Overview
ISO 20247:2018, titled Information and documentation - International Library Item Identifier (ILII), is an international standard developed by ISO that defines a system for the unique identification of items held by libraries and related organizations. This standard aims to streamline how items-such as books, digital files, artworks, and other library materials-are identified and tracked when their information is shared across different library systems and applications. ILII supports activities like interlibrary loans and shared print agreements by ensuring consistent and globally unique item identification.
Key Topics
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Scope and Purpose
ISO 20247:2018 applies to libraries and related organizations identified under ISO 15511, focusing on the management and identification of physical and digital items. The standard addresses challenges in item identification beyond local boundaries, such as when items are loaned or shared between institutions.
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ILII Structure and Syntax
The ILII is constructed as a two-part character string separated by a full stop (.). The first part is the identifier of either the holding organization (ISIL) or the collection (ISCI), and the second part is the item identifier created by the holding organization.
- ISIL (International Standard Identifier for Libraries) follows ISO 15511 standards.
- ISCI (International Standard Collection Identifier) follows ISO 27730 standards with specific encoding rules to handle special characters.
The item identifier is flexible in length and composition but recommended to use basic Latin characters for system compatibility and efficiency.
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Item Identifier Management
Holding organizations are responsible for assigning unique item identifiers and maintaining their persistence as long as the item remains within the same organization. When items are transferred to another organization, a new ILII reflecting the new holder is required.
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Character Encoding and Recommendations
The use of characters outside the BASIC LATIN block of ISO/IEC 10646 is discouraged unless necessary. For environments like RFID or URI systems, special encoding (e.g., percent-encoding) is needed to prevent errors and ensure data security.
Applications
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Interlibrary Loans: Facilitates seamless identification and tracking of loaned materials among multiple libraries by providing a globally unique identifier for each item.
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Shared Print Agreements: Supports cooperative preservation and space management initiatives by allowing joint libraries to identify, share, and manage print collections efficiently.
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Digital Library Systems: Assists in uniquely identifying digital objects or files within and across libraries to integrate cataloging, retrieval, and circulation activities.
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Collection Management: Enhances accuracy in inventory control by differentiating items within collections, even when composed of multiple components like audio CD sets or artwork with sub-items.
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Systems Integration and Metadata Sharing: Acts as a standard identifier in multi-system environments, enabling consistent communication and interoperability between diverse library management software.
Related Standards
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ISO 15511: Information and documentation - International standard identifier for libraries and related organizations (ISIL) - This standard defines the identifiers for libraries and related organizations used as part of ILII.
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ISO 27730: Information and documentation - International standard collection identifier (ISCI) - Governs the identifier syntax for collections, which can be incorporated into the ILII system.
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ISO/IEC 10646: Information technology - Universal Coded Character Set (UCS) - Defines the character encoding used for the item identifier part of the ILII.
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RFC 3986: Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) syntax - Relevant for encoding ILII when used in internet-based systems where percent-encoding is necessary.
Keywords: ISO 20247, International Library Item Identifier, ILII, interlibrary loan, shared print agreement, library standards, unique item identification, ISIL, ISCI, library item tracking, library metadata standards, ISO 15511, ISO 27730, ISO/IEC 10646.
