all the letters before the number) really mean? Well, I have. It is quite possible that I learned this in Grad. School, but quite frankly that was a long time ago and I don’t remember if that was something we were ever taught.
For most of my time cataloguing, I haven’t really given those prefixes a second thought. Sure, they are there, but they haven’t seemed to matter or affected my ability to find and catalogue the item I have in hand. At least, I have never noticed that they have.
The OCLC number resides in MARC field 001, but is usually put in the 035 field by local ILS systems when exported from OCLC. When this happens, the specific prefixes are often stripped and replaced with the prefix “OCoLC”.
Where I am now, the OCLC number is placed in the 035 field and retains its prefixes, but “OCoLC” is also added at the beginning. Therefore, I see them multiple times a day, every day. So, I decided to get a grasp on all of these errant prefixes that I receive in my 035 field after exporting an OCLC record.
It turns out that the prefixes have almost everything to do with the length of the OCLC number.
OCLC numbers 1 through 99999999 have the “ocm” prefix. They are 8 digits with leading zeros. These records were output in WorldCat between June 28, 1981 and the 100 millionth record.
OCLC numbers 100000000 through 999999999 have the “ocn” prefix. They have 9 digits. These records are the ones that have were output beginning with the 100 millionth record. OCLC added this prefix in an update in November 2006.
OCLC numbers that are 1000000000 and higher have the “on” prefix. These have 10 or more digits. This prefix was added in July 2013 in anticipation of the 1 billionth record.
So, there you have it: those prefixes actually give us the approximate time frame of when the item was catalogued in OCLC. Not necessarily the age of the item, of course, but when a cataloguer took the time to create an original record for the item in hand.
I had figured that those prefixes meant something, but now that I know what they mean, I am kind of loathe to ever remove them, which is not something that I currently do anyway. I find the history of a record interesting and this adds another piece of information.
Happy Spring!!
Matilda Davis-Northrup, Upper Arlington Public Library
References (all via OCLC and all viewed week of April 5, 2021): History of the OCLC number, 035 field and OCLC control numbers, Expansion of OCLC Control Number
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Filed under Cataloging, Commentary, Metadata, Uncategorized
Tagged as MARC, OCLC Control Number, OCLC identifier