ISO 15511:2019

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 15511
Fourth edition
2019-06
Corrected version
2019-12
Information and documentation —
International standard identifier for
libraries and related organizations
(ISIL)
Information et documentation — Identifiant international normalisé
pour les bibliothèques et les organismes apparentés (ISIL)
Reference number
©
ISO 2019
© ISO 2019
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 749 09 47
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Structure, elements and characteristics of the ISIL . 3
4.1 General . 3
4.2 Prefix . 4
4.2.1 General. 4
4.2.2 Country code . 4
4.2.3 Non-country code prefixes . 4
4.3 Unit identifier . 4
5 Administration of the ISIL system . 4
Annex A (informative) Examples of ISIL . 5
Annex B (normative) Administration of the ISIL system . 6
Bibliography . 7
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 46, Information and documentation,
Subcommittee SC 4, Technical interoperability.
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition (ISO 15511:2011), of which it constitutes a
minor revision. The changes compared to the previous edition are as follows.
— The contact information for the Registration Authority has been updated.
— The case sensitivity in ISIL codes has been clarified.
— The usage of characters in ISIL codes has been made clearer.
— The URI of the ISO 3166 country codes has been updated. The new link is to the ISO Online browsing
platform.
— The terms and definitions have been aligned with ISO 5127:2017 when applicable, and the term
organization and its definition has been added.
— The text “libraries, archives, museums, and related organizations” have been changed to “libraries
and related organizations, such as museums and archives”, in accordance with current ISO rules for
wording in standards.
— The term “ISIL identifier” has been changed to “ISIL” or in one place “ISIL code”.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
This corrected version of ISO 15511:2019 incorporates the following corrections:
— correction of 4.1, paragraph 3.
iv © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

Introduction
Communication and resource sharing among libraries and related organizations, including archives,
museums, government agencies, educational institutions and businesses, have dramatically increased.
This new collaboration has created a need for a structured, standard identifier for organizations,
especially libraries.
Due largely to the implementation of common standards which specify the formats for information
exchange within the library, archival or museum communities, millions of bibliographic records are
now available to users all over the world. They can be accessed through the internet, in virtual union
catalogues, virtual archives and museums and through other cooperative information systems, or
linked to, in whole or in part, through secondary internet services. Holdings data linked to descriptive
records provide direct access to records, to surrogates of the documents, archival records and artefacts
and to the services supplied by libraries and related organizations such as museums and archives and
agencies. A standardized identifier for the originating or holding source will effectively facilitate access
to this information.
Organizational identifiers are widely used in many countries. This document utilizes a flexible
structure that can accommodate existing identifiers and can be used to create new identifiers. This
common framework enables organizations in the same sector and organizations in parallel sectors to
collaborate.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 15511:2019(E)
Information and documentation — International standard
identifier for libraries and related organizations (ISIL)
1 Scope
This document specifies the International Standard identifier for libraries and related organizations
(ISIL), which comprises a set of standard identifiers used for the unique identification of libraries
and related organizations such as museums and archives with a minimum impact on already existing
systems.
An ISIL identifies an organization, i.e. a library or a related organization, or one of its subordinate units,
which is responsible for an action or service in an informational environment (e.g. creation of machine-
readable information). It can be used to identify the originator or holder of a resource (e.g. library
material or a collection in an archive). The ISIL is intended for use by libraries and related organizations
such as museums and archives and agencies doing business or interacting with these organizations
(e.g. suppliers, publishers, and government institutions). An ISIL identifies an organization or one of
its subordinate units throughout its life. In some cases, such as when an organization has undergone
a significant administrative change (e.g. a merger with another organization), particularly one that
results in a name change, a new ISIL can be allocated.
Since this document allows the use of existing codes to be incorporated into the ISIL, it is possible
that a given organization can have more than one ISIL. However, it is the intention of this document to
minimize the number of codes.
Any library or related organization, administrative unit or subordinate unit, acting autonomously, can
be allocated an ISIL.
An ISIL is not intended to be used to classify organizations or their services and holdings.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 3166-1, Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions — Part 1: Country codes
ISO/IEC 10646, Information technology — Universal Coded Character Set (UCS)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
administrative unit
any independent library (3.5), group of libraries, archives (3.2), museum (3.6) or other related
organization, under a single director or a single administration
3.2
archives
organization (3.7) or part of an organization responsible for selection, acquisition, preservation and
availability of one or more archives records
Note 1 to entry: Archives records are materials created or received by a person, family or organization, public
or private, in the conduct of their affairs and preserved because of the enduring value contained in them or as
evidence of the functions and responsibilities of their creator, especially those materials maintained using the
principles of provenance, of original order and of collective control.
Note 2 to entry: Archives is sometimes treated as a singular noun.
Note 3 to entry: Archives fulfil the functions of an information and documentation organization.
Note 4 to entry: Archives in their work generally follow the “principle of provenance”.
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.2.3.01, modified — Note 1 to entry has been added from ISO 5127:2017,
3.6.1.03.]
3.3
country code
code element used to represent the name of a country, dependency, or other area of particular
geopolitical interest
Note 1 to entry: Country codes are specified in ISO 3166. ISO 3166 provides alpha-2, alpha-3 and numeric-3
sets and three distinct codes [country code, country subdivision code (3.4) and code for formerly used names of
countries].
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.2.5.13]
3.4
country subdivision code
code that represents the name of the principal administrative divisions, or similar areas, of the
country, etc.
3.5
library
organization (3.7) or part of an organization, the main aim of which is to facilitate the use of such
information resources, services and facilities as are required to meet the informational, research,
educational, cultural or recreational needs of its users
Note 1 to entry: The supply of the required information resources can be accomplished by building and
maintaining a collection and/or by organizing access to information resources.
Note 2 to entry: These are the basic requirements for a library and do not exclude any additional resources and
services incidental to its main purpose.
Note 3 to entry: Libraries fulfil the functions of an information and documentation organization.
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.2.3.02, modified — Note 4 to entry has been excluded.]
3.6
museum
organization (3.7), or part of an organization, in the service of society and its development, open to the
public,
...

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 15511
Fourth edition
2019-06
Corrected version
2019-12
Information and documentation —
International standard identifier for
libraries and related organizations
(ISIL)
Information et documentation — Identifiant international normalisé
pour les bibliothèques et les organismes apparentés (ISIL)
Reference number
©
ISO 2019
© ISO 2019
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 749 09 47
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Structure, elements and characteristics of the ISIL . 3
4.1 General . 3
4.2 Prefix . 4
4.2.1 General. 4
4.2.2 Country code . 4
4.2.3 Non-country code prefixes . 4
4.3 Unit identifier . 4
5 Administration of the ISIL system . 4
Annex A (informative) Examples of ISIL . 5
Annex B (normative) Administration of the ISIL system . 6
Bibliography . 7
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 46, Information and documentation,
Subcommittee SC 4, Technical interoperability.
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition (ISO 15511:2011), of which it constitutes a
minor revision. The changes compared to the previous edition are as follows.
— The contact information for the Registration Authority has been updated.
— The case sensitivity in ISIL codes has been clarified.
— The usage of characters in ISIL codes has been made clearer.
— The URI of the ISO 3166 country codes has been updated. The new link is to the ISO Online browsing
platform.
— The terms and definitions have been aligned with ISO 5127:2017 when applicable, and the term
organization and its definition has been added.
— The text “libraries, archives, museums, and related organizations” have been changed to “libraries
and related organizations, such as museums and archives”, in accordance with current ISO rules for
wording in standards.
— The term “ISIL identifier” has been changed to “ISIL” or in one place “ISIL code”.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
This corrected version of ISO 15511:2019 incorporates the following corrections:
— correction of 4.1, paragraph 3.
iv © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved

Introduction
Communication and resource sharing among libraries and related organizations, including archives,
museums, government agencies, educational institutions and businesses, have dramatically increased.
This new collaboration has created a need for a structured, standard identifier for organizations,
especially libraries.
Due largely to the implementation of common standards which specify the formats for information
exchange within the library, archival or museum communities, millions of bibliographic records are
now available to users all over the world. They can be accessed through the internet, in virtual union
catalogues, virtual archives and museums and through other cooperative information systems, or
linked to, in whole or in part, through secondary internet services. Holdings data linked to descriptive
records provide direct access to records, to surrogates of the documents, archival records and artefacts
and to the services supplied by libraries and related organizations such as museums and archives and
agencies. A standardized identifier for the originating or holding source will effectively facilitate access
to this information.
Organizational identifiers are widely used in many countries. This document utilizes a flexible
structure that can accommodate existing identifiers and can be used to create new identifiers. This
common framework enables organizations in the same sector and organizations in parallel sectors to
collaborate.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 15511:2019(E)
Information and documentation — International standard
identifier for libraries and related organizations (ISIL)
1 Scope
This document specifies the International Standard identifier for libraries and related organizations
(ISIL), which comprises a set of standard identifiers used for the unique identification of libraries
and related organizations such as museums and archives with a minimum impact on already existing
systems.
An ISIL identifies an organization, i.e. a library or a related organization, or one of its subordinate units,
which is responsible for an action or service in an informational environment (e.g. creation of machine-
readable information). It can be used to identify the originator or holder of a resource (e.g. library
material or a collection in an archive). The ISIL is intended for use by libraries and related organizations
such as museums and archives and agencies doing business or interacting with these organizations
(e.g. suppliers, publishers, and government institutions). An ISIL identifies an organization or one of
its subordinate units throughout its life. In some cases, such as when an organization has undergone
a significant administrative change (e.g. a merger with another organization), particularly one that
results in a name change, a new ISIL can be allocated.
Since this document allows the use of existing codes to be incorporated into the ISIL, it is possible
that a given organization can have more than one ISIL. However, it is the intention of this document to
minimize the number of codes.
Any library or related organization, administrative unit or subordinate unit, acting autonomously, can
be allocated an ISIL.
An ISIL is not intended to be used to classify organizations or their services and holdings.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 3166-1, Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions — Part 1: Country codes
ISO/IEC 10646, Information technology — Universal Coded Character Set (UCS)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
administrative unit
any independent library (3.5), group of libraries, archives (3.2), museum (3.6) or other related
organization, under a single director or a single administration
3.2
archives
organization (3.7) or part of an organization responsible for selection, acquisition, preservation and
availability of one or more archives records
Note 1 to entry: Archives records are materials created or received by a person, family or organization, public
or private, in the conduct of their affairs and preserved because of the enduring value contained in them or as
evidence of the functions and responsibilities of their creator, especially those materials maintained using the
principles of provenance, of original order and of collective control.
Note 2 to entry: Archives is sometimes treated as a singular noun.
Note 3 to entry: Archives fulfil the functions of an information and documentation organization.
Note 4 to entry: Archives in their work generally follow the “principle of provenance”.
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.2.3.01, modified — Note 1 to entry has been added from ISO 5127:2017,
3.6.1.03.]
3.3
country code
code element used to represent the name of a country, dependency, or other area of particular
geopolitical interest
Note 1 to entry: Country codes are specified in ISO 3166. ISO 3166 provides alpha-2, alpha-3 and numeric-3
sets and three distinct codes [country code, country subdivision code (3.4) and code for formerly used names of
countries].
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.2.5.13]
3.4
country subdivision code
code that represents the name of the principal administrative divisions, or similar areas, of the
country, etc.
3.5
library
organization (3.7) or part of an organization, the main aim of which is to facilitate the use of such
information resources, services and facilities as are required to meet the informational, research,
educational, cultural or recreational needs of its users
Note 1 to entry: The supply of the required information resources can be accomplished by building and
maintaining a collection and/or by organizing access to information resources.
Note 2 to entry: These are the basic requirements for a library and do not exclude any additional resources and
services incidental to its main purpose.
Note 3 to entry: Libraries fulfil the functions of an information and documentation organization.
[SOURCE: ISO 5127:2017, 3.2.3.02, modified — Note 4 to entry has been excluded.]
3.6
museum
organization (3.7), or part of an organization, in the service of society and its development, open to the
public,
...