The Seychelles National ISSN Centre: service to local editors |28 November 2020
This service is provided by the National ISSN Centre which falls under the Seychelles National Library. It is based in Room 301, 3rd Floor of the Kanna Mall Building in Victoria. The service is for all local editors and is free of charge.
What is ISSN?
The International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is a brief, unique, unambiguous and internationally used identification number for serial publications. It allows the exchange of information about serials between the computer systems of different organisations.
What is a serial?
A serial is a publication in printed form or not, issued in successive parts usually having numerical or chronological designations and intended to be continued indefinitely. It may include: periodicals, newspapers, annuals (reports, yearbooks and directories), journals, memoirs, proceedings and transactions of societies.
What are the benefits of ISSN?
- ISSN is used in libraries for identifying titles, ordering and checking in serials and claiming missing issues.
- ISSN simplifies interlibrary loan systems and union catalogue reporting and listing.
· ISSN employed as a standard numeric identification code, can be used in computers for updating and linking files and retrieving and transmitting data.
· ISSN provides a useful and economical method of communication between publishers and suppliers, making trade distribution systems faster and more efficient.
· ISSN results in the accurate citing of serials by scholars, researchers, abstracters, and librarians.(Source : www.issn.org)
Assignment of ISSN
The International Centre in Paris, France is responsible for the allocation of blocks of ISSN to National and Regional Centres.
The Seychelles National Centre has the sole responsibility for assigning ISSN to all serials published in Seychelles. The registration can only take place after visual proof of existence of a publication i.e. supplying an issue of the serial or copies of the pages containing the bibliographic information necessary for registration.
Registration means the identification of a particular serial title and preparing a record containing the bibliographic and subject information.Only one ISSN is assigned to a serial title and is valid as long as there is no change in the first 3 letters of the original title.
Construction of the ISSN
o An ISSN consists of eight digits. These are the Arabic numerals 0-9, except in the case of the last digit an upper case X can sometimes occur.
o An ISSN is always preceded by the letters ISSN and appears as two groups of four digits, separated by a hyphen, as follows; ISSN 0317-8471
o The ISSN should be printed in a prominent position on or in each serial issue (front cover, title page, Masthead).
o On a periodical the ISSN should be printed preferably in the top right-hand corner of the front cover.
o When it is not possible to print the ISSN in the preferred position it should be printed in another prominent position, such as near the publisher statement.
o ISSN may be used on promotional materials and catalogues.(source: www.issn.org)
Procedures on how to request ISSN
Clients requesting ISSN may send their request by e-mail phone or visit our office. They should make their request at least 1 week before they send their publication for printing in order to incorporate it on their printed copy.
For a print version, this information has to be provided: complete issue or copy (in pdf or jpg files) of the cover, title page and editorial page. The editorial page must show the name and address of the publisher.
New clients will have to fill the ISSN Application form and return to the National Centre. For application forms, kindly contact the address listed below. If the required information is correctly entered and all the criteria are met, it would not take more than 3 days to receive an ISSN prefix.
Seychelles National ISSN Centre
Seychelles National Library
Kanna Mall Building 3rd Floor
Room 301
P. O. Box 45
Victoria
Mahé Seychelles
Tel: 2 724953, 2 824361. 4387 689/688
E-mail: natlib@seychelles.net, marylyn.henrie@gov.sc
Contributed by the Seychelles National Library