by Ashley England @ UTS Library

When a book is published it is normally allocated a
unique International Standard Book Number (ISBN). This allows for more efficient marketing and distribution of the book, amongst other benefits. Similarly, each published journal or magazine has a unique International Standard Serial Number (ISSN).

In Australia, ISBNs are allocated by an agency called Thorpe-Bowker. If you wish to publish a book in Australia and need an ISBN, you must acquire it through this agency. 

In Australia, ISSNs are allocated by the Australian ISSN Agency, which is part of the National Library of Australia.