|
January 2008
Arnold Broido passed away
We received the sad news of the passing of Arnold Broido who was one
of the active supporters of the International Standard Music Number.

Quoted from HFA Soundcheck (November 2007)
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November 2007
ISMN Newsletter 17 appeared
The ISMN Newsletter 17 presenting the results of the First General Assembly
of the Internationale ISMN-Agentur e.V. and the Panel Meeting in Oslo
can be downloaded here.
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November 2007
Standard revision will become effective as of 1 January 2008
Guidelines for the Implementation of 13-digit ISMNs
We hope that you are aware of the current revision of the ISMN standard
(ISO 10957) and the important changes that will be made in the number
structure of the ISMN system. The Guidelines
for the Implementation of 13-digit ISMNs are intended to provide you
with information and advice concerning the changes in the number and the
effect that this will have on notated music sector systems.
Major changes to be aware of, and addressed by the guidelines, include
the following:
- The ISMN will change from 10 to 13 digits on 1 January 2008
- There will be a transition period of several months, but by end of
2008 all publications of notations should be listed with the 13-digit
number
- Existing ISMNs will be prefixed by 979-
- The leading M- of the 10-digit ISMNs will be replaced by 0- (zero)
- The resulting 13-digit number will be identical with the EAN-13 number
that is currently encoded in the bar code
- Bar codes will carry the 13-digit ISMN with hyphenation above the
barcode and the EAN-13, the identical number without hyphens or spaces,
below the bar code
We hope that you will find the guidelines helpful and encourage you
to distribute them as widely as possible. Any queries, requests for further
guidance or suggestions for additional material should be addressed to
the International ISMN Agency, E-mail: ismn@ismn-international.org
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Guidelines for local ISMN agencies on the Implementation of 13-digit
ISMNs
The guidelines for local ISMN agencies on the Implementation of 13-digit
ISMNs are available as a PDF-file here
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ISMN Users' Manual (Fourth edition 2008)
The ISMN Users' Manual for the new standard that will be used from 2008
will be available on this website as a pdf document by early 2008
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ISO/TC 46/SC 9 Project 10957: Revision of the ISMN standard
The International Standard Music Number (ISMN) is based on an ISO International
Standard that was first published in 1993 as ISO 10957.
ISO 10957 specifies the basic structure of an ISMN, the rules for its
allocation, and the administration of the ISMN system. ISO 10957 is currently
under revision to deal with changes to the ISMN system. For further information
concerning the project status of the revision please contact the following
URL:
http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=43173
Copies of ISO 10957 will be available for purchase from the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) and its national member organizations.
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September 2007
Outlook on standard revision 2008
It is expected that by January 2008 the ISO TC46 SC9 vote on the ISMN
Draft International Standard (DIS) will have approved positive and the
revised Standard will have been published both in English and French.
One of the most important features of the new version of the Standard
is the transition from 10 to 13 digits. In practical terms it means that
the initial "M" will be replaced by 979-0 while the check digit will remain
unchanged.
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August 2007
Miscellaneous news from August 2007
- Axel Roepke, our long time database administrator suddenly died. For
more than 15 years he had worked for the ISBN and ISMN publisher directories.
We will miss his kindness, advice and great expertise.
- IFLA Conference in South Africa. ISMN report given at the Conference
of Directors of National libraries.
- Finalizing of ISMN DIS.
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July 2007
Change of the Secretary of the Association
As of 1 July 2007, Dr. Ulrich Wegner left the International ISMN Agency.
Carolin Unger, who had already worked for ISMN in the 1990ies and, since
1991, for the International ISBN Agency is his successor .
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June 2007
Update on the ISMN Revision porcess, a circular sent to the ISMN agencies
on 8 June 2007
"ISMN News - ISMN Panel On May 31 and June 1, 2007, the annual ISMN Panel
took place in Oslo, Norway, by kind invitation of the National Library
of Norway. It also served as the Annual general meeting of the newly formed
ISMN association (International ISMN Agency).
The proceedings will be published in the form of a newsletter, as usually.
Two subjects will be mentioned here already in order to speed up the flow
of information:
- ISMN Revision
The ISMN Standard ISO 10957 has been under revision for some time. On
March 30, 2007, the voting period for the ISO CD ended, and it turned
out that vote was 100% positive. A number of countries made numerous remarks
and suggestions, and on May 9, 2007, in the context of the ISO TC46 meeting
at Santiago de Compostela, Spain, an ad hoc working group chaired by Hartmut
Walravens (International ISMN Agency) answered the comments and amended
the CD. As a result, the amended version was forwarded to the SC9 secretariat,
and ISO TC46/SC 9 resolved "that CD 10957, Information and Documentation,
International Standard Music Number (ISMN), as modified by the descisions
of the Ad Hoc Group meeting held 2007-05-09, should be advanced to the
Enquiry stage for distribution and voting as DIS 10957 by 30 June 2007."
The French colleagues promised to have the required French translation
ready by that date. This is a big step forward, and it is now the time
to alert the ISMN and the user communities that hopefully by the end of
this year the official implementation of the revised standard will be
an urgent task. This means that ISMN agencies should develop strategies
to spread the news in their respective countries, inform the music publisher
organisations, distributors and wholesalers, teleordering systems, software
developers, and, of course, the music libraries about this development.
This is particularly important as by the extension to 13 digits ISMN will
even more obviously than so far use the 979 EAN prefix, and many users
worldwide may consider this simply a wrong number - they expect ISBN to
start on the 979 contingents some time in the future, and they may not
be aware that 979 is also used by ISMN. So in order to avoid obstacles
to electronic transactions it will be very important to make this very
clear to all user communities.
When in doubt please contact the International ISMN Agency.
- Membership Dues
The Panel approved the proposed list of membership contributions after
careful consideration. It was agreed that the combination of the criteria
of overall annual music publications and the GNI (purchasing power of
a country) were a suitable way of determining the quota. If members are
unhappy with the published data they are asked to contact the International
ISMN Agency and provide more reliable data and their sources.
The ISMN Panel resolved:
*********
The General Assembly resolves:
The annual membership fee of a member country or region of the Internationale
ISMN-Agentur e.V. will be calculated on the basis of (1) the output of
editions of printed music in a certain year, and (2) the figure for the
Gross National Income (per capita, method Purchasing Power Parity [PPP])
for the same year. A multiplication of both figures leads to a number
which is to be matched with the following payment ranges:
|
€
|
Output x GNI
|
|
100
|
0-500
|
|
250
|
501-1000
|
|
500
|
1001-5000
|
|
750
|
5001-10000
|
|
1000
|
10001-20000
|
|
2000
|
20001-50000
|
|
3000
|
50001-75000
|
|
4000
|
75001-100000
|
|
5000
|
100001-125000
|
|
6000
|
125001-150000
|
|
7000
|
150001-175000
|
|
8000
|
175001-200000
|
|
9000
|
200001-225000
|
|
10000
|
225001-250000
|
|
11000
|
250001-275000
|
|
12000
|
275001-300000
|
Figures will be updated on a yearly basis.
All members have to pay membership fees without exception as stated in
the Statutes. If for economical reasons they are unable to pay, the Internationale
ISMN-Agentur e.V. will investigate each individual case and the General
Assembly will decide on further procedures. The same applies when objections
are raised against the amount of the contribution.
******** .
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May 2007
The ISMN Panel meeting in Oslo, Norway
On 31 May - 1 June the 15th ISMN Panel meeting took place at the Nasjonalbiblioteket
of Norway. At the same time, this was the 1st meeting of the ISMN General
Assembly, following the regulations of the new association structure.
The participants were kindly invited by Berit Holth, head of the Norwegian
ISMN Agency who had organised the meeting splendidly.
The main topic of discussion was, of course, the ISMN revision process
and the calculation of membership fees. Also, there were two very interesting
reports, one from Hilde Holbæk-Hanssen, senior Advisor of the Music Information
Center MIC on "MIC in Norway - Coping with a lack of Domestic Music Publishing
Industry". The other report was given by a representative of the music
publishing company NOTAM, a production centre for work with sound in music,
research, education and mediation.
A detailed report about the meeting will be published in the ISMN Newsletter
No. 17. For an update on the ISMN standard revision process and the calculation
of membership fees see June 2007 .
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May 2007
Revision of the ISMN Standard
The ballot for the committee draft of ISO 10957 ended on 31 March and
yielded full approval, except for some minor editorial comments regarding
proper grammar, terminology etc. In May, an ad hoc working meeting in
Santiago de Compostela, Spain, with colleagues from ISO, Geneva, took
place and revised the Committee Draft by addressing all comments.
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April 2007
Singapore, a new ISMN member country
The National Library of Singapore decided to introduce the ISMN in Singapore
and registered as the national agency as of 1 April 2007. Singapore is
the third Southeast-Asian country to join the ISMN community .
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April 2007
A new office for the International ISMN Agency
The Internationale ISMN-Agentur e.V. moved from the State Library Berlin
- Prussian Cultural Foundation - to a new office. The address is:
Internationale ISMN-Agentur e.V.
Schlossstr. 50
12165 Berlin
Fon +49-30-7974 5002
Fax +49-30-7974 5254
e-mail: ismn@ismn-international.org
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March 2007
Kazakhstan, a new ISMN member country
The National Book Chamber in Almaty signs the contract for acting as
ISMN Agency in Kazakhstan.
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February 2007
Belgium, a new ISMN member country
Partitor vzw, the Belgium Music Publishers Association, decided to introduce
the ISMN in Belgium and signed a contract with the International Agency.
This seems the more a promising development for the dissemination of the
ISMN in Belgium as the scope of work of Partitor covers both the Flemish
and the Walloon areas of the country.
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November 2006
The new Association, the standard revision: the state of affairs
Dear Colleagues,
Finally I have ISMN news for you – some good, some bad, or let’s say,
less good.
The good news first: After several months of bureaucratic struggles
the new International ISMN Agency is finally registered as an association
under German law. The current (interim) board consists of Dr. Joachim
Jaenecke (State Library, deputy chair), Dr. Bettina von Seyfried (German
Music Archives, treasurer), and myself (chair). Building on the experience
of ISBN we decided to start the association with German members only –
not as a discrimination but in order to shorten the registration formalities:
Nowadays the courts suspect you always of trying to establish money laundries,
or other odd activities, and therefore they check very thoroughly.
The next step is to establish an account, and get some other formalities
taken care of. Very soon I shall send all of you a form stating that you
(i.e. your institution) become member of the International ISMN Agency
and that the existing contracts remain valid. Actually, the Agency remains
the same, the address the same, the people the same – it is just that
the Agency will no longer be an integral part of the State Library but
will just have its office. Therefore I assume that the signing of an additional
form seems the easiest way to handle the matter. Will your administrations
have difficulty with that?
You are all aware of the next ISMN Panel to be hosted by the National
Library of Norway, at the end of May, 2007. That will then be the first
Annual General Assembly as prescribed by law.
The second news item is less positive. Some of you have been asking for
a while how the standard revision is going on. No progress, unfortunately!
The year started auspiciously: At the ISO TC46/SC9 meeting we discussed
an improved Committee Draft, and things looked good. Then the secretary
of SC9 took the notes with her to Paris (in April), to an ISSN meeting,
to work on it during the weekend. At the dinner in the evening (at a restaurant)
the notes were stolen!! Since then the secretary has tried to reconstruct
the draft but also got other work to do in her library, owing to a restructuring
of operations. I keep sending regular notes to Ottawa to remind poor Jane
Thacker of our needs. Brian Green, chair of SC9, emphasized our desperate
needs by phone…
Unfortunately, before the missing draft has not been voted upon, we cannot
make any definitive statement on the future standard --- We keep at it
– and things can now only get better!!
Best wishes,
Hartmut Walravens
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October 2006
The new ISMN Association registered
On 31 October 2006, the new Association "Internationale ISMN-Agentur
e.V." has been registered by the district court in Berlin. The Inaugural
Assembly had taken place on June 29.
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September 2006
ISMN Newsletter 16 appeared
The ISMN Newsletter 16 presenting the results of the Panel Meeting in
Helsinki can be downloaded here.
A printed version will soon be on its way.
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September 2006
First announcement: ISMN Panel Meeting 2007
The 15th International ISMN Panel Meeting will take place in Oslo at
the kind invitation of Berit Holth and the Norwegian ISMN Agency. The
meeting is scheduled for May 31 and June 1.
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June 2006
New ISMN governance: The "Internationale ISMN-Agentur e.V."
founded!
On June 29, 2006, the Inaugural Assembly of the "Internationale
ISMN-Agentur e.V." took place. The Statutes were accepted and an
Interim Board elected. Board members are: Dr. Hartmut Walravens (Chair
Person), Dr. Joachim Jaenecke (Vice Chair Person), and Dr. Bettina von
Seyfried (Treasurer). National ISMN Agencies will be asked to become members
of this new Association. The first regular General Assembly will be held
during the 15th International ISMN Panel Meeting in Oslo in May/June 2007.
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June 2006
The 14th International ISMN Panel Meeting in Helsinki
On June 8-9, 2006, the 14th International ISMN Panel Meeting took place
in Helsinki at the Helsinki University Library at the invitation of the
Finnish ISMN Agency which is headed by Maarit Huttunen.
Discussions focussed on the institutional changes which are on their
way with respect to the International ISMN Agency. The foundation of a
membership association will not only concern the institutional setting
of the International Agency, but touch on the status of the national or
regional ISMN agencies as well. On the basis of the existing bilateral
contracts, agencies are supposed to become members; membership fees will
have to be recalculated based on a new method considering the gross national
product (GNP) and the average output of editions of notated music in a
specific country. It was decided that the membership fees paid in the
past will not be changed for 2006 and 2007, until the first regular General
Assembly during the 2007 ISMN Panel Meeting will decide on a new payment
scheme.
The revision of the ISMN standard, the change from the ISMN-10 to the
ISMN-13, was only addressed shortly as, for a variety of reasons, the
revision process is not making much progress at the moment.
Two interesting papers were presented: Pekka Sipilä, Managing Director
of the Finnish Music Publishers' Association, discussed the use of the
ISMN in online licensing; Timo Virtanen presented the Jean Sibelius project,
the publication of Jean Sibelius's complete works at Breitkopf & Härtel.
A detailed report about the meeting will be published in the ISMN Newsletter
No. 16.
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February 2006
Detailed ISMN statistics from the Spanish ISMN Agency
In the framework of the "Anuario de Estadísticas Culturales 2005,"
detailed statistics about the ISMN music publishers and their editions
of notated music in Spain were published covering the years 2003-2004.
In the chapter about "Artes escénicas y musicales" statistical
data are given about the musical genres, editorial formats, the numer
of pages, the print run, etc. of the published musical notations. For
a closer look at the statistics, click here.
For an online version of the complete "Anuario", please log
on to http://www.mcu.es/jsp/
plantilla_wai.jsp?id=566&area=estadisticas.
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February 2006
ISMN standard revision: The results of the TC46/SC9 meeting in Chiang
Mai, Thailand, in brief
At the TC46/SC9 meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on February 7, 2006,
the Working Draft (TC46/SC9 document N409), agreed upon by the participants
of the ISMN Panel Meeting in Zagreb (May 2005), was evaluated in the light
of the comments and suggestions which the TC46/SC9 members had put forward
while voting on this draft document.
In the light of the fact that two of the members had questioned a separate
standard number for editions of notated music, Dr. Walravens, the Director
of the International ISMN Agency, explained the differences between the
book market and the market for printed music necessitating separate numbering
standards for both types of print product.
The results of the discussion in Chiang Mai will lead to a Committee
Draft (CD) which will be drawn up and disseminated by the TC46/SC9 secretariat
soon. There will be a voting period of three months. With the acceptance
of the CD by the voting members of TC46/SC9, a Draft International Standard
(DIS) will be reached. If no more general objections against the ISMN
standard or parts of the Committee Draft will be raised, it is hoped that
the revision process of the ISMN standard will proceed according to a
"fast track" mode.
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February 2006
The Russian Book Chamber takes over ISMN responsibilities
The Russian Book Chamber signed
a contract with the International ISMN Agency laying the foundations for
the opening of an ISMN office in Russia. Both parties consider this an
important step towards a worldwide dissemination of the ISMN! Running
the Russian ISBN office since 1987. the Russian Book Chamber is well experienced
in handling numbering standards. In March 2006, a seminar dealing with
the ISMN and its potentials will be organized in Moscow for Russian music
publishers with Dr. Walravens, Director of the International ISMN Agency,
holding the key paper.
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January 2006
ISMN standard revision. Start of the revision process
The revision process of the ISO standard 10957:1993 (ISMN) has officially
been started! The TC46/SC9 Secretariat informed the International ISMN
Agency that the national standard institutions of all participating countries
(P-members) voted in favor of an approval of a New Work Item 10957. The
Secretariat appointed Dr. Hartmut Walravens as project leader of this
Work Item. Furthermore, the draft of the standard text, discussed and
agreed upon during the ISMN Panel Meeting in Zagreb, May 2005, was approved
as Committee Draft (CD). The discussions of the New Work Item will begin
during the TC46/SC9 meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on February 7, 2006.
On this occasion, Dr. Walravens will suggest to follow a relatively tight
schedule ("fast track") during the revision process heading for a publication
of the revised standard text in 2007. Details will be given after the
hopefully successful meeting!
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December 2005
First notice:14th International ISMN Panel Meeting
The 14th International ISMN Panel Meeting will take place on June 8 and
9, 2006, in Helsinki. Our kind host will be Ms. Maarit Huttunen, the head
of the Finnish
ISMN Agency.
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30 November 2005
MPA Catalogue of Printed Music & ISMNs
The Music Publishers Association is very pleased to announce that it
is joining forces with DE-PARCON GmbH to work on the development and expansion
of the MPA's Catalogue of Printed Music.
DE-PARCON, a software technology company based in Hürth near Cologne
in Germany, has already developed IDNV (International Database for Printed
Music) for the German Music Publishers Association and the German Music
Retailers Association. IDNV has been working successfully for the German
printed music industry for several years and the partnership with DE-PARCON
offers an excellent opportunity for the MPA to take advantage of building
on a pre-existing system which already fulfils many of the requirements
sought to take its own Catalogue forward and to streamline the administration
of ISMNs in the UK and Eire.
The decision to proceed with DE-PARCON is fully supported by members
of the MPA's Board and Printed Music Publishers Committee. Final negotiations
between the two partners are already in hand and work on the new system
is now under way. The MPA will launch the revamped Catalogue in its new
online format in Spring 2006.
We shall keep you informed of progress but in the meantime please contact
Mrs Lois Clark or Herr Wolfram Krajewski if you require further information.
Mrs Lois Clark Editor,
MPA Catalogue
Managing Partner Music Publishers Association Ltd
New contact details from 5 December 2005:
6th Floor, British Music House
26 Berners Street
London W1T 3LR, UK
Direct Tel: +44 (0)20 7637 4052
Fax: +44 (0)20 7637 3929
Email: lclark@mpaonline.org.uk
Herr Wolfram Krajewski
DE-PARCON GmbH
Kalscheurener Straße 8
D - 50354 Hürth Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)2233 - 804 100
Fax: +49 (0)2233 - 804 1030
Email: wk@de-parcon.net
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July 2005
New work item proposal for the revision of the ISMN circulated for voting
The proposal for a new work item which includes the Working Draft of
the revised standard text as agreed upon during the ISMN Panel Meeting
in Zagreb was circulated among the P-members of TC 46 / SC 9 for voting.
Members are requested to vote on the adoption of the proposal as a new
project and on the adoption of the associated draft as a Committee Draft
(CD).
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July 2005
The Philippines and Bosnia & Herzegovina join the ISMN system
A contract was signed with the National Library of the Philippines and
the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina paving the
way for the introduction of the ISMN in these two countries.
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May 2005
The 13th ISMN Panel Meeting in Zagreb
On May 19-20, the 13th ISMN Panel Meeting took place in Zagreb at the
National and University Library on the occassion of the 10th anniversary
of the Croatian membership in the ISMN system.
The revision of the ISMN standard was the major topic of this meeting.
A first draft of the revised standard text presented by the International
Agency was the point of departure for an extended discussion of the regulations
laid down in the text for ISO 10957. The second draft which was agreed
upon in Zagreb and is supposed to be submitted to the ISO TC46 /SC 9 secretariat
takes into account the new 13-digit structure of the ISMN and the increased
importance of virtual items offered in the Internet as digital notations.
The term "printed music" is supposed to be substituted by "notated
music." Furthermore, it was announced that the institutional status
of the International ISMN Agency will have to change within the next few
months.
Post-panel activities included a visit at the music department of the
National and University Library and at "Cantus" music publishers.
A detailed report about the meeting will be published in the ISMN Newsletter
No. 15. For a photo gallery click here.
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May 2005
A new French and Spanish version of the ISMN flyer
The ISMN flyer introducing into the ISMN system appeared in French and
Spanish. A PDF version of both documents can be downloaded here (fr.
/ sp.).
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April 2005
Third, revised edition of the ISMN Users' Manual appeared
Based on the third edition of the ISMN Users' Manual from 1998, a revised
edition has been published with minor additions and corrections. For a
download of a PDF version of the manual, click here.
If you want to order printed copies, please send us an e-mail.
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December 2004
New ISMN agency in Macedonia
The music department of the National and University Library "St. Kliment
Ohridski" in Skopje will administer the ISMN in the Republic of Macedonia
from 2005 on.
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November 2004
Systematic review of ISMN standard
The systematic review of the ISMN standard which takes place every four
years resulted in eleven members voting in favour of confirmation and
five members voting in favour of a revision of the standard. Therefore,
ISO 10957 could not be confirmed. The TC46 / SC 9 secretariat requested
the International ISMN Agency as the Registration Authority to decide
on the appropriate course of action. This request paved the way for the
International Agency to initiate a revision process which is supposed
to lead - in accordance with decisions made at the 12th ISMN Panel Meeting
in Berlin - to a new 13-digit format of the ISMN.
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November 2004
The Iran Book House implementing the ISMN in Iran
From December 1 on, the Iran Book House (Khan-e ketab) in Tehran will
function as the new Iranian ISMN Agency. The contract was signed during
the ISBN panel meeting in Berlin. The Iran Book House is of central importance
for the publishing market in Iran, has been organizing exhibitions and
conferences and administering the ISBN since 1994.
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August 2004
Extended version of ISMN CD-ROM
The text of the CD-ROM publication "ISMN. The New Standard"--available
in English, French, German, Spanish, Czech, and Serbian - was enlarged
with an additional chapter on ISMN applications.
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Next edition of MPIID postponed
The 2004 edition of the "Music Publishers' International ISMN Directory"
appeared at the end of 2003. Although the MPIID had been conceived as
a yearly publication, K. G. Saur publishers decided to refrain from a
2005 edition for two reasons: first, the copies of the 2004 directory
did not sell as expected and, second, the International ISMN Agency had
to declare that it is not in a position to finance all editorial work
for the publishing house any more. Negotiations about the future of the
MPIID were scheduled for 2005
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May 2004
The 12th ISMN Panel Meeting in Berlin
The 12th International ISMN Panel Meeting took place in Berlin on May
3, 2004, by invitation of the International ISMN Agency. The venue was
the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
In a round table discussion ("The First Ten Years of the ISMN. Retrospects
and Prospects"), music librarians, music publishers and ISMN representatives
critically reviewed the progress the ISMN has been made during the last
decade. In two major contributions, Brian Chesser and Berit Holth informed
about music databases, catalogues and Internet applications at the British
Library and in Norway respectively. Will the ISBN standard revision necessitate
a major change of the ISMN as well? It was discussed if - like ISBN -
the ISMN should change to 13 digits using the EAN prefix 979 in order
to harmonize the two similar identification systems and avoid practical
problems. The participants consented unanimously in favour of this proposal.
Post-panel activities on May 4 included a guided tour of the Deutsche
Musikarchiv (DMA) in Berlin and the German National Broadcasting Archives
(Deutsches Rundfunkarchiv, DRA). For a detailed report about the meeting's
presentations and discussions in ISMN Newsletter No. 14 click here.
For a picture gallery click here.
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May 2004
A new flyer about the ISMN
A new flyer introducing the International Standard Music Number was published
by the International ISMN Agency. A PDF version is available for download
here.
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December 2003
10th Anniversary of the ISMN
Ten years ago, at the end of 1993, the new standard for printed music
was published by ISO in Geneva, after draft versions of the standard text
had been processed by ISO working groups at a fast pace. Since then, 44
countries or regions have joined the ISMN system, and 1,700 publishers
of printed music are applying the number world-wide. For the future, it
is expected that new applications which smoothly integrate a given ISMN
into editorial, pre-print and distributional workflows will further underline
the importance of this standard and its potentials.
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December 2003
New version of ISMN CD-ROM in Serbian
The CD-ROM published by the International ISMN Agency ("ISMN.
The New Standard") was supplemented by a version in Serbian.
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December 2003
New edition of the "Music Publishers' International ISMN Directory"
The fifth edition of the MPIID appeared at K. G. Saur Publishing in Munich.
First published in 1996, the MPIID serves as an indispensable tool for
the market of printed music world-wide. The 2004 edition of the directory
offers an increase in data of about 20% compared with the last edition.
Addresses and contact numbers of 17,800 publishers in 99 countries are
listed, among them 1,700 digital suppliers.
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December 2003
Azerbaijan, a new ISMN member
Khazar University in Baku decided to introduce the ISMN in Azerbaijan.
The university's Library Information Center (LIC) plans to build a national
bilbiographic database of all music prints in Azerbaijan based on the
Khazar University electronic catalogue. With this digital catalogue, it
will be possible to research and obtain music information quickly and
easily. An efficient search engine will offer information about composers,
songs, titles, prices, ISMNs, etc.
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August 2003
Preparation for the fifth edition of the MPIID
In preparing the fifth edition of the Music Publishers' International
ISMN Directory (MPIID), we focused even more on the reliability of published
data, indispensible for any serious directory project. In addition to
the information updates and supplements offered by the local and national
ISMN agencies and other libraries and institutions able to deliver pertinent
information to the editorial office, the International ISMN Agency undertook
the task of contacting all 15,600 publishers directly. Publishers were
asked to check their address data and to specify the areas of musical
activity covered by their publications of printed music. In introducing
such content criteria into the data survey, it is hoped that the efficiency
of any attempt to retrieve data, with the help of one of the future editions
of the MPIID, will be raised.
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July 2003
A new local ISMN agency in the Republika Srpska
From now on, the National and University Library of the Republic of Srpska
in Banjaluka will take on the responsibility of handling the ISMN matters
in Srpska.
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May 2003
A new local ISMN agency in Serbia
The National Library of Serbia signed a contract with the International
ISMN Agency which regulates the responsibilities with respect to the introduction
and dissemination of the ISMN in Serbia. Library representatives expressed
their interest in organizing the 2004 ISMN Panel Meeting in Belgrade.
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May 2003
The 11th ISMN Panel Meeting in Ljubljana
The 11th ISMN Panel Meeting took place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on May
16 2003, by invitation of the Slovenian ISMN Agency. The venue was the
National and University Library. The kind hostess of this meeting was
Alenka Kanic, head of the Slovenian ISMN Agency. The warm reception by
her, her co-workers, and the other members of the Kanic family of the
ISMN representatives of ten European countries laid the foundation for
fruitful discussions which centered around the following question: whether
the ISMN should be applied to virtual entities offered by Internet publishers
of printed music and in which respect databases of printed music incorporate
ISMN information and are able to increase the awareness of the potentials
of the music number. For a detailed report about the meeting's presentations
and discussions in ISMN Newsletter No. 13 click here.
For a picture gallery offered by Alenka and Ivan Kanic click here.
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March 2003
The ISMN community is growing
This year the International Standard Music Number (ISMN) is looking forward
to celebrating its 10th anniversary. The number of countries involved
with the ISMN-system currently amounts to 41 and fortunately continues
to grow. The new membership in the ISMN system of the following countries:
U.S.A., Israel, New Zealand, Indonesia, Spain, Poland, Estonia, Kosova,
Moldova, Armenia, and Georgia is evidence of the successful efforts of
the International Agency to promote the standard and its merits on every
possible occasion that presents itself.
In particular, the ISBN agencies in the countries in which the ISMN
is not yet in use were targeted anew about the Music Standard and informed
about the rationalising effects which would come with its implementation--and
for good reason.Although they apply to printed products of different characters,
the ISMN and the ISBN are very closely related to one another: The 10-digit
format of the International Standard Music Number was intentionally adapted
to the ISBN, which was already very successfully established in the market
in 1993.
Above all, the U.S.A.'s participation may be viewed as an essential step
towards a worldwide establishment of the ISMN. According to an estimation
of the National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) based on a census of
53 Regions, the U.S.A. and Germany covered over 60% of the worldwide turnover
for printed music.
(see
http://www.nmpa.org/nmpa/survey11/NMPA2002survey11thEdition.pdf).
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February 2003
New ISMN agency for Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Austria
In February 2003, the "Deutsche Musikverlegerverband e.V."
(DMV) in Bonn
took over responsibility for the ISMN in the above-mentioned countries.
Prior to this, the "MBV. Marketing- und Verlagsservice des Buchhandels
GmbH" in Frankfurt, formerly known as the "Buchhändler-Vereinigung,"
had acted as the national agency. It had at the same time published the
VLM (Music in Print), yet with limited success. A re-launch of this directory
was initiated in 2002 by DE-PARCON based
on the company's experiences with music database software and data administration.
On the one hand, it is hoped that the cooperation between the DMV and
DE-PARCON, both operating closely with the market for printed music, will
be the key to continued development of the ISMN in Germany; and on the
other hand, to the building of an effective database of printed music
, turning this database into an indispensible tool for libraries and all
parts of the supply chain.
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January 2003
ISMN to be introduced in Israel and Georgia
From January 2003 onwards, the International Standard Music Number in
Israel and Georgia wil be administrated by The Israeli
Center for Libraries in Bnei-Brak and the Georgian Parliament I. Chavchavadze
National Library in Tbilisi. Both institutions have been acting as national
ISBN agencies in their respective country for a considerable time already.
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January 2003
Digital suppliers of printed music
New perspectives are being opened for the International Standard Music
Number in the form of "digital music prints." The "Music
Publishers' International ISMN Directory" (M-PIID), which is
edited by the International ISMN-Agency and published by the K.G. In its
4th edition (Munich 2003) Saur Verlag lists for the first time the URLs
of over 400 providers of printed music which is downloadable in digital
formats. However, this number of records, the result of an initial search
in the internet, will by no means comprise the entire spectrum of such
"digital suppliers." The editorial staff of the M-PIID will increase its
efforts for the coming editions of the directory in order to provide a
more comprehensive picture of this growing Internet market.
The phenomenon of digital suppliers of printed music raises similar questions
with reference to the rules of ISMN assignment, as is the case with the
ISBN and its relation to eBooks and eTexts. Those responsible for the
maintenance of the ISMN system will have to define the term "digital music
print" more precisely and will have to decide about how the different
digital formats with one and the same content are to be dealt with.
Most of the "digital suppliers" who were included in the first survey
offer printed music as downloads free of charge (e.g. Project
Gutenberg Music Website or Stretta
Music GmbH ). Since the International Standard Music Number may used
"to identify printed music, whether available for sale, hire, gratis or
for copyright purposes" (ISMN Users' Manual, Chapter
3), there is no reason to exclude this group of digital suppliers
from ISMN assignments, especially from the point of view of a complete
bibliographical listing of printed musical works.
Ulrich Wegner
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December 2002
First set of ISMNs for a New Zealand music publisher
The New Zealand ISMN office has issued its first set of ISMNs to Artaria
Editions a music-publishing house with a specialist interest in rare eighteenth-century
repertoire. Founded by New Zealand musicologist Dr. Allan Badley and Klaus
Heymann, Managing Director of HNH International who funds the enterprise,
Artaria publishes around a hundred editions annually all of which form
the basis of Naxos's ground-breaking historical series devoted the eighteenth-century
symphony and concerto. Further information is to be found at http://www.artaria.com/.
Discussions are also underway with Promethean Editions a publisher of
contemporary New Zealand music. More information at http://www.promethean-editions.co.nz/.
We are looking forward to building our relationship with the New Zealand
music publishing world.
Deirdre McFarland
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November 21, 2002
Announcing the 11th ISMN Panel Meeting
The 11th ISMN Panel Meeting will take place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on
May 16, 2003. It will be hosted by Alenka Kanic, head of the Slovenian
ISMN Agency and the National
and University Library. For more information click here.
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November 2002
IDNV, a New "Music in Print" Database
The "Internationale Datenbank für Noten und Verlagsartikel" (IDNV,
International Database for Printed Music and Publishers' Items) encompasses
over 240,000 records of nationally or internationally available printed
music. The new database system was designed by DE-PARCON
Softwaretechnology and Marketing GmbH in close cooperation with key representatives
of the Deutscher Musikverleger Verband e.V. (DMV,
German Music Publishers Association), reputable music publishers and retailers.
CD-ROM updates of the first edition which appeared in October 2002 will
be issued regularly (initially appearing quarterly).
National and international music publishers, retailers, libraries and
those with an interest in music have long been demanding a complete, current
and reliable reference work. With this digital catalogue, it is possible
to research and obtain information quickly and easily. An efficient search
engine offers immediate information about composers, songs, titles, prices,
ISMNs etc. (view screenshot).
The high performance software for the PC has minimal system requirements.
The software works alongside most existing IT applications. In the near
future it is planned to include additionally multi-media information and
web enabling. In particular the eBusiness capability will open up new
business to business revenue opportunities in international markets.
For more information about the IDNV click here.
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November 14, 2002
New ISMN agencies in Moldova, Kosova, Indonesia, and Estonia
In the last quarter of 2002, four countries have joined the ISMN community
represented by the Chambre Nationale du Livre in Chisinau (Moldova), the
National and University Library of Kosova in Prishtina, the National Library
of Indonesia in Jakarta and the National Library of Estonia in Tallinn.
In all cases, the respective ISBN offices have taken over the responsibility
for the implementation and maintenance of the ISMN in their country.
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November 7, 2002
"Music Publishers' International ISMN Directory"
went to print.
The 4th edition of the "Music
Publishers' International ISMN Directory" went to print today.
The new edition will list over 15,000 music publishers from 91 countries
and 400 digital suppliers offering digital material in the Internet. This
means an increase of records of about 20 percent compared to the last
edition of the M-PIID. Publication of the 4th edition is scheduled for
January 2003.
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October 2002
A new database for the "Music Publishers' International ISMN Directory"
(M-PIID)
The development of a completely new PIID/M-PIID
database software started in 2000. Learning from former experiences with
licensing, only OpenSource software ought to be used (apart from the operating
system). After some detours and turbulences in the past two and a half
years as of October 2002 a beta version of the new software finally reached
user testing while the fourth edition of the M-PIID was being prepared.
The new software is being developed under MS Windows NT 4.0 and Windows
2000 and will probably run without changes on Windows XP too. Written
in the scripting language Python using the cross-platform OpenSource programme
library wxPython, it is relatively easily portable to Linux and, in the
near future, Mac OS X.
The new system is extensible and further adaptable to the developing
needs of the agency especially regarding the integration and unification
of huge numbers of entries from the national agencies. Publisher data
is represented in Unicode, meaning no more cryptic surrogate representations
for special characters.
Axel Roepke
(For reading the full version of this text, click here.)
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September 10, 2002
ISMN in Spain at last!
After a few months spent preparing the launch of the ISMN in Spain, it
started running in March 2002 at the "Centro do Documentación de
Música y Danza" (CDMyD), a department of the "Instituto Nacional
de las Artes Escénicas y de la Música (INAEM), of the Spanish
Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte."
Before the opening of the ISMN agency in Spain, the "Centro de Documentación
de Música y Danza" had prepared the database supporting all the
agency’s operations. The ISMN Users‘ Manual in Spanish was also edited.
Most of the Spanish music publishers want to have an ISMN identification
number because they were used to having ISBN prefixes before. So an important
percentage applied for it. At the moment, thirty-three prefixes have been
allocated to publishers, amongst which are the most important Spanish
ones. These thirty-three prefixes represent fourty percent of the total
amount, and we are expecting to receive more applications very soon.
Since last March, 400 music prints (scores, learning music methods, etc.)
have been numbered. Because the ISMN has not been operating for very long,
the percentage of music prints, which carry ISMNs is not very high. However,
there is a lot of interest amongst the music publishers and we can therefore
expect a significant increase in the next few months.
Regarding bar coding, all music publishers, who have an ISMN prefix either
use it, or are planning to adopt it soon.
In the next few weeks it will be possible to use the Internet to look
up information about the ISMN databases of musical editions, editors,
etc. Further questions can be sent to the Spanish ISMN Agency:
Torregalindo, 10
28016 Madrid
Tel: 34 913531480
Fax: 34 913531373
URL: cdmyd.mcu.es
E-mail: cdmyd@inaem.mcu.es
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August 15, 2002
R.R. Bowker announces introduction of ISMN' standard for
sheet music published in U.S. market
R.R. Bowker, a leading publisher of bibliographic information, today
announced the U.S. launch of the International Standard Music Number (ISMN)
system, a uniform global standard for identifying all printed music publications
available worldwide.
"The ISMN has actually been in existence for a decade and is currently
used throughout Europe, but it is just now being officially introduced
in the U.S. market by R.R. Bowker, the official ISMN independent agent
for the U.S.," said Don Riseborough, Senior Managing Editor of the
ISMN. "This global standard allows for fast and unique identification,
quick and efficient ordering, and supports all bar coding and point-of-sale
systems."
"Bowker has served as the U.S. book publishing industry's ISBN agency
since its inception in 1968 and we believe that the ISMN has the potential
of having a similar impact on the U.S. music publishing industry,"
said Michael Cairns, president of New Providence, N.J.-based R.R. Bowker.
"We will immediately begin constructing a single database of all
printed music publications, enabling simple and efficient searches for
any title. This capability distinguishes the ISMN system from all other
systems -- such as UPC codes and publishers' numbers -- that are not part
of a central, searchable database."
As the independent agent in the U.S. market, R.R. Bowker is now inviting
the participation of domestic music publishers in the ISMN system. For
more information, go to www.ismn.org, or call Diana Luongo at 908/219-0283.
Founded in 1872, R.R. Bowker, a Cambridge Information Group company, is
North America's leading provider of bibliographic information, and is
also the official agency for assigning ISBNs in the United States. The
company's flagship product, Books In Print(R), is available on the Internet
at www.booksinprint.com, on CD-ROM and in hardbound print format. The
Web-based version of Global Books In Print(TM) is located at www.globalbooksinprint.com.
For more information, please visit www.bowker.com or call 1-888-BOWKER2
(1-888/269-5372).
Books In Print is a registered trademark, and booksinprint.com and Global
Books In Print are trademarks of R.R. Bowker LLC. Other products and services
may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
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July 10, 2002
New ISMN agency in New Zealand
The National Library of New Zealand has joined our neighbours Australia
and recently signed the contract to act as the ISMN agency for New Zealand.
This is now added to our responsibilities for providing New Zealand's
ISSNs and ISBNs. As yet our processes are not fully in place but within
a short time New Zealand music publishers will be contacted and we will
commence issuing ISMNs to them. We are excited to be joining the worldwide
fraternity of ISMN agencies and are looking forward to closer contact
in the near future.
Deidre McFarland
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July 2, 2002
ISMN implementation in Armenia
The National Book Chamber of Armenia which acts as the central depository
of all press publications and other printed matters for the whole of Armenia
opened an ISMN office in Yerevan.
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January 2002
First publisher of digital sheet music received ISMN
The first publisher who offers digital sheet music free of charge received
an ISMN publisher ID in Australia (http://www.groovymusic.com.au).
This assigment marks an important step which opens new perspectives for
the ISMN and its application in the growing scene of Internet publishers.
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December 2001
ISMN agency Australia
Open to business. National library introduces
ISMN service
During November 2001 the Australian International Standard Music Numbering
Agency became operational at the National Library, and began issuing ISMNs
to Australian music publishers in December.
The International Standard Music Number (ISMN) is similar to the very
familiar International Standard Book Number or ISBN. While ISBNs are assigned
to uniquely identify printed and electronic texts, ISMNs serve a similar
purpose for scores, anthologies of music, music parts, and texts or lyrics
with printed music. Details of all publishers registered with the Australian
ISMN Agency are published in the Music
Publishers' International ISMN Directory. Australian music publishers
can also be located online through the Australian ISMN Agency website.
The opening of the ISMN service for Australia follows a period of planning
and the building of an automated system and database to support the day-to-day
operations of the national agency. Australian music publishers may now
request ISMNs by mail, telephone, fax, e-mail or via the Internet using
a Web input form. An attractive illustrated brochure has been pre
pared, and together with a postcard giving information about the agency,
this has been mailed to about 200 music publishers, composers and other
music related organisations and businesses.
Laurel Paton is the administrative officer in charge of the Australian
International Standard Music Numbering Agency, and is assisted by the
Library's music acquisitions and cataloguing team. Further information
is available by contacting the agency:
Australian ISMN Agency
National Library of Australia
Canberra, ACT 2600
Tel: (02) 6262 1777
Fax: (02) 6273 4322
E-mail: ismn@nla.gov.au
Web site: http://www.nla.gov.au/services/ismn
The Australian Performing Right Association (APRA), the Australasian
Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), the Australian Music Centre,
a number of Australian music publishers, and the International ISMN Agency
have all encouraged the National Library in taking this initiative. Valuable
advice and assistance have been provided by the International ISMN Agency
in Berlin and the United Kingdom's ISMN Agency.
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