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ISSN 1039-3498 | no. 55 | February 2002
Open for Business: National Library Introduces ISMN Service
From left to right: Laurel Paton, ISMN Agency; Robyn Holmes, Curator of Music and Kaye McIntyre, Music Acquisitions and Cataloguing
In November 2001 the Australian International Standard Music Numbering Agency became operational at the National Library, and began issuing International Standard Music Numbers (ISMNs) to Australian music publishers in December.
The 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 web site.
The opening of the ISMN service 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. Music publishers may now request ISMNs by mail, telephone, fax, email or via the Internet using a Web input form. An attractive illustrated brochure has been prepared, and together with a postcard giving information about the agency, has been mailed to about 200 music publishers, composers and other music related organisations and businesses.
The Australasian 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.
Peter Haddad
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Please address any comments and enquiries to The Editor, Gateways: dthomas@nla.gov.au