FAQs: SirsiDynix Symphony and the 13-digit ISBN

SirsiDynix Symphony can handle the new 13-digit ISBN in terms of indexing, searching, matching, EDI transmissions, and using it to create the title control number. Please note that although LC and OCLC will have different ways of handling the new 13-digit ISBNs between October 2004 and January 2007, SirsiDynix Symphony will handle the numbers accurately in both cases. Please keep in mind that however your library decides to handle OCLC records with 13-digit ISBNs temporarily stored in the 024|a, the final resting place for the 13-digit ISBNs will be the 020|a.

In anticipation of the January 2007 deadline, Unicorn Version GL3.1 provides enhancements that include saving ISBN-derived title control numbers in the 13-digit form and indexing the ISBN in both the 10- and 13-digit forms.

How is the new 13-digit ISBN is constructed?

Previously, the 10-digit ISBN included a country code, publisher code, particular title/edition number, and check digit, which would sometimes be the letter X. The new 13-digit ISBN include the prefix 978 (for now), country code, publisher code, particular title/edition number, and check digit, which is derived by a different calculation and will never be the letter X. The 13-digit ISBN check digit will usually not equal the 10-digit ISBN. Starting January 1, 2007, only 13-digit ISBNs will be issued, and the 979 prefix will start to be used.

How should I add 13-digit ISBNs to bibliographic records in my SirsiDynix Symphony catalog?

This is, of course, the library’s catalogers’ decision to make. It is most important in this interim period that catalogers in the consortium agree on the practice they intend to follow. SirsiDynix Symphony will work with 13-digit ISBNs in either the 020 or 024. Please keep in mind that whatever the library decides, the final resting place for the 13-digit ISBN will ultimately be the 020|a.

The most straightforward approach is to follow the Library of Congress guidelines stated in the “Library of Congress Plan to Accommodate 13-Digit ISBN” document (http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/13digit.html). These guidelines state that, for records created after October 1, 2004 and before January 1, 2007, pairs of the 13-digit and 10-digit ISBNs will appear in repeated MARC 21 020 fields, with the 13-digit ISBN appearing first. For more information, see the LC Web page.

According to these guidelines, for OCLC records, this would mean moving the 13-digit ISBNs found in 024|a to the 020|a when the record is copied from OCLC. For more information, see the “OCLC Interim Support for ISBN 13” document (http://www.oclc.org/news/announcements/announcement96.htm).

Moving the OCLC 024 ISBN is not mandatory in SirsiDynix Symphony. See the FAQ: Will there be a SirsiDynix Symphony utility program to convert the 13-digit ISBNs found in 024|a?

Will there be a SirsiDynix Symphony utility program to convert the 13-digit ISBNs found in 024|a after OCLC is able to support the 13-digit ISBN in the 020 field?

If libraries follow the LC guidelines and move the 13-digit ISBNs in 024 to 020 as records are copied from OCLC, there will be no need for such a conversion program. There will be a small enough number of 13-digit ISBNs (during this temporary OCLC solution) so that moving them individually will not be a burden.

However, even in the case of OCLC records, SirsiDynix Symphony does not require that the 13-digit 024 ISBNs be moved to the 020. OCLC records will continue to have the 10-digit ISBN in the 020|a during the interim period. This means that, currently, SirsiDynix Symphony will continue to use the 10-digit ISBN found in 020|a as it always has. Unicorn Version GL3.1 will index the ISBN found in the 020|a in both its 10- and 13-digit forms so the title can be found by searching either number. If the OCLC bibliographic record contains a 10-digit ISBN in the 020|a, SirsiDynix Symphony does not need the 13-digit ISBN found in 024. SirsiDynix Symphony will use the ISBN found in the 020|a to create both its 10- and 13-digit formats as index entries.

Will having both the 10- and 13-digit ISBN numbers in the 020 tag have any effect on our match and load for bibliographic records?

SirsiDynix Symphony can handle the new 13-digit ISBN in terms of indexing, searching, matching and using it to create the title control number, including the following.

•

Indexing multiple 020|a tags

•

Matching on single and multiple 020|a tags

•

Mismatching of 10 versus 13 digits will not occur; for example, 97803991422 will not match 9780399142282

Starting in Unicorn Version GL3.1, all ISBN-derived title control numbers are saved as 13 digits. If the ISBN is 10 digits, it will be recalculated to the 13-digit form. A conversion program will be provided during the upgrade to change all existing ISBN-derived title control numbers to 13 digits.

Also starting in Unicorn Version GL3.1, the ISBN will be indexed in both the 10-digit and the equivalent 13-digit form. Rebuilding of the index will be necessary during the Unicorn Version GL3.1 upgrade.

Since the ISBN will be indexed in both the 10- and 13-digit forms, any search can be performed, and will find a match on either form of the number.

For example, in a general keyword search for the 13-digit number i9781594140463 (where 3 is the check digit), but the bibliographic record only contains the 10-digit number i1594140464, the index will contain both i1594140464 and i9781594140463 for the same title, and so, will find a correct title based on the search for i9781594140463.

Will ISXN validation routines validate the 13-digit ISBNs?

Starting in Unicorn Version GL3.1, the SirsiDynix Symphony ISXN validation routines include validating 13-digit ISBNs.

For earlier versions, rather than turning ISXN validation off, it is best to acknowledge the validation warning message, then click OK to continue, since there are currently so few 13-digit numbers.

What are my SirsiDynix Symphony indexing options for OCLC records that have a 13-digit ISBN in 024|a with 1st indicator of 3?

First, consider if you really want to leave the 13-digit ISBN in the 024|a. If yes, your indexing options are as follows.

•

A 13-digit ISBN in the 024|a can be found by executing a general keyword search (if the 024 entry is included in your keyword index).

•

A 13-digit ISBN in the 024|a can be found by executing a general keyword search and adding the {024} qualifier (if the 024 entry is included in your keyword index).

The 024|a with 1st indicator of 3 can be added to your existing ISBN index by following these steps.

If you do not already have an ISBN (020) keyword index, use the Keyword Index Policy wizard (accessed from the Cataloging Configuration group button on the Configuration toolbar) to create one with the following values:

Name: 020
Description: ISBN
Type: Searchable
Internal Name: 020
Sort Index: 020
Use Attribute: ISBN (7)

Add the 020 index to the Catalog Search Fields policy (accessed from the Global Configuration wizard on the Configuration toolbar) with the following values:

Name: ISBN
Description: ISBN Search
Label: ISBN
Keyword Index: 020
Browse Index: Author
Thesaurus: Authors
Special Processing: [None]
Use For: Acquisitions, booking, cataloging, circulation, reserves, serial control

Using the Catalog Format Policy wizard (accessed from the Cataloging Configuration group button on the Configuration toolbar), modify the 024 entry in all relevant catalog formats, such as MARC, to add a 020 keyword index variation with the following values.

Internal Entry: 24
This Variation Is: In addition to others
Indicator 1: 3
Indicator 2: *
Index: 020
Subfields: a
Leading article: [None]

Halt and run the workstation server to put these modifications into effect.

Rebuild the keyword index by scheduling the Rebuild Text Database report for the appropriate indexes.

When OCLC no longer uses the 024|a for the 13-digit ISBN, and they have been removed from the 024|a, remove this keyword index variation from the 024 entry in the affected formats, and halt and run the workstation server. Then, rebuild the keyword index by running the Rebuild Text Database report.

For more information about creating new keyword index searches, see How do I make a field searchable in a general keyword search?

How will the 13-digit ISBN affect SirsiDynix Symphony EDI?

SirsiDynix Symphony orderlines may contain either the 10-digit ISBN or 13-digit ISBN. When generating X12 purchase orders and acknowledgements, SirsiDynix Symphony will handle orderline ISBNs in the following manner.

•

If the orderline contains a 10-digit ISBN, SirsiDynix Symphony will send the 10-digit ISBN first, using the IB qualifier. SirsiDynix Symphony will also calculate the 13-digit ISBN, and send it using the EN qualifier.

•

If the orderline contains a 13-digit ISBN, SirsiDynix Symphony will only send the 13-digit ISBN using the EN qualifier.

13-digit ISBN Scenarios

The following examples illustrate how SirsiDynix Symphony will handle importing records with the new 13-digit ISBNs.

Scenario One

Import a record with 978-1-5659-24277 (ISBN-13) in the first 020 tag, and 1-565-92-427-4 (ISBN-10) in the second 020 tag, and the following occurs.

•

The ISBN-13 in the first 020 is used to create the title control number i9781565924277.

•

Both 020 tags are indexed.

•

Unicorn Version 3.1 is not required for this scenario.

Scenario Two

Import a record with just one 020 tag and an ISBN-10 of 1-4165-0035-9, and if using ISBN as the title control number source, the following occurs.

•

Unicorn Version GL3.0 and earlier will not convert the ISBN and create the title control number i1416500359.

•

Unicorn Version GL3.1 will convert the ISBN-10 to an ISBN-13 and create the title control number i9781416500353.

•

In Unicorn Version GL3.1, both the ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 will be indexed, and keyword searches for 1-4165-0035-9 or 978-01-4165-0035-3 will work, whether or not you include the hyphens in the searches.

•

In previous versions of SirsiDynix Symphony, only the ISBN-10 will be indexed.

Scenario Three

Import a record with an ISBN-13 of 978-1-5659-2466-6 only (no ISBN-10), and if using the ISBN as the title control number source, the following occurs.

•

SirsiDynix Symphony will create the title control number of i9781565924666.

•

Keyword searching can only be done by the ISBN-13 form, because the ISBN-13 cannot be reverted to an ISBN-10 form. (The 978 or 979 prefix cannot be determined, and the check digit cannot be recalculated.)