ISSN Sweden
International Standard Serial Number
ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) is an international system for identification of serial resources. The number is strictly associated with the unique title of the resource and not to the publisher or anything else. The purpose is to develop a reliable register. The international ISSN agency that administers the system (The ISSN International Center) is in Paris, and is funded by UNESCO, the French government, and member states.
At present, there are 83 national ISSN agencies worldwide. The Swedish ISSN agency (ISSN Sweden) is located at the National Library of Sweden, National Bibliography. Resources that have been assigned an ISSN are cataloged in LIBRIS.
Usage of ISSN
ISSN is used mainly by libraries, publishers, and commercial periodical distributors.
Resources Assigned ISSN
ISSN Sweden assigns numbers to Swedish serial resources, such as magazines, newspapers, and yearbooks.
By definition, a serial resource has a series title, is usually numbered, and is intended to be continued indefinitely.
Parallel editions in various media, numbered supplements, and supplement series are assigned separate ISSN. Our current practice is to not assign ISSN to online resources before we have seen the first issue on the Web.
N.B. From July, 1, 2008 ISSN is not assigned to Swedish monographic series.
Search for an ISSN
To find out whether a resource has been assigned an ISSN, you can search in LIBRIS, the National Library's local catalog Regina, and most other library databases.
Apply for an ISSN
The application is free. It usually takes one or two business days to process an application.
New ISSN Required
When the title of a publication is changed, the ISSN is changed, too. Fill out a new application as above and state the former title and ISSN (if applicable). If only the publisher is changed, you do not need a new ISSN.
Construction of the ISSN
The code consists of "ISSN" plus eight digits. The last digit is a check sum. If the check sum is 10, it is replaced with the letter X. The number is written as follows: ISSN XXXX-XXXX.
Placement of the ISSN
For printed resources, the number should be placed at the upper right hand corner of the front cover, or in the editor information box. For online resources, post the ISSN on the home page. If the resource has both an ISSN and an ISBN, the numbers should be printed together with the ISSN on top.
Difference between ISBN and ISSN
The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is used for monographic publications (books). The purpose of the ISBN is to give every book a unique identity.
The ISSN is linked to a serial title that remains the same from one issue to the next. ISSN and ISBN can sometimes be used for the same resource. For instance, a yearbook may have an ISSN for the title that remains the same from year to year, while the ISBN identifies the individual volume.
Legal Deposit Copies
According to the Swedish Legal Deposit Act, legal deposits of documents or publications are required if they are duplicated, published, and intended to be made available to the public or to a significant limited audience. The publication may be produced in Sweden or abroad, but it must be intended primarily for distribution in Sweden.
Authorization to Publish
Swedish Patent and Registration Office
Phone: +46 (8) 782 28 00
Fax: +46 (0) 270 173 51
