It's probably the least noticeable aspect of a book, but has the potential to cause a serious havoc. And it's just earned India's Union human resource development (HRD) ministry a sharp rap on the knuckles from an international agency.
The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a unique 13-digit number assigned to books published the world over. It's not a mandatory requirement, but no publisher worth its salt would venture into the market without it. In India, it is issued by the HRD ministry, under the guidance of the ISBN International Agency, for gratis, though issuing authorities in some countries charge a fee for it.
Somewhat akin to the Aadhaar, ISBN is a singular identification number allotted to a book and treated like a unique footprint by traders, librarians, retailers and readers, internationally, across the industry. It helps publishers keep track of the stock of a title, enables researchers to locate a book in public holdings, allows booksellers to decide on orders and reorders, and readers to trace what they are looking for.
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