Towards Resolving Chaos in the eBook Supply Chain: ISBN and digital publications

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Towards Resolving Chaos in the e-Book Supply
ChainISBN and digital publications

• Brian Green
• International ISBN Agency

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A brief history of the ISBN

• Introduction of computers into publishing,
  distribution and bookselling in mid 1960s
• SBN adopted in UK in 1967
• International interest led to ISBN system being
  devised in late 1960s
• ISO ISBN standard (ISO 2108) first approved in
  1970
• Revised 2005
• Universally adopted (170 countries) as the key
  identifier for books

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ISBN and different formats

• Under Rules of assignment, the 2005 revision of
  the ISBN standard (ISO 2108) says
• Different product forms (e.g. hardcover,
  paperback, Braille, audio-book, video, online
  electronic publication) shall be assigned
  separate ISBNs
• Each different format of an electronic
  publication (e.g. .lit, .pdf, .html,
  .pdb) that is published and made separately
  available shall be given a separate ISBN.

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Why identify different formats?

• e-commerce systems require ISBNs
• Bibliographic databases require ISBNs
• Detailed sales/usage reporting requires ISBNS
• At the time of the ISBN revision, identification
  by file format seemed adequate. We thought that
  the e-book supply chain would be similar to print
  books. Not so!

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The changing ebook supply chain

• For printed books, publishers assign ISBNs to
  each format and that ISBN remains constant
  throughout the supply chain
• For ebooks, many publishers only produce a single
  generic file format (e.g. .epub), and
  intermediaries add technical rights protection
  (DRM) and may make different versions with
  different user functionality
• Other players in the supply chain need to be able
  to identify these different versions (e.g. for
  discovery, EDI, usage reporting)
• But not all publishers provide ISBNs for them

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Traditional book supply chain
ISBN X
Publisher / distributor
ISBN X
ISBN X
Library jobbers
Wholesalers
ISBN X
ISBN X
Libraries
Booksellers
Readers
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E-book supply chain (current mess)
Epub file
ISBN A
Publisher
Epub fileDRM (proprietary) Other formats
Epub fileDRM (diff. proprietary) Other formats
E-book aggregator / manager
E-book aggregator /manager
Proprietary identifier
ISBN A for all formats
Library jobbers
Wholesalers
ISBN A metadata
Own ISBN-like identifiers
Libraries
Booksellers
Readers
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E-book supply chain (by the rules)
Epub file
ISBN A
Publisher
Epub fileDRM (proprietary) Other formats
Epub fileDRM (diff. proprietary) Other formats
E-book aggregator / manager
E-book aggregator /manager
ISBN B, C
ISBN D, E
Library jobbers
Wholesalers
Libraries
Booksellers
Readers
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Why dont some publishers want to assign ISBNs to
each version?

• Some of their arguments
• We cant manage the metadata bloat involved
• Our sales channels (e.g. Amazon) do not require
  standard identifiers for ebooks as customers will
  find them through their preferred vendor
• ISBNs are too expensive for us to assign to each
  format
• We only publish one generic format (e.g.
  .epub) and assign an ISBN to that
• We are not responsible for formats provided by
  third part intermediaries

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What do you believe is the biggest barrier to
assigning ISBNs to digital products?
Results gathered during a live BISG participant
poll.
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New ISBN rule introduced in 2008

• Since some publishers do not provide separate
  ISBNs for each version and some customers,
  especially libraries, need unique identification
  of products from different platforms with
  different functionality
• If a publisher does not identify each format with
  a separate ISBN, re-sellers may do so on their
  behalf
• Not ideal but a necessary compromise until
  publishers assign their own ISBNs
• Requires central bibliographic agency to collect
  and list ISBNs and related metadata

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Is ISBN the right identifier for e-books?

• Standard identifiers are essential when there is
  a need to communicate across a supply chain, e.g.
  for purposes of e-commerce, aggregating
  information, reporting sales or usage.
• This was precisely the reason for introducing the
  ISBN standard (ISO 2108) in 1970 and the reason
  that it has been so successful in enabling trade
  developments
• Do we want to risk losing all that with digital
  products?

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...but we need to understand the user requirements

• ISBN and EDItEUR are working together to
  research
• At what level of granularity are standard
  identifiers required?
• Generic ebook identifier?
• Format (e.g. pdf, epub)?
• Platform (e.g. ebrary)?
• How can user needs and publisher practice best be
  reconciled