ISO 15511-2019 PDF

Full title and description

Information and documentation — International standard identifier for libraries and related organizations (ISIL). This International Standard specifies the ISIL system: a set of standardized identifiers for uniquely identifying libraries and related organizations (for example museums and archives) and their subordinate units with minimal impact on existing local systems.

Abstract

ISO 15511:2019 defines the ISIL (International Standard Identifier for Libraries and Related Organizations) including its purpose, permitted characters and general syntax, rules for administration and registration, and guidance on using existing codes within the ISIL framework. The standard is intended for libraries and related organizations and for agencies that interact with them (suppliers, publishers, government bodies, registration agencies, etc.).

General information

• Status: Published (current; reviewed and confirmed in 2024).
• Publication date: June 2019 (corrected version published December 2019).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 35.240.30 — IT applications in information, documentation and publishing.
• Edition / version: Edition 4 (2019), replaces ISO 15511:2011.
• Number of pages: 7 (main ISO published document).

Key bibliographic and lifecycle data are drawn from the ISO record for ISO 15511:2019 (edition and confirmation status as published on ISO's catalogue).

Scope

Specifies a globally applicable identifier format (ISIL) for uniquely identifying a library, archive, museum or a subordinate unit of such organizations. The scope covers identifier structure and permitted characters, rules for allocation and administration (including national allocation/registration agencies), and guidance on incorporating existing local or national codes into the ISIL system. It does not prescribe classification of organizations by services or holdings.

Key topics and requirements

• ISIL syntax and presentation: an ISIL is formed of a prefix, a mandatory hyphen, and a unit identifier; when displayed it is usually preceded by the label "ISIL".
• Permitted characters and length: variable length with an upper limit defined in the standard; permitted characters include digits, basic Latin letters and selected punctuation (solidus /, hyphen-minus -, colon:); diacritics and non‑Latin alphabets are excluded.
• Prefix types and registration: prefixes may be ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes or registered non-country strings; non-country prefixes and national allocations are managed through registration/allocation authorities.
• Uniqueness and normalization: ISIL values must be unique when normalized according to the character repertoire rules; case-sensitivity rules and normalization details are clarified in the 2019 edition.
• Administration and maintenance: the ISIL system is administered via registration/allocation agencies (national or designated bodies) and a Maintenance/Registration Authority as described in the standard.
• Compatibility with existing codes: the standard allows incorporation of pre‑existing local/national organization codes to minimize disruption and duplication.

Typical use and users

Primary users are libraries, archives, museums and their subordinate units. Secondary users include national library agencies and ISIL allocation agencies, metadata aggregators, bibliographic service providers, integrated library system vendors, publishers, suppliers, government and funding bodies, and cooperative cataloguing and interlibrary loan services that require persistent, interoperable organization identifiers. The Library of Congress and other national agencies operate national ISIL registration/allocation services in some countries.

Related standards

Standards commonly referenced with ISO 15511 include ISO 20247 (International Library Item Identifier — ILII), ISO 27730 (International standard collection identifier — ISCI), ISO/IEC 10646 (Universal Coded Character Set) and ISO 3166 (country codes used for country‑prefixes). ISO 15511 is maintained within the ISO/TC 46 family of information and documentation standards and aligns terminology where relevant with ISO 5127.

Keywords

ISIL, international standard identifier, libraries, archives, museums, organization identifier, registration authority, ISO 15511, organization coding, metadata, interlibrary loan

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 15511:2019 is the International Standard that defines the ISIL (International Standard Identifier for Libraries and Related Organizations), a system for uniquely identifying libraries and related organizations and their subordinate units.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers ISIL syntax and permitted characters, rules for allocation and registration, administration and maintenance arrangements, normalization and uniqueness rules, and guidance for incorporating existing local or national organization codes.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: National and local libraries, archives, museums, registration/allocation agencies, bibliographic agencies, cataloguing services, library systems vendors, publishers, and organizations engaged in interoperable metadata exchange and interlibrary services.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: Current. ISO 15511:2019 (Edition 4) replaced the 2011 edition; the 2019 edition was published in June 2019 with a corrected English version in December 2019 and was reviewed and confirmed in 2024.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is part of ISO’s information and documentation family (ISO/TC 46) and is used alongside related identifiers and metadata standards such as ISO 20247 (ILII) and ISO 27730 (ISCI). It also refers normatively to character and country code standards (for example ISO/IEC 10646 and ISO 3166).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: ISIL, identifier, library identifier, organization identifier, registration authority, ISO 15511, metadata, interlibrary loan.