ISBN had its origins as a nine-digit Standard Book Numbering (SBN) system that was created in 1966 by the W.H. Smith company in England. SBN was adopted as a standard by ISO in 1970 (ISO 2108), which changed it to a 10-digit code. It was used until 1974, when the 13-digit ISBN system that is currently in use was created. The current format was chosen for its compatibility with the EAN-13 barcode symbology.

The EAN-13 barcode that encodes the ISBN is also known as the Bookland EAN barcode. "Bookland" was created as its own "country" for the purposes of the EAN unique country code prefix. Giving books their own country code helps to increase the numbering capacity of the system. The country codes 978 and 979 are registered for allocation by the International ISBN Agency.

The ISBN consists of five elements:

• Prefix element: The Bookland country code 978 or 979

• Registration group element: One to five digits that identify the language or country group or territory

• Registrant element: A variable number of digits that identify the national or regional agency

• Publication element: A variable number of digits that identify the publication

• Check digit

The ISBN may be followed by an optional five-digit supplemental code that usually encodes the publisher's suggested retail price. The first digit of the five indicates the currency (for example, 0 for the British pound and 5 for the US dollar). Other supplemental codes include the following:

• 90000: The book has no suggested retail price.

• 90001 to 98999: These codes may be used by publishers for internal purposes.

• 99991: The book is a complimentary copy.

• 99990: This code is used by the National Association of College Stores to mark used books.

The International Standard Music Number (ISMN) identifier is used to uniquely identify printed music (sheet music), whether published in print, online, or in other media. It was first proposed in 1987 and standardized in 1993 as ISO 10957. In 2008, the ISMN was redefined as a 13-digit numeric string that is encoded by an EAN-13 barcode. The International ISMN Agency maintains the ISMN inventory.

The ISMN consists of four elements: 

• Prefix: 979-0, reserved for ISMNs

• Publisher identifier

• Item identifier: Also known as a title number

• Check digit

The ISSN system is used to identify serial publications (both print and electronic) such as magazines, newspapers, annual reports, and so on, that have no predetermined ending point. It was first created in 1971 and was standardized as ISO 3297 in 1975. The ISSN International Centre maintains the ISSN inventory.

The ISSN consists of four elements:

• Prefix element: 977, reserved for serial publications

• Title element: Seven digits that encode the title, the issuing body, the country of publication, and the publisher name

• Edition variant: Two digits that can be used by the publisher to encode additional data, such as a price change

• Check digit

The ISSN may be followed by an optional two-digit or five-digit supplemental code that usually indicates the issue number or publication date.

It is possible for a published item to carry both an ISBN and an ISSN. This occurs when books are part of an ongoing series. In this case, the ISBN identifies the individual book, and the ISSN identifies the series.

ISSNs can be used as component parts for other automatic identification systems. For example, the Serials Industry Systems Advisory Committee (SISAC) symbol, which is based on the Code 128 symbology, contains an ISSN together with other data. It is most often used by libraries and can represent articles within academic journals.