Why do Watchtower Publications not have an ISBN number?

by truthseeker 18 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  truthseeker

  Open any WT publication (other than tracts) and you will not find (to my knowledge) an ISBN number.

  You may see (c) All Rights reserved and First Printing in English.

  Does anyone know why they would not apply for ISBN numbers?

  For anyone who doesn't know what an ISBN number is, here is some information...

  http://www.isbn-international.org/en/whoneeds.html

  What is an ISBN?

  The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a unique machine-readable identification number, which marks any book unmistakably. This number is defined in ISO Standard 2108. The number has been in use now for 30 years and has revolutionised the international book-trade. 166 countries and territories are officially ISBN members. The ISBN accompanies a publication from its production onwards.

  The number consists of ten digits:

  • Group identifier
  • Publisher identifier
  • Title identifier
  • Check digit

  Who needs an ISBN

  Publishing houses

  The ISBN serves as a unique identifier for

  • monographic publications, from manuscript through all editorial and manufacture processes until the item is finished
  • stock control
  • ordering
  • accounting
  • handling or returns
  • sales data monitoring
  • right and royalty management

  Book traders

  The ISBN serves as a unique identifier for

  • ordering / teleordering
  • accounting and billing
  • bibliographic searches
  • stock control
  • electronic point-of-sale systems
  • Books in Print directories

  Libraries

  The ISBN serves as a unique identifier for

  • ordering
  • information retrieval
  • copy cataloguing
  • circulation and interlending
  • national lending rights
  • the national bibliography

  And from Wikipedia...

  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

  Jump to: navigation, search

  The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN (sometimes pronounced "is-ben"), is a unique [1] identifier for books, intended to be used commercially. The ISBN system was created in the United Kingdom in 1966 by the booksellers and stationers W H Smith and originally called Standard Book Numbering or SBN. It was adopted as international standard ISO 2108 in 1970. A similar identifier, the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN), is used for periodical publications such as magazines.

  Although the WTS books are available on a donation basis, when they were being "sold" why wasn't an ISBN number procured, so the books could be sold in shops etc?
• 

  jeanniebeanz

  Are you crazy?

  They don't want them officially tracked. Makes it easier to hide all their back tracks and changes if the world isn't watching.

  J
• 

  truthseeker

  thanks for the comment Jeannie, still, if the GB really believe they have the truth, this wouldn't stop them.
• 

  jeanniebeanz

  I think they do believe they have the truth, but are painfully aware of how many times they have been very, very wrong.

  As far as the ISBN thing, if library's all around the world had copies of the magazines available for research organized into the ISBN system, it would stand to reason that more people could get their hands on the original magazines and see that what they say that they said is a bald faced lie.

  Whether or not they believe they are right, they know the old books and magazines are an embarrasment. Why make it easier for people to research?

  J
• 

  mustang

  I think that they are really conflicted now: ostensibly they have to put these out as the word, "the organ" of the message.

  But every issue is a potential millstone or albatross around their neck.

  [How many million words have they printed since 1880's? Which sentence or paragraph will be ones that ultimately trip them up? They have to be wondering...]

  So, Brooklyn is torn between restricting the distribution to "members only" and allowing the necessary flow of the literature.

  They might have to soon call in that old "marker" of theirs: persecution (whether it is real or imagined). The trumped up "persecution" will conveniently let them choke off the flow of those embarrassing magazines.

  That won't really help, as there are millions of pieces of paper out there to trip them up.

  All of this adds up to keeping as low a profile as they can while still publishing. Mustang
• 

  tryagain

  I imagine the reason is because they don't circulate their publications traditionally. They're generally not found in libraries or book stores, so what would be the sense? Since they peddle them themselves, there's really no need that I can see.
• 

  Sad emo

  tryagain is probably closest. If they aren't sold through 'traditional' outlets, there's no real need for an ISBN (or ISSN in the case of magazines) as there are no stock control issues etc.

  Plus, in the bigger scale of things, they don't have very many titles so it's probably not worth them getting registered as an 'official' publisher.
• 

  Legolas

  Off that topic for a sec....there was a 'sister' in the hall who's husband (who is not in the lie) is an, how can I put this....an environmental freak!

  His beef was that they don't or didn't use recycled paper.
• 

  DannyBloem

  I think, as with all things,

  they do not want to be part of things that are not strictly nessesary. They like to do everything themselves and not use or work togetehr with some one else. And there is indeed no need for them anyway.
• 

  Narkissos

  At least some of them have (only it's indicated in the wrong place, last page). E.g. the NWT, French 1995 edition, is 2-911291-00-X. The French Watchtower has an ISSN too (0254-1297).