Earlier editions of the ISBN Users’ Manual
On this page you can find versions of the sixth edition of the users' manual. Note that the sixth edition of the manual is not the current version, rather it is the previous version of the ISBN users' manual that was released in 2012. This means that the users' manuals below are not based on the current ISBN standard. For information about the latest changes to the ISBN Standard, please see this news article.
If you wish to visit the page containing the current versions of the Users' Manual, please click here.
The 2012 ISBN Users' Manual (in English), is available as a pdf document.
The 2012 ISBN Users' Manual has now been translated into a number of other languages, which are all available in pdf format. To download a pdf version of the 2012 Users' Manual please click on the relevant language. However, note that over time these old translations will be removed from this webpage as the new users' manual becomes adopted and translations of that document are made.
There are also related documents available in several languages, but which are not direct translations of the sixth edition of the ISBN Manual. These are as follows:
A translation by the Sweden ISBN Agency of the 5th edition of the Users' Manual from 2005 is available in Swedish.
A translation of the fifth edition of the Users' Manual is available in Persian. Please note this is a translation of the Users' Manual from 2007.
Handbook for ISBN (in Russian). This is not a direct translation of the International Users' Manual but sets out the basic rules and procedures of ISBN assignment and will be useful for publishers, booksellers and librarians. A new edition is also in preparation and will be made available as soon as possible.
A Users' Handbook (from Belarus) from 2009. This is based on the ISO Standard and the requirements of the equivalent national standard and is intended for use by publishers, booksellers, librarians and printing houses in Belarus.
A translation of the Users' Manual is available in Korean. This is based on the 6th international edition of the Users' Manual, although some of the sections are organised differently and there are some minor changes specifically related to the application of ISBN in Korea Republic. The Korean Manual also incorporates guidelines on the use of ISSN (International Standard Serial Number).
Handbook for ISBN (in Ukrainian). This is not a direct translation of the International Users' Manual but is based on the ISO Standard, the Users' Manual and national legislation in force in Ukraine. It sets out the basic rules and procedures of ISBN assignment.