About ISBNs

An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a 13-digit number that uniquely identifies each specific edition of a book or monograph. Eligible Canadian publishers may request free ISBNs for printed books, ebooks, audio books and educational or instructional DVDs to distribute their works. Each format and edition of a publication must have its own ISBN. Once assigned, that ISBN is used internationally to identify that specific version of the book.

On this page

• Make sure you are applying through the right service
• Publisher profile terms
• Before you request ISBNs
• Eligible publications
• Non-eligible publication
• Parts of an ISBN
• Obtaining barcodes
• About copyright

Make sure you are applying through the right service

• Canadian publishers that publish in French only must contact Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) to apply for an ISBN.
• Government of Canada departments and agencies must contact Government of Canada Publications to apply for an ISBN.
• For sheet music and music scores, contact International Standard Music Numbers (ISMN).
• For periodicals (e.g., journals, magazines or newspapers), contact International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSN).

Publisher profile terms

By creating a publisher profile, you agree to the following terms.

Eligibility and presence in Canada

• If you are a self-publishing author, you are physically located in Canada.
• If you are a publishing company, your main place of business is in Canada, and at least 75% of your employees are physically based in Canada.
• Library and Archives Canada may request proof of address, identity, business presence, or publishing operations at any time.

Profile use and information

• The information you provide is accurate, complete, and current.
• You agree to provide requested records within a reasonable timeframe.
• You will not use multiple profiles or third parties to avoid eligibility requirements or service limits.

Publishing responsibilities

• You are legally authorized to publish hold the intellectual property rights for of the publications associated with this publisher profile.
• Your publications will be available to the Canadian public at the time of publication.
• You agree to deposit copies of qualifying publications through the Legal Deposit program, in accordance with the Library and Archives of Canada Act.

Library and Archives may

• verify your eligibility at any time;
• request supporting documentation;
• review or audit publisher profiles;
• restrict access to services where misuse has been identified.
• refuse or suspend accounts if terms and conditions are not followed.

Before you request ISBNs

ISBN request terms

By continuing, you confirm that:

• Your publications will be available in Canada at time of publishing;
• You are legally authorized to publish and control the content of the publications associated with this publisher profile;
• You will assign ISBNs only to eligible publications;
• You will follow the International ISBN standards and any guidance issued by Library and Archives Canada;
• You will not sell, transfer, share, or make assigned ISBNs available to any third party.

Library and Archives Canada may:

• limit the number or frequency of ISBNs assigned;
• require justification for large or repeated requests;
• review or audit ISBN use;
• deny or reduce requests where ISBN use suggests misuse;
• suspend access to ISBN services.

Additional information

• Read the Privacy Notice

Eligible publications

Books or monographs (that stand on their own as a product and are available for public distribution) in print, audio or electronic format are eligible, such as:

• audiobooks
• books
• brochures, pamphlets
• DVDs (educational, documentary)
• E-books (digital books)
• graphic novels, storybooks, picture books
• maps
• posters (educational)

Non-eligible publication

The following formats are not eligible for an ISBN.

• Activity books (e.g., crosswords, sudoku, etc.)
• Art prints and posters
• Board games
• Calendars
• Cards (greeting cards, playing cards, post cards, tarot and oracle cards)
• Colouring books (without significant text)
• Comic books (periodical format)
• Customizable products
• Digital applications
• Ephemeral (e.g., publications containing information of a temporary or short-lived nature)
• Individual pictures or photographs
• Low-content products (e.g., diaries, journals, logbooks notebooks, planners, sketchbooks)
• Music CDs
• Objects (e.g., clothing, jewelry household items, mugs, etc.)
• Office supplies and stationery (e.g., agendas, bookmarks)
• Periodicals (e.g., journals, magazines, newspapers)
• Personal documents
• Search engines
• Sheet music and music scores
• Websites

Parts of an ISBN

The 13-digit ISBN starts with "ISBN" and is divided into five parts, with each part having a specific meaning. The parts of an ISBN are as follows and are written separated with hyphens:

• EAN (European article number) product code: the first three digits
• group identifier: a single digit that represents the country or language area in which the book is published
• publisher prefix: a number that identifies a particular publisher
• title identifier: a number that identifies a particular edition of a work
• check digit: a single digit that verifies that the previous digits are correct by using an algorithm

Until December 31, 2006, ISBNs were 10 digits. You may use both the 10-digit and 13-digit ISBN on a publication issued during that time.

Obtaining barcodes

The Canadian ISBN Agency does not provide barcodes. We advise publishers to contact their printer or graphic designer to discuss barcodes, as some of them offer a barcoding service.

About copyright

The ISBN does not provide copyright protection. Contact the Canadian Intellectual Property Office for questions about copyright.