I posted this book -

http://www.paperbackswap.com/SpongeBob-SquarePants-Serving-Chip-Eliot/book/345208/

The website didn't detect the ISBN. When I submitted it, the ISBN appeared different from what I submitted.

Does your book actually have an ISBN on it?

The link you posted is a single-use PBS "short" ISBN used for books that do not have an ISBN on them.    http://www.paperbackswap.com/help/search.php?terms=ISBN

Yes, it does. 978-1615685103.

When I typed it in, the page was automatically redirected to an option to add the book. The page had the correct ISBN until I submitted it.

Normally, the book appears on the screen to add it when an ISBN is entered. It didn't in this case. I was told to enter all of the details because of that with the ISBN, height, width, genre, author, age group, and so forth.

My guess is that because it asked you to enter all that information, the book wasn't previously in the system, and you've now added it.  I would also guess that after you do all this you might find that your copy (with that particular ISBN) is the only one in the system.  This has happened to me before when the book wasn't in the system, but the ISBN was.  HTH (and I gave the right information).  Pat

Hi Schuylar--

We covered this in your Live Help query as well, but I'll respond here too in case someone searches for an answer later on.

Sometimes an ISBN, for whatever reason, doesn't come up in the system.  I double-checked the ISBN you sent me, and it is accurate as far as I can tell (i.e. the check digit is correct).

When an ISBN isn't in the system, the system does try to go out and connect to its book sources to find information on that ISBN, which is why you'll sometimes see a missing ISBN suddenly appear in the system, as Pat proposes.  I couldn't find any listing of your ISBN anywhere however (not in Amazon, WorldCat or Google), so it is unlikely this will happen in your situation.

In short, you've done the right thing by posting it as a non-ISBN item, per PBS guidelines.

Thanks for the responses.

Thanks Elizabeth, new to me also!