Goodreads Librarians Group discussion
This topic is about
Ancient Light
Book & Author Page Issues
>
Question re: differing ISBN13 numbers
date
newest »
newest »
That's easy. The DB ISBN13 number is simply for a newer version of the book. Whenever there is a new issue of a book (digital or otherwise), the ISBN and/or ISBN13 number has to be updated/given new.
Beate wrote: "That's easy. The DB ISBN13 number is simply for a newer version of the book. Whenever there is a new issue of a book (digital or otherwise), the ISBN and/or ISBN13 number has to be updated/given new."But wouldn't that, therefore, need to be entered as a new edition rather than just replacing the ISBN13 number that is there? If that were the case here, then the listen ISBN13 number on our database would actually be incorrect for the edition, since it's not the one in the book, but as far as I can tell (and I'll admit my knowledge of how to check these things is somewhat limited) the ISBN13 number in our database is assigned to this edition of the book, despite what the cover of my own edition says... This is really confusing! :-) Hmmph. Well, I'm sure eventually my thick brain will figure this out - I haven't been able to sleep since Thursday so I'm starting to see little swirly things in my vision anyway... Thanks, Beate!
Katy wrote: "Beate wrote: "That's easy. The DB ISBN13 number is simply for a newer version of the book. Whenever there is a new issue of a book (digital or otherwise), the ISBN and/or ISBN13 number has to be up..."If a few things were updated (typos, grammar, etc), it's not a new edition per sé, but it still gets a new ISBN13 number since it has to be added to the Amazon database all over. The ISBN/ISBN13 numbers are given automatically with each new update, however small. It's not dependant on being officially a new edition.
Okay, I understand that, but why change only one of them and not both?
Katy wrote: "Okay, I understand that, but why change only one of them and not both?"Because the paperback/hardback hasn't been updated in the meantime, so all the issues up until the paper book is updated keep the ISBN.
You keep saying this is done because of the Amazon database, but this is a book originally published in 1987 and this particular edition was on 1990. Is the ISBN13 number something uniquely Amazon? I guess since this book predates Amazon, maybe that has something to do with it, too. *shrug* Anyway, thanks for that - can you point me in the direction of someplace that explains what all this means in a fairly "user-friendly" manner? I'd like to get a better grip on what all these numbers mean... :-)
With each ISBN matches only one ISBN13, in this case the pair as it is on Goodreads.Maybe it was just an error when they put the new ISBN13 on the book and forgot to change the ISBN.
Katy wrote: "You keep saying this is done because of the Amazon database, but this is a book originally published in 1987 and this particular edition was on 1990. Is the ISBN13 number something uniquely Amazon..."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internat...
Thanks for the link, Beate, and all the patient explaining. Thanks, Renske - that's a possibility - especially at the time, it would probably have been easy for that to happen.
Katy wrote: "On my copy, the ISBN13 number is 997690059545013"Are you sure that's the ISBN13 number? ISBN13 # only have 13 digits and they only started being printed on books some years ago (although all older ISBN numbers have a corresponding ISBN13 number)...
Andrea wrote: "Katy wrote: "On my copy, the ISBN13 number is 997690059545013"Are you sure that's the ISBN13 number? ISBN13 # only have 13 digits and they only started being printed on books some years ago (alth..."
Well it's where the ISBN13 numbers are normally printed now... What was printed in that area before they started using the ISBN13 number? Maybe it's the USB number and I'm a total idiot... :-)
Katy wrote: "Well it's where the ISBN13 numbers are normally printed now... What was printed in that area before they started using the ISBN13 number? Maybe it's the USB number and I'm a total idiot... :-) "Like on the bar code? I don't think that's necessarily the ISBN on older books.
If the copyright page has the ISBN 0451450132 listed, that's the number.
Andrea wrote: "Katy wrote: "Well it's where the ISBN13 numbers are normally printed now... What was printed in that area before they started using the ISBN13 number? Maybe it's the USB number and I'm a total idio..."Oh, there's no question about the actual ISBN - that's listed plainly and matches. Thanks!
The number is probably a SKU or other product tracking number, unrelated to the publisher's ISBN. ISBN-13 numbers were not in use until 2007. Several factors drove the development of the ISBN-13, and one of them was to make the ISBN system compatible with 13 digit EAN barcodes (there was also the prediction that they would run out of 10 digit numbers). The ISBN-13 allowed migration to an EAN-based barcode system which allows booksellers the use of a single numbering system for both books and non-book products that is compatible with the ISBN-based publisher data.
Now, just to be clear, the ISBN13 number listed here in the database is the correct one; what I'm curious about is if anyone here would know why there is a different number listed on the back of my book? Did they just used to do that, use a different number on the book? This is the sort of thing I never paid attention to before I joined GR so I'm curious about this stuff.
Thanks for anyone who has a moment to respond.