Val is a freelance writer and editor with 10+ years of experience. He's been writing about book data management, publishing, technology, and other subjects.
The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) was introduced in 1970 to provide a unique identifier for books. At the time, ISBNs consisted of 10 digits. The basic structure of the ISBN has remained the same over the years, although some changes have been made to accommodate the growing number of books being published.
We are used to searching by ISBN as the easiest way to find book data. However, ISBN is a relatively new book identification method, widely adopted in the 1970s.
When Johannes Gutenberg produced the first printed book in the fifteenth century, he probably wasn’t too concerned about book identification – his printed books never carried even his name or publishing date. That wasn’t a big deal because the book industry was in its infancy, and few books were published back in the day.
Voracious readers know that every book has one thing in common. No matter what genre, length, publisher, or art that adorns its cover, every book has an ISBN. That is, provided it was printed after 1970.
You’ve likely noticed a barcode with a serial number on the back of the book you’re reading. It’s easy to think that this is just for the cashier at your local bookstore to swipe, but it’s so much more than that—it’s an ISBN!
Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster were about to shrink the “Big Five” of publishing to the “Big Four”. However, the US Department of Justice had an objection to those plans. As is sometimes the way with government agencies, the objection turned into the merger being blocked.
Publishers, booksellers, libraries, educational institutions, and all other organizations, which professionally work with books, need a reliable source of information to retrieve data about thousands or even millions of books. This is when bibliographic databases come in very handy. Using the databases’ APIs, you can quickly get titles, authors, cover art, and a lot of other book data by ISBN. Book databases enable members of the book industry to operate more efficiently and better serve their customers.
In today’s digital world, book metadata plays a crucial role in the discoverability, sales, and overall success of your books. Whether you’re an author, publisher, or bookseller, understanding the significance of book metadata and how to use it effectively can make a huge difference for your business. In this article, we’re going to explore the various aspects of book metadata and how ISBNdb, a leading book data provider, can cover your metadata needs.
Sad news for many keen readers – Book Depository will accept orders till April 26 and then close down for good.
Book Depository, owned by Amazon, did not reveal the motives behind the decision. However, its parent company has disclosed plans to cut 18,000 jobs in its service and book departments in 2023, which might be the reason.