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This article was downloaded by: [Istanbul Universitesi Kutuphane ve Dok]On: 20 December 2014, At: 10:47Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH,UK
The Serials Librarian: From thePrinted Page to the Digital AgePublication details, including instructions forauthors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wser20
Not Your Father's ISSN!Regina Romano Reynolds Workshop Leader a &Cecilia A. Leathem Recorder ba Library of Congress , USAb Otto G. Richter Library , University of Miami , USAPublished online: 17 Oct 2008.
To cite this article: Regina Romano Reynolds Workshop Leader & Cecilia A. LeathemRecorder (2001) Not Your Father's ISSN!, The Serials Librarian: From the Printed Pageto the Digital Age, 40:3-4, 217-223, DOI: 10.1300/J123v40n03_04
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J123v40n03_04
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Not Your Father’s ISSN!
Regina Romano ReynoldsWorkshop Leader
Cecilia A. LeathemRecorder
SUMMARY. The workshop explored the role of the ISSN by contrasting itspast role with current and potential future roles. The explosive growth in theelectronic environment is one of the key factors in the rise in demand forISSN assignment. The greater volume of information, the needs of e-com-merce and the movement toward rule harmonization among the 3 keyplayers--AACR, ISBD (CR) and ISSN centers--are factors providing impetusfor a new appraisal of the scope and roles of the ISSN. Strategic planning forfuture ISSN challenges, roles and services was also presented and discussed.[Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service:1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: <[email protected]> Website:<http://www.HaworthPress.com>]
INTRODUCTION
Regina Romano Reynolds prefaced her remarks with the commentthat the workshop could easily have the alternate title, ‘‘You’ve comea long way, baby.’’ Characterizing the early years of ISSN history astame and quiet, she stated that it has now become a competitor in the
E 2001 by the North American Serials Interest Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: ‘‘Not Your Father’s ISSN!’’ Leathem, Cecilia A. Co-publishedsimultaneously in The Serials Librarian (The Haworth Information Press, an imprint of The HaworthPress, Inc.) Vol. 40, No. 3/4, 2001, pp. 217-223; and:Making Waves: New Serials Landscapes in a Sea ofChange (ed: Joseph C. Harmon, and P. Michelle Fiander) The Haworth Information Press, an imprint ofThe Haworth Press, Inc., 2001, pp. 217-223. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for a feefrom The Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-800-342-9678, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mail address:[email protected]].
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MAKING WAVES: NEW SERIALS LANDSCAPES IN A SEA OF CHANGE218
hot new world of identifiers. While the ISSN formerly dealt mainlywith print serials, it currently is assigned to a variety of formats. Todate, the ISSN database contains more than 900,000 records and isvery rich in records from around the world. Since its inception nearly30 years ago, the ISSN Network has grown to include 67 centersworldwide.
ISSN GOALS AND SCOPE
The ISSN Network currently is involved in a strategic planningprocess to assess the scope and roles of the ISSN. Reynolds remarkedthat, at this critical planning stage, she is seeking input from serialists.An important question concerns the scope of the ISSN. Can it under-take all the roles that some envision? As serials become more complexand the definition of serials evolves to include integrating resources,the ISSN Network must determine which materials are candidates forISSN assignment.
ISSN IN THE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT
The new electronic environment has spurred the increase in theneed for identification, and the scope and coverage of the correspond-ing identifiers is the subject of much debate. The electronic environ-ment presents new characteristics and a new set of demands that pointto the need for numeric identifiers: there is a greater volume of infor-mation; computers work more efficiently with numbers than withtitles; and, in the arena of e-commerce, more information is brokeninto small pieces: e.g., a document may contain graphs, illustrations,chapters or articles. Publishers want identifiers at the level of thesmallest item and subscription agents need identifiers for ‘‘everythingthat can be subscribed to.’’Rights management is also an issue that has come into its own in the
electronic environment. The publisher may have only limited rights,may have rights only to the e-version of a document, or may not haveongoing rights. Identifiers such as ISSN are one way to help managethose rights. According to Reynolds, Clifford Lynch suggests ISSNmay be used as the identifier for serials processes on the Web, serving
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Workshops 219
as a collecting device for those processes that manage continuingstreams of data, such as stock quotes.In the current world of e-resources, ISSN is used to identify online
journals and newsletters, also serving to differentiate the print versionfrom the electronic and to identify the same serial on different mirrorsites. In the early 1990s many debated whether ISSN should be usedas the identifier for the work or for the manifestation of the work.Reynolds prefers using ISSN for the work with a suffix added for eachmanifestation. However, systems worldwide would need to makespace for the extra character in the ISSN. For this and other reasons,the practice of assigning unique ISSNs to separate manifestations wasinitiated. Considering the print version to be the primary version isproblematic, Reynolds stated, because she sees that, contrary to cur-rent practice, the online version is becoming the primary and perhapseven the archival version of a serial; and the print manifestation willform the ‘‘quick and dirty (e.g., portable)’’ version. She wryly re-marked that although the ISSN Network has not even used the firsttwo million of its almost 10 million numbers, as manifestations prolif-erate, ISSN may be in danger of running out of numbers.Use of ISSN to identify databases is currently being done experi-
mentally. In the future, the ISSN will be assigned to most continuingresources, as defined in the newly proposed AACR definition. Someexceptions are being considered, such as loose-leafs and personal oradvertising Websites. Reynolds also asked the audience to considerwhether the ISSN also should be used to identify different aggregatorversions, since aggregator versions can differ significantly from theoriginal journal text.
PRESENT AND FUTURE ROLES
Reynolds next discussed present and future roles for the ISSN.
S Computer-to-computer ISSN use. There is potential for a servicethat would be consulted by computer programs to deliver reader-oriented services.
S Link to data and metadata. In this current role, the ISSN Onlinedatabase contains metadata records for e-resources and also al-lows for access to the resource itself.
S ISSN as a link to articles using the SICI (Serial Item and Con-tribution Identifier) Standard, which provides for unique identifi-
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MAKING WAVES: NEW SERIALS LANDSCAPES IN A SEA OF CHANGE220
cation of either an issue of a serial title or a contribution (e.g.,article) contained within a serial, regardless of the distributionmedium (paper, electronic, microform, etc.).
S ISSN as URN (Universal Resource Name). The IETF (Internet En-gineering Task Force) is developing a standard for a persistentidentifier to provide access to online resources. ISSN plans to ap-ply for URN ‘‘namespace.’’ In a current pilot with ISSN centers,the centers download a plug-in, which allows a searcher to type anISSN into their Web browser and retrieve a split screen, which dis-plays the resource itself, as well as the ISSN Online record. Forexample, the searcher types into the browser, ‘urn/issn: xxxx-xxxx.’
S ISSN and the ISTC (International Standard Text Code). The ISTCis currently under development as a potential ISO (InternationalOrganization for Standardization) code, a concept that has grownout of the International Standard Work Code developed by themusic industry. The question, whether a serial is a ‘‘work’’ whichshould be covered by the ISTC, is the subject of current debate. Ifserials and other continuing resources were to be included in thispotential standard, a serial with multiple manifestations or formatsmight receive the ISTC as an ‘‘abstraction’’ or ‘‘work’’ identifierthat pulls all manifestations of the work together. A unique ISSNwould also be assigned to each manifestation.
At this point in the workshop, Reynolds asked for audience input onthe issues discussed. In response to her query concerning the scope ofISSN, a majority of participants indicated that ISSN should coverloose-leaf publications. Some argued these publications are analogousto online integrating resources that will be included in ISSN’s scope.Others pointed out that in many libraries, serial check-in records arealready used to track receipt of loose-leaf updates. Many in the audi-ence also approved the notion of the ISSN covering databases, al-though some favored development of a set of criteria for their inclu-sion. There was mixed support for including Websites, as someparticipants felt that many were too unstable. The audience recom-mended the inclusion of only selected sites. When discussion turned tothe future constituencies of the ISSN, the audience gave a very posi-tive response to its role in the URN and agreed the project has greatpotential.
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RULE HARMONIZATION
Rule harmonization among the ISSN manual, AACR and ISBD(CR) (formerly ISBD(s)) is a critical goal in the international electron-ic age. There is a need for a one-to-one correspondence between thecatalog record and the ISSN record in order to realize the potential ofISSN. Harmonization will facilitate record matching and record ex-change and help preclude double work at ISSN centers. At present, theISSN record follows ISSN rules while the national bibliography re-cord follows cataloging rules. ISSN’s ultimate goal is to serve as thefoundation for the bibliographic record.Areas for harmonization include defining a serial, arriving at mutu-
ally agreed upon wording of pertinent rules, achieving agreement onwhat constitutes a title change, formulating new rules for title tran-scription and developing criteria for the ISST (International StandardSerial Title). The traditional definition of seriality is changing in theelectronic environment to include such concepts as continuing re-sources and integrating resources. Reynolds reports that ISSN centershave been participants in the discussions of those definitions and havedecided to include these types of resources in its scope.One impediment to record synchronization internationally is use of
corporate body main entry for some serials. Under current rules, amain entry change may require a new record according to AACR2, buta separate record would not be created under ISSN rules. The goalunder rule harmonization is to arrive at fewer major title changes andsubsequently to have a single ISSN per bibliographic record. Anotherkey issue to harmonizing record scope lies in harmonization of rulesfor title transcription. Proposals to clarify rules for omission of wordsin the title (e.g., Report for the year . . . ), for treatment of main seriesand subseries, for recording initialisms and for choice among paralleltitles have as their goal the reduction in the number of title changesand new records.The ISST is a newly proposed standard that, ideally, would become
the main entry for serials worldwide and help to reduce the number oftitle changes. The ISST would replace the Key title and would serve asa title change benchmark. Reynolds characterized it as a differentiat-ing entity, much like the 130 field for serials. The success of thisproposal is dependent on several factors. AACR rules for entry presenthurdles, as does the formation of corporate body qualifiers. The ques-tion arises: Should each country use its own rules for the formulation
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of headings or should a new set of neutral rules be devised? There is aneed for international agreement. Another hurdle is providing for dataflow between the utilities and the ISSN database, which also needs toflow internationally. Since the ISST would be a new field in thebibliographic record, decisions on how it should be tagged and itsfunction in those records must also be settled.
ISSN CHALLENGES
Toward the end of the workshop, Reynolds reviewed some of theconceptual challenges facing ISSN. What is ISSN identifying? Giventhe proliferation of electronic versions and aggregator databases, isISSN identifying a work or a ‘‘brand’’? Should ISSN differentiate thework and its manifestations? Does the ISSN need a ‘‘work’’ or ‘‘ab-straction’’ counterpart? Reynolds also identified some of the proce-dural challenges to be met. The volume of electronic resources and thevolatility of the electronic environment place burdens on ISSN staffand sources of revenue. Competing identifiers, the development ofnew services and improving the accessibility of ISSN Online posefurther challenges for the ISSN Network.Despite the hurdles, Reynolds assured the audience that ISSN plans
to embrace the electronic environment. The strategic plan calls forassigning ISSN to continuing resources, not just to serials. ISSN isalso committed to exploring new ways to make ISSN Online moreaccessible and is exploring the possibility of evolving the databaseinto a gateway or portal for other services. Also being considered arepossible partnerships with publishers and other creators of metadata,offering self-registration online via a Web application form for certainpublishers and collaborators in library consortia and national bibliog-raphies. Yet another challenge is meeting the needs of ISSN use inretrospective digital projects. Many libraries are digitizing and mount-ing the full-text of older serials on the Web. These titles flourishedwell before the advent of ISSN and lack ISSN identification.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUDING REMARKS
At the close of the workshop, Reynolds asked for further audienceinput. Participants had questions about ISSN assignments for multiple
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manifestations. Reynolds responded that two manifestations by twodifferent originators will receive separate ISSNs. However, scannedsecondary reproductions, such as titles in the JSTOR database, willretain the same ISSN as the print version. Some members of theaudience reported that the ISSN is being removed from the cover ofthe journal in favor of printing the URL for the journal Website, a suresign of the impact of the electronic environment.In discussing the multiple ISSN problem, Reynolds had described
the possibility of the ISSN Network’s providing tables that wouldidentify and link the ISSNs assigned to multiple manifestations of awork. One member of the audience expressed a feeling that suchtables would be very useful, and others nodded agreement. This ideacould be quite useful for both commercial and OPAC applications.Another participant suggested that partnership with subscriptionagents could be a mutually beneficial endeavor. Audience membersalso supported the concept of self-registration online.Reynolds remarked that some publishers have unorthodox views on
what constitutes the title or publisher of a journal. She suggested thatextensive instruction and guidance should be incorporated into theapplication form, including drop-down menus to limit what is enteredinto certain fields.Both sessions of the workshop were well attended and well re-
ceived. Reynolds enlivened a content-rich presentation by re-introduc-ing Serials Sam, an affable but clueless character whose unexpectedappearances in some slides provided a few lighter moments for anattentive audience.
CONTRIBUTORS’ NOTES
Regina Romano Reynolds is Head, National Serials Data Program, Library ofCongress. Cecilia A. Leathem is Head, Serials Cataloging and Binding, Otto G.Richter Library, University of Miami.
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