BISG Forms E-Book Group, Backs New ISBN

Paul Hilts |

Dec 13, 1999

News
BISG Forms E-Book Group, Backs New ISBN Paul Hilts -- 12/13/99 The Book Industry Study Group's Book and Serial Industry Communications (BASIC) committee has voted to form a subcommittee to deal with electronic book issues. The e-book committee's work will include discussions with the hardware and software experts developing electronic book reading devices, file formats and e-commerce specifications. The founders of the Electronic Book Exchange (EBX) e-commerce specification have already agreed to cooperate with the BISG committee. "We hope that the Open eBook Forum ( B) will also become part of this committee when they meet in San Francisco December 14," Sandy Paul, president of BISG's managing agent, SKP Associates, told PW. Paul described the new committee as an extension of the work the study group has been doing all along. "We have been developing industry standards since the inception of BISAC [Book Industry Systems Advisory Committee]," Paul noted, "and we look forward to processing the EBX and B specifications, as well as print-on-demand content and purchasing standards. Once we reach consensus on these, we will work with the National Information Standards Organization to ensure their becoming accepted national and international standards." In a related development, BASIC advised its members that the ISBN Agency Advisory Panel has accepted BASIC's proposal to work toward a 13-digit ISBN system. Albert Simmonds, consultant to the U.S. and U.K. ISBN agencies, explained that "moving to a 13-digit ISBN doubles the capacity of ISBNs to accommodate new formats, such as digital files for e-books and print-on-demand, ensures that what is in the barcode on a book is the same as the information in the database and allows users to mix ISBN-based products with other products." According to Paul, January 1, 2006, is the day the Uniform Code Council has declared that all North American retailers must be capable of handling 13-digit identifiers, with an additional 14th digit "packaging code" in their databases.

News

BISG Forms E-Book Group, Backs New ISBN
Paul Hilts -- 12/13/99

The Book Industry Study Group's Book and Serial Industry Communications (BASIC) committee has voted to form a subcommittee to deal with electronic book issues. The e-book committee's work will include discussions with the hardware and software experts developing electronic book reading devices, file formats and e-commerce specifications. The founders of the Electronic Book Exchange (EBX) e-commerce specification have already agreed to cooperate with the BISG committee.

"We hope that the Open eBook Forum ( B) will also become part of this committee when they meet in San Francisco December 14," Sandy Paul, president of BISG's managing agent, SKP Associates, told PW.

Paul described the new committee as an extension of the work the study group has been doing all along. "We have been developing industry standards since the inception of BISAC [Book Industry Systems Advisory Committee]," Paul noted, "and we look forward to processing the EBX and B specifications, as well as print-on-demand content and purchasing standards. Once we reach consensus on these, we will work with the National Information Standards Organization to ensure their becoming accepted national and international standards."

In a related development, BASIC advised its members that the ISBN Agency Advisory Panel has accepted BASIC's proposal to work toward a 13-digit ISBN system.

Albert Simmonds, consultant to the U.S. and U.K. ISBN agencies, explained that "moving to a 13-digit ISBN doubles the capacity of ISBNs to accommodate new formats, such as digital files for e-books and print-on-demand, ensures that what is in the barcode on a book is the same as the information in the database and allows users to mix ISBN-based products with other products."

According to Paul, January 1, 2006, is the day the Uniform Code Council has declared that all North American retailers must be capable of handling 13-digit identifiers, with an additional 14th digit "packaging code" in their databases.

A version of this article appeared in the 12/13/1999 issue of Publishers Weekly under the headline: