2013/
UNIMARC Authority Change Proposal
Date of proposal:
Source of proposal:
2013/
March 15 2013
CfU (CfU id.: FR-CfU-2012-A-isni)
This proposal is submitted by the BnF that, together with
the British Library, represents the CENL in the ISNI-IA
(ISNI International Agency).
Type of proposal:
Addition
Change
Deletion
Field(s) / Subfield(s)
affected:
Content of proposal:
010 (new field)
2XX, 4XX, 5XX
Record the international standard identifier – ISNI in the
Authority records.
Rationale for proposal:
Following up the decisions taken at the 21st meeting of the
PUC, held in Lyon in 2010 (reference: 2009/15)
“2009/15: U/B 700, 701, 702, 710, 711, 712, 720, 721, 722.
$o
International standard identifier for the name
The ISNI or other international identifier assigned to the
name recorded in the field. The first four character
positions contain an alphabetic code specifying the nature
of the identifier; in the case of an ISNI, this code
corresponds to the letters preceding the number.
Repeatable.
Accepted.
A corresponding proposal for UNIMARC/Authorities is
needed. (Action: CfU)”
Comments:
See also MARC21 approved proposal (reference 2010-06)
History/status:
Page 1 of 3
2013/
PA
GE
2
ISNI IN THE AUTHORITY RECORDS
Rationale for proposal
This proposal is in compliance with the decisions taken in the 21st meeting of the PUC, held in Lyon in 2010
(reference: 2009/15)
ISNI and the Libraries in a networking environment
In November 2011, the International ISNI Agency (ISNI-IA) launched its database. The database currently
includes 5,4 million identities with assigned ISNI status together with rich metadata comprising names, name
variants, script and transliteration variants and pseudonyms along with associated works, institutions, affiliations
and other distinguishing data. It includes creators in all roles and supporting roles such as authors, artists,
composers, performers, translators, illustrators, researchers, producers, editors and aggregators.
The value of ISNI is being recognized in the Web environment as one of the key persistent identifiers facilitating
the trusted and seamless linking of resources across domains. The ISNI-IA is encouraging widespread diffusion
and adoption of ISNIs. To this end, the core metadata is freely available for viewing via the web site
(http://www.isni.org). Guidelines for using the search API are also available and downloadable. To access the
search API, the command http://isni.oclc.nl/sru/DB=1.2/ will lead to the SRU explain record that outlines the
capabilities. Linked Data features are being introduced to the system.
Data from VIAF, the Virtual International Authority File created by OCLC Research from authority data
harvested from 33 of the world’s major libraries, is at the heart of ISNI. The close relationship of ISNI and
VIAF is bringing significant benefits to both systems. More than 16 million authority records from VIAF have
been re-structured and loaded to the ISNI database as the base data against which data from other ISNI
contributors is matched.
Those who contribute data to VIAF will receive ISNIs via VIAF for the records that are assigned. Currently this
is about 33% of the VIAF records in ISNI.
Integration of ISNI in UNIMARC Authorities
According to the cataloguing practices and rules of the agency, or due to legacy data, an authority record for a
person may contain names related to only one public identity (the most frequent case) or to more than one public
identity. To cope with those different situations we propose the following solution for ISNI in UNIMARC
Authorities:
For authority records that describe only one identity
The 010 field, in the Identification block, is intended to contain the ISNI assigned by the ISNI-IA to the identity
represented by the name in the 200 field
There will be no ISNI associated specifically to the 400 fields (and 700) in the same authority record.
When the access point of the authority record that contains a 010 field (while establishing a link between two
authority records) is transferred to the 500 access points of another record, the number contained in the 010 field
of the first record will also be transferred in a new devoted subfield $o.
When the access point of the authority record that contains a 010 field (while establishing a link between two
authority records) is transferred to the 7XX access points devoted to personal names in a related bibliographic
record, the number contained in the 010 field of the first record will also be transferred in a new devoted subfield
$o.
For authority records that describe more than one identity
In such records the identity represented by the name in 200 field is different from the identity represented in 400
fields. In more complex cases the record might contain multiple identities, each represented by a separate field
(one 200 field and two or more 400 fields).
Page 2 of 3
2013/
PA
GE the ISNI associated with one of the identities
The 010 field will be repeated. Each 010 field will contain
2
represented in the record (in 200 and in 400 fields).
The interfield linking data subfield $6 will allow to link the appropriate 010 field containing the ISNI number
representing an identity to the 400 field containing the name representing that same identity. Note that $6
subfield has to be made repeatable to cater for the case when an ISNI is linked to a name that is recorded in more
than one script (hence in more than one field).
Note that when a link between two authority records concerns an identity represented in a 4XX field of one
record (or both), the UNIMARC format does not permit such a link, as while establishing a link between two
authority records only the name contained in the 200 field of one record can be transferred in the 500 linking
field of the other record.
Page 3 of 3
2013/
PA
GE
2
010 INTERNATIONAL STANDARD NAME IDENTIFIER (ISNI)
Field Definition
This field contains the International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI). This International Standard identifies
public identities of parties, i.e. the identities used publicly by parties involved throughout the media content
industries in the creation, production, management and content distribution chains.
Occurrence
Optional. Repeatable
Indicators
Indicator 1: blank (not defined)
Indicator 2: blank (not defined)
Subfields
$a
Number (ISNI)
A correctly applied ISNI as a compact 16 digits number (without blank spaces). Not repeatable.
Mandatory unless $z is present.
$y
Cancelled ISNI
This includes any ISNI that was formerly valid but which has been cancelled by the ISNI Assignment
Agency. Repeatable
$z
Erroneous ISNI
An erroneous ISNI that has been identified as being erroneously applied to an identity or is otherwise
invalid. It may have been allocated to two different identities and in this instance cancelled. Repeatable
Control subfields
$6
Interfield linking data
Use in cases of multiple identities occurring in the same record, i.e. when the 010 field is repeated.
Used to link the 010 field containing an ISNI number with the 200 or 400 field containing the name to be
associated with that ISNI number. Repeatable.
Note on Field Contents
The ISNI is used for the unique identification of public identities of parties, i.e. the identities used publicly by
parties involved throughout the media content industries in the creation, production, management and content
distribution chains. It is assigned, in accordance with ISO 27729, by the ISNI Assignment Agency, in a
centralized way.
An ISNI is a “dumb” number, of which no meaning shall be embedded in, conveyed by or imputed to any part or
subset of the number.
According to the provisions of ISO 27729:
- a party may have more than one public identity, each identified by a separate ISNI;
- the same ISNI shall be allocated to one and only one public identity of a party;
- alternative spellings, alternative presentations, character set variances, script variances and linguistic variances
do not by themselves justify the allocation of different ISNIs
Data format
ISNI consists of 15 digits followed by a check character.
Page 4 of 3
2013/
PA
The check character may be either a decimal digit or theGE
character “X” and shall be calculated using the
2 7064, MOD11-2 algorithm.
preceding 15 decimal digits in accordance with the ISO/IEC
The 16 digits of the number are entered in a compact form, without blank spaces, either punctuation, and not
preceded by the letters ISNI.
When an ISNI is displayed in a human-readable format it shall be preceded by the letters ISNI, separated from
the identifier by a space, and the 16 digits shall be displayed as four blocks of four digits, with each block
separated from the next by a space.
The number is actionable, resolvable as follows: http://www.isni.org/isniXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Related fields
200 AUTHORIZED ACCESS POINT - PERSONAL NAME
210 AUTHORIZED ACCESS POINT – CORPORATE BODY NAME
400 VARIANT ACCESS POINT – PERSONAL NAME
410 VARIANT ACCESS POINT – CORPORATE BODY NAME
500 RELATED ACCESS POINT – PERSONAL NAME
510 RELATED ACCESS POINT – CORPORATE BODY NAME
Examples
EX 1
010 ## $a0000000120300340
200 #1 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aVargas$bFred$f1957-....
300 0# $aArchéologue. - Auteur de romans policiers
The record contains only one identity.
EX 2
010 ## $a0000000121035067
200 #1 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aLévi-Strauss$bClaude$f1908-2009
300 0# $aPhilosophe et anthropologue. - Membre de l'Académie française (élu en 1974)
400 #1 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aStrauss$bClaude Lévi-$f1908-2009
400 #1 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aLévy-Strauss$bClaude$f1908-2009
400 #1 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aStrauss$bClaude Lévy-$f1908-2009
The record contains only one identity. The forms of the name contained in the 400 fields represent alternative
spellings and presentations of the name, which do not by themselves justify the allocation of different ISNIs.
EX 3
Page 5 of 3
2013/
PA
GE
010 ## $6z01200 $a0000000121434842
2
010 ## $6z02400 $a0000000368645393
200 #1 $6z01010 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aGracq$bJulien$f1910-2007
400 #1 $6z02010 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aPoirier$bLouis$f1910-2007
The record contains two different identities of the same person: one represented by the real name of the person
entered in this case in the 400 field, the other by a pseudonym entered in the 200 field. Each of these identities
has its own ISNI in a dedicated 010 field. The link between each of the ISNIs and its associated identity (in
200 or in 400 field), is made by means of the $6 subfield.
EX 4
001FRBNF120583593
010 ## $a0000000120300340
200 #1 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aVargas$bFred$f1957-....
300 0# $aArchéologue. - Auteur de romans policiers
500 #1 $3120572294$7ba0yba0y$8fre$aAudoin-Rouzeau$bFrédérique$f1957-.... $o000000036862981X
001FRBNF120572294
010 ## $a000000036862981X
200 #1 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aAudoin-Rouzeau$bFrédérique$f1957-....
300 0# $aArchéozoologue. - Membre de l'ERA 38 du Centre de recherches archéologiques du CNRS de
Sophia-Antipolis, Alpes de Haute-Provence et de l'URA 1415 (en 1991). - Connue également comme
auteur de romans policiers sous le pseudonyme "Vargas, Fred (1957-....)"
400 #1 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aRouzeau$bFrédérique Audoin-$f1957-....
400 #1 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aAudouin-Rouzeau$bFrédérique$f1957-....
400 #1 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aRouzeau$bFrédérique Audouin-$f1957-....
500 #1 $3120583593$7ba0yba0y$8fre$aVargas$bFred$f1957-....$o0000000120300340
Each of the two records above contains a separate identity for the same person. Each record contains one 010
field for the ISNI associated with the identity represented in the record. Both records are linked by 500 fields.
The ISNI contained in the 010 field of one record is also contained in the 500 field of the other record (in $o
subfield).
EX 5
010 ## $a0000000121068125
210 02 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aLondon school of economics and political science
410 02 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aLSE
410 02 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aLondon school of economics
410 02 $7ba0yba0y$8fre$aUniversity of London$bLondon school of economics and political science
Field 010 contains the ISNI assigned to the organization.
Page 6 of 3