<P> Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN), identifies periodical publications such as magazines; and the International Standard Music Number (ISMN) covers for musical scores . </P> <P> The Standard Book Numbering (SBN) code is a 9 - digit commercial book identifier system created by Gordon Foster, Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers WHSmith and others in 1965 . The ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker (regarded as the "Father of the ISBN") and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay (who later became director of the U.S. ISBN agency R.R. Bowker). </P> <P> The 10 - digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO 2108 . The United Kingdom continued to use the 9 - digit SBN code until 1974 . ISO has appointed the International ISBN Agency as the registration authority for ISBN worldwide and the ISBN Standard is developed under the control of ISO Technical Committee 46 / Subcommittee 9 TC 46 / SC 9 . The ISO on - line facility only refers back to 1978 . </P> <P> An SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit "0". For example, the second edition of Mr. J.G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has "SBN 340 01381 8"--340 indicating the publisher, 01381 their serial number, and 8 being the check digit . This can be converted to ISBN 0 - 340 - 01381 - 8; the check digit does not need to be re-calculated . </P>

Where do you find the isbn number on a book