The ISBN system was developed in 1972 as the result of independent in-house numbering systems created by United Kingdom publisher J. Whitaker and Sons Ltd. and United States publisher R.R. Bowker.
The International Standards Organization (ISO) determined a standardized system was necessary to help organize literary works offered by publishers.
The ISBN is composed of four sections: group identifier, publisher identifier, title identifier and check digit.
Numbers of titles published prior to 2007 contain ten digits while more recent titles have a thirteen digit ISBN.
An ISBN allows anyone familiar with the system to determine the origin of the title including the geographical region published and publishing company. Automated sales systems depend on ISBN numbers to quickly manage sales and shipments of literary works.