The ISBN is an international identifier for books and book-related publications.
The abbreviation stands for International Standard Book Number, standard no. 2108 of the International Organization for Standardization, ISO. Each number is unique, and the main purpose of the international book numbering system is to tell every publication apart from all others as clearly as possible. A standard way of numbering publications opens the way to greater use of computers by publishers, booksellers and libraries alike.
The National and University Library of Iceland is the national agency for the international ISBN system. Allocation of numbers and the information service are free of charge to publishers. In return, publishers must deposit copies of their publications with the Library under the legal deposit act. Each publisher is allocated a range of numbers containing its publisher identifier, or individual book numbers if only a few titles or a single book are to be published. The Library checks that book numbers are used correctly. It keeps a register of Icelandic publishers, which forms part of an international register, the Global Register of Publishers.
Newspapers, journals and printed music should not be given an ISBN; they take an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) or an International Standard Music Number (ISMN) instead. The National and University Library of Iceland is also the national agency for these international numbering systems (see ISSN and ISMN).
For further information, e-mail isbn (at) landsbokasafn.is.
Rules for the use of ISBN numbers (.pdf, in Icelandic)
Application form for ISBN / ISSN / ISMN
Application form for an ISBN for a doctoral thesis from the University of Iceland
Please note: processing in summer
In summer, ISBN requests can take longer than usual to process.
This applies to applications for ISBN numbers and other related services.
Applicants should allow for a longer processing time during this period.