The Standard Book Numbering System was used from 1967 to 1974 in the United Kingdom. The creation of the Standard Book Numbering System was a joint effort. It was commissioned by the bookseller W. H. Smith, with contributions from the British Publishers Association's Distribution and Methods Committee. The system used a nine-digit number string to identify each book. In 1970, the International Standardization Organization published the International Standard Book Numbering System, based on the Standard Book Numbering System.
The International Standard Book Numbering System used a 10-digit number. This numbering system was widely adopted by the professional publishing community because it provided a reliable method for identifying and selling any book in any part of the world. In the UK, where the original Standard Book Numbering System had been developed, booksellers continued to use this system until 1974.
In January 2007, the ISBN system was expanded from 10 digits to 13 digits. There were two key reasons for this change. First, the original 10-digit ISBN system was inadequate because of the sheer number of publications; a system using more digits was needed to make ISBNs available to a publishing community larger than the original system could accommodate. Second, publishers saw the need to make make the ISBN system compatible with the 13-digit international article numbers (EANs) used to identify consumer goods across the world.
Every nation has a local resource or institution dedicated to administering ISBNs for a country or region. Each ISBN-issuing agency operates similarly and according to standards set by the International ISBN Agency. In the United States, ISBNs are issued by R. R. Bowker LLC. Anyone who wishes to sell or release a book, ebook or other form of media can purchase an ISBN from R. R. Bowker for $125.