ISBNs, ISSNs, and ISMNs
ISBN service delays — The ISBN service is moving to a new database. Please expect significant delays in service for the next few weeks. Thank you for your understanding
International Standard Numbers are a publication's fingerprint, a world-wide identifier that helps publishers, suppliers, and libraries locate, order, and track published material.
Who allocates International Standard Numbers?
The National Library of New Zealand is responsible for allocating International Standard Numbers for books, serials and sheet music to publishers located in New Zealand.
Read our terms and conditions for the International Standard Number Service
Applying for an ISN
You can apply for an ISN if you are:
located in New Zealand. To apply for an ISBN you must be a person, company or organisation located in New Zealand.
the publisher. Only publishers can apply for ISBNs. Not printers, designers or digital producers. In this context, “publisher” means the group, organisation, company, or individual (if self-publishing) that pays for producing the publication.
making your product publicly available. If your publication is just for family and friends, a limited group, or course attendees, you don’t need an ISBN.
ISBNs — International Standard Book Numbers
An ISBN is a 13-digit unique identifier number assigned to a book or similar product (like an audiobook), identifying its publisher and specifying the title, edition, and format. It is used by publishers, booksellers, libraries, internet retailers and other supply chain participants for ordering, listing, sales records, and stock control purposes.
List of products that qualify for an ISBN — International ISBN Agency website
In principle, ISBNs can be used for one-off publications that are text-based or predominantly text-based and available to the public. Contact us if you want to discuss whether your publication meets the criteria for an ISBN.
Some of your ISBN information will be public
When you request an ISBN, your publisher name will be listed on the Global Register of Publishers database, which is a public database. We must send them your publisher name, which might be your personal name if you’re an individual publisher.
You can choose whether to make your other details public on this database.
We collect your personal information, like contact details, to issue the ISBN and stay in touch with you. This information is kept safe and used to provide ISBNs. The library might also use it to request your publication for legal deposit.
ISSNs — International Standard Serial Numbers
An ISSN is an 8-digit unique identifier number assigned to the title of a periodic publication issued in successive parts, identified by a number and/or a date, linked by a common title, and intended to continue indefinitely.
It is used for magazines, newspapers, journals, annual publications (for example yearbooks and directories), and monographs-in-series (publications that have an individual title and a common title that links them together in a series).
Serials can be published in physical or electronic formats.
Serials do not include loose-leaf publications intended to be updated, such as manuals where the instructions are frequently updated.
Some of your ISSN information will be public
When we issue you with an ISSN your publication details will be shared with the International ISSN Agency.
Your publication title, country of publication, and format are made available on the publicly available ISSN Portal.
Your publisher name will be available on the subscriber-only version of the portal and this may be your personal name if you’re an individual publisher.
ISMNs — International Standard Music Numbers
A unique identifier number is applied to printed music, such as a score or a part.
Contact us
Get in touch if you have any questions or if you aren't sure if your specific product is eligible for an International Standard Number.
ISBN and ISMN
Email — isbn@dia.govt.nz
Phone — 04 474 3074
ISSN
Email — issn@dia.govt.nz
Phone — 04 474 3090