International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

Ten-digit number assigned before publication to a book or edition thereof. The ISBN identifies various elements of the work, grouping it within a national, geographic, language, or other convenient category and revealing its publisher, title, edition, and volume number. The ISBN is part of the International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD), which was prescribed by the International Organization for Standardization; delegates adopted the numbering system in 1969. The numbers are assigned by publishers and administered by designated national standard book numbering agencies such as the R.R. Bowker Co. in the U.S. and the Standard Book Numbering Agency Ltd. in Britain.