The Australian ISBN Agency at THORPE-Bowker, is the only official source of ISBNs in Australia. With an ISBN you can manufacture your publication and sell it anywhere in the world. The Australian ISBN Agency can only assign ISBNs to publishers located in Australia. Publishers located in other countries must obtain their ISBNs from their local ISBN Agency.

The purpose of the ISBN is to establish and identify one title or one unique edition of a title from one specific publisher. An ISBN allows for more efficient marketing and cataloging of products by booksellers, libraries, universities, wholesalers, and distributors.

As part of its duty to the International ISBN Agency, THORPE-Bowker collects information about books published in Australia. THORPE-Bowker also provides information and advice on the uses of the ISBN system to publishers, self-publishers, authors, and the book trade, and promotes the use of the Bookland EAN bar code format.