ISBN-13 Goes Into Effect January 1

By the time Bookselling This Week returns from its holiday hiatus, the book industry's conversion to 13-digit ISBNs (International Standard Book Numbers) will already be in effect for four days. The January 1, 2007, switch from 10-digit ISBNs to 13 digits will have an impact on everything from publishers' catalogs, price sheets, and invoices to booksellers' ability to place and receive orders.

To help answer questions about the change, the Book Industry Study Group's ISBN-13 Task Force offers a comprehensive web resource, www.bisg.org/isbn-13/index.html, with relevant sections for different segments of the industry, including retailers and publishers.

In addition, to help booksellers prepare for the transition, the American Booksellers Association has created a "Getting Ready for ISBN-13 Checklist," which was sent to all main store members and which is also available for download in PDF format on BookWeb.org. Links to other valuable information are also available on ABA's trade website, BookWeb.org.

ABA members can also address questions or concerns about ISBN-13 to David Walker, the association's representative on the ISBN-13 Task Force, at [email protected] or (800) 637-0037, ext. 6612.