The ISSN International Centre’s Action Plan for 2025-2029 outlines strategic objectives to improve global bibliographic data services for serial publications. Key initiatives include expanding the ISSN network, improving metadata quality and promoting preservation through the Keepers Registry. The plan emphasises service innovation for libraries and publishers, such as new identifiers, improved classification systems and targeted marketing. Sustainability goals focus on reducing environmental impact, while the use of AI and international standards ensures modernised identifier systems. The strategy builds on the achievements of 2020-2024, aiming for a robust, connected and innovative ISSN ecosystem by 2030.

The evaluation of the ISSN International Centre’s 2020-2024 Strategic Plan highlights key achievements, challenges and future goals. Achievements include the creation of cluster ISSNs for better resource tracking and the expansion of the Keepers Registry to 20 agencies for the preservation of digital and print serials. The network grew with the addition of six new National Centres, despite delays due to complex procedures. Challenges included limited progress in improving the interoperability of the ISSN portal through the integration of ISNIs and the implementation of persistent URLs. Future plans aim to build on these achievements while addressing outstanding issues.

In 2025, ISSN International Centre will celebrate its jubilee. This will be an opportunity to retrace with you our fifty-year history.

Click on the link to open our e-card.

The Keepers Registry, managed by the ISSN International Centre since 2019, monitors preservation for digital and digitized serials, including scholarly journals. It aggregates data from sixteen partner archiving agencies, covering around 70,000 titles as of November 2022. The ISSN Centre is developing a service for librarians to upload journal metadata and retrieve preservation data, including preserving agencies, covered years, and completeness of archived content. A case study from the University of California, Davis revealed only 40% of its collection is preserved by Keepers.

This article authored by Gaelle Bequet (ISSN International Centre), Michelle Polchow (University of California, Davis) and Shannon Keller (U.S. Department of State), was presented at NASIG 2023 conference whose proceedings are published by the University of Michigan.

Innocent Azilan (Institut méditerranéen des sciences de l’information et de la communication, France), Hanae Hroul (Ecole des Sciences de l’Information, Morocco), Nadia Barnoussi (Ecole des Sciences de l’Information, Morocco) and Pascal Aventurier (IRD, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, France) presented their research on the internationalisation and visibility of African Open Access journals at the Open Science Conference in the South, held in South Africa from 9 to 11 December.

This research has been made possible by the availability of data from the ISSN portal. The programme of the conference is available.

The Sultanate of Oman has joined the ISSN network by signing a Memorandum of Understanding during its participation in the ISSN annual meeting held in Tunis in October 2024.

By joining the ISSN network, the Ministry aims to learn from global experiences in using the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) to support the marketing and dissemination of periodicals published in Oman and to enhance the publishing sector and cultural identity on the international scene.

The UAE, represented by the National Library and Archives (NLA), has become the latest member state of the ISSN network. The NLA announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ISSN International Centre and the UAE National Commission for Education, Culture and Science. The MoU was signed by Abdulla Majed Al Ali, Director General of the NLA, and Gaelle Bequet, Director of the ISSN International Centre.

In Bosnia-Herzegovina, no books have been published for weeks because International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN) and ISSN numbers for publications, journals and scientific papers are no longer being issued. The University and National Library, the only institution in Bosnia-Herzegovina that can issue such numbers, is out of operation. The background to the current crisis is that funding for seven state cultural institutions is not secured. Since 7 October 2024, nothing has been functioning at all due to the unclear legal status of the National Library. The library has also been closed to the public.

Each year this conference brings together more than 2,000 information professionals and exhibitors. On 14 November 2024, Gaëlle Béquet, Director of the ISSN International Centre, took part in a round table discussion on collaborative documentary policy as part of the Cooperative Collections Lifecycle Project (CCLP) coordinated by NISO, USA.