9 digit ISBN?

[Daniel]

Hi,

I've just been granted Librarian status and I am having difficulty with an issue that I can't find the answer to anywhere, yes I have checked the manual.

I own a book that seems to have an ISBN with only 9 digits, how is this possible and how do I check to find the correct ISBN?

I have found the same book on Goodreads and on WorldCat, however WorldCat does not have the edition I have, which is the edition published in Great Britain in 1980 by William Heinemann Ltd and the ISBN printed underneath is as follows: 434 35700 6. Goodreads has an edition with the same ISBN except it has a zero at the beginning, is this correct?

Thanks for any assistance,

Daniel

[rivka, Former Moderator]

ISBNs must have either 10 digits or 13. If they have any other number, they are either incorrect or not an ISBN. When they seem to have 9, especially on older books, there is frequently an initial 0 that has been dropped.

[Lesley]

The ISBN prefix for Heinemann is 043 so I think the ISBN you have on your edition should have a zero in front of it. However, just a tip - when searching ISBNs on the likes of WorldCat and many other libraries, remove the dashes or spaces.

[Lesley]

Actually by doing that - removing the spaces - I got this result
The master sniper
by Stephen Hunter
Book : Fiction
Language: English
Publisher: London : Heinemann, 1980.

Is this the book you have?

[Daniel]

@ Ella's Gran: Yes that's the one I have if if this is it, http://www.goodreads.com/owned_books/... and I have just uploaded the cover for it. There is an edition with a zero before the 43 which would make it correct.

@ rivka: I think you're right, thanks. I thought I'd better ask because there isn't a barcode on my edition and the only numbers that resemble an ISBN are the 9 digit as I said initially.

Thanks for your help :)

Should I merge my edition and the other edition with same ISBN except for the zero at the beginning?

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Daniel wrote: "Should I merge my edition and the other edition with same ISBN except for the zero at the beginning?"

I would, yes. Are you clear on how to merge two editions like that?

[Daniel]

I am working with the manual open in another tab so I can check with it as I add my books to Goodreads. I already combined my edition with the other editions and I understand that merging is different in that, after merging there will be only one edition with that ISBN instead of the two, that's right isn't it?

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Right. You need to have just the two editions combined with each other, or it will merge to the most popular edition, rather than the specific one you want.

[Daniel]

All done! Thanks for your help :)