ISBN Norway

ISBN is used for monographic publications regardless of the physical format, which means that both printed books, audiobooks, certain types of DVDs, e-books, and online publications can be assigned an ISBN. It can also be used for articles and parts of books or journals that are made available separately.

An ISBN number can only be used once and serves as an identification for a specific edition of a book.

Examples of publications that can be assigned an ISBN include: – Printed books and pamphlets – Audiobooks (online or on physical formats ) – Maps – Chapters from books or reprints from journals that are sold separately – Documents in Braille – Documents in microform (for example microfilms) – Electronic publications (for example online reports or e-books, ) – Educational and instructional films – Software for educational or instructional purposes

Different formats (for example, hardcover book, paperback book, Braille, audiobook, digital publication) require separate ISBNs. When digital publications are made available in various formats (for example PDF, Word, HTML, or ePub), each format should be assigned its own ISBN. This is in line with the recommendation of the international ISBN office.

A publication that has been altered, for example through translation into another language, new content, a new format, placement in a new series, or reissue by a new publisher, should have a new ISBN.

Regarding ISBNs for electronic reproductions or digitized versions of previously published printed documents, we recommend: – Reproductions made by libraries should not be assigned an ISBN – Reproductions intended for sale should have an ISBN

– Almanacs, calendars, advertisements, etc.

– Books intended for filling in, such as workbooks, colouring books, and account books

– Periodicals (journals, magazines, other serial publications)

– Sheet music

– Art prints and art portfolios without a title page and text

– Programs (for theatre performances, musical performances etc.)

– Recorded music

– Feature films and movies

– Lectures and instructional materials in manuscript form, etc.

– Games

– Posters, post cards, greeting cards

– Forms and templates

– Websites

– Podcasts

– Publications that are continuously updated (printed and electronic)

– Electronic publications that only contain table of contents or excerpts from the printed edition

Journals and other periodicals are assigned an ISSN (International Standard Serial Number). However, yearbooks, monographs in series, etc., can also be assigned an ISBN for each volume in the series, in addition to the series’ ISSN.

Sheet music is assigned an ISMN (International Standard Music Number). Songbooks and other books with music where the text is more significant than the music may be assigned an ISBN in addition to ISMN.

Companies, institutions, associations, or private individuals with addresses in Norway, who publish publications, can participate in the ISBN system. It does not matter whether the publications are intended for sale or not. There is no requirement for the publisher to be officially registered with the Register of legal entities or similar registers.

Having an ISBN is voluntary, but if a book is to be sold through bookstores, the bookstores will normally require that the book has an ISBN. Distributors often also require an ISBN.

Norwegian bookstores use an online search/ordering system (Mentor) operated by Bokbasen AS. There is no connection between ISBN registration with the National Library and Bokbasen, and the

publisher must contact Bokbasen themselves to get registered with them. Bokbasen is a commercial service.

ISBN does not provide protection for the publisher’s name. If you want to protect a publisher’s name, you must register it with the Brønnøysund Register Centre.

To obtain an ISBN you must submit an application, and this is typically done by the publisher. It is free to be assigned an ISBN.

Apply for ISBN here:

– New publisher: Registration form for new publishers

– New publication: Form for publishers already assigned a publisher number

In the ISBN publisher registry, you can find out if the publisher is already registered or if a publisher name has been used before.

The amount of title numbers assigned to a publisher depends on the expected book production. Publishers assigned 100 numbers or more are responsible for managing their own number series. Publishers with 10 numbers in the ISBN series receive each individual number from ISBN Norway. Individuals or organizations planning to publish only a single publication can be assigned a single number.

ISBN Norway must be notified of address changes and if the publisher goes out of business. .

Contact between publishers and ISBN Norway

Publishers who have been assigned a series of 10 ISBNs must contact ISBN Norway for each new publication. Publishers who use ISBNs for reports and other monographic documents published on the Internet, either alone or in addition to a printed edition, should inform ISBN Norway about such publications. This way, the National Library will be able to identify and register them more easily.

The ISBN should be printed on the back of the title page or at the bottom of the title page. If possible, it should also be printed on the outside of the back cover/jacket.

In electronic publications, the ISBN should be placed in a clearly visible location near the beginning of the document.

A document that is published both as a printed document and in one or more different electronic formats with corresponding different ISBNs should have the ISBNs for all formats prominently displayed , like this:

ISBN 978-82 (printed)

ISBN 978-82 (PDF)

ISBN 978-82 (HTML)

If a document is published electronically in addition to a printed edition, and the publisher wishes to use ISBN only on the printed edition, it should be specified in all versions:

ISBN 978-82 (printed)

It will then be clear that only the printed edition has an ISBN.

Publications with incorrect ISBNs

An ISBN can become incorrect if it has been used improperly, for example, by assigning the same ISBN to different editions, or it may be incorrectly constructed or misspelled.

When the National Library receives a publication with an incorrect ISBN, ISBN Norway will contact the publisher.

If the publisher has been assigned a series of ISBNs, we ask the publisher to provide us with the correct ISBN. It is important that the numbers are corrected to ensure the best possible retrieval of publications. If ISBN Norway holds the publisher’s ISBNs or the publisher has been assigned a single number, we assign a new ISBN and inform the publisher.

The publisher does not need to correct the number in the actual book. The correct number will be used during registration. However, for books sold in bookstores with a barcode, it is recommended to create a new barcode on the back of the book.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has established an international standard for ISBN, ISO 2108.

An ISBN consists of thirteen digits and begins with the letters ISBN. The digits are divided into five groups separated by hyphens or spaces.

For example: Den vet best hvor skoen trykker / Sidsel Tveiten – Fagbokforlaget, 2007.
ISBN 978-82-450-0364-2

1. Prefix (978)
2. Country- or group identifier (82)
3. Publisher identifier (f.x.: 450 = Fagbokforlaget)
4. Title identifier (0364)
5. Check digit (2) (Prefix + country identifier + publisher identifier = publisher number)
A Norwegian publisher designation can have from 2 to 6 digits, and therefore, the number of digits in the title number can vary from 1 to 5 digits. In Norway, we have the following range of publisher designations:

00–19
200–689
7000–8999
90000–98999
990000–999999
690000–699999

Until January 1, 2007, the ISBN consisted of 10 digits, it did not have the prefix 978, and the check digit was different. An ISBN with 10 digits can be converted to an ISBN with 13 digits. It then gets the prefix 978 and a new check digit.

– An existing number series with 10 digitscan be converted to 13 digits by using the conversion tool available here: conversion table. This converts one number at a time.

– ISBN Norway can also convert lists of ISBNs for publishers.

An ISBN with 978 as a prefix will always correspond to an “old” 10-digit ISBN, but the check digit will usually be different.

ISBN forms the basis for labelling books with GTIN/EAN barcodes.

The barcode system GTIN/EAN has been developed to establish a standard for merchandise management in commerce. More information is available at GS1 Norway.

The barcode number for books is normally identical to the ISBN number. The ISBN is transformed into a graphical barcode. The barcode symbol to be used is called EAN-13. Printing houses usually take care of the barcode labelling for publishers; otherwise, the original for barcodes (film masters) can be obtained from barcode suppliers. Contact GS1 Norway for more information. GS1 Norway can also create barcodes for customers who have been assigned ISBNs and cannot generate barcodes themselves.

If a barcode is used, the following should be included in this order:

– ISBN in its standard readable form

– The EAN-code as a barcode

– The GTIN-code in its standard readable form

For barcodes for products that are not supposed to have an ISBN (e.g., games, calendars, and feature films), please contact GS1 Norway.

Generally available publications that are published in Norway fall under the Legal Deposit Act and must be deposited to the National Library. Read more about the legal deposit obligation here: pliktavlevering.no