Posted Thursday, April 14, 2005
Breakthrough Roadmap of Identifiers Pulls the Pieces Together
Developed as an educational tool portraying the relationships between key identifiers used by the publishing industry, the Book Industry Study Group’s new Roadmap of Identifiers was released today to high praise from industry professionals.
The one-page Roadmap provides a graphic presentation of the various identifiers as they are assigned to the spectrum of intellectual properties – digital, physical and abstract. All are national and/or international standards, or in the process of becoming so.
“The creation and assembly of textual works can involve a number of creators or contributors and a number of created elements,” the document states. “In a similar way, the distribution of these works can involve a variety of manifes¬tations and distribution methods.”
Over the past few decades, the document goes on to explain, identifiers have been defined to allow consistent reference to these contributors, elements, manifesta¬tions, and distribution processes. “It is increasingly useful to establish linkages between these identifiers where there are relationships that can be exploited, either commercially or for intellectual benefit,” the document states.
Book Industry Study Group Executive Director, Jeff Abraham, said he believes the Roadmap of Identifiers will take the industry a long way toward defining and using both the ubiquitous and the obscure identifiers. “By placing them all on the same one-page document, we really get a chance to see how all the pieces – whether familiar or untested -- fit together to provide a complete picture,” Abraham explained. “It’s a powerful explanatory model.”
The Roadmap of Identifiers went through an extensive comment and revision period before being released today in version 2.0. Future editions are expected and comments and suggestions for improving the current model are encouraged from all interested parties.
One party to provide considerable input and critique to the initial version was Book Industry Communication (BIC) in the UK. “We have been delighted to provide input,” said BIC Executive Director, Brian Green. “Unique identification is the key to a more effective supply chain, and this great piece of work will help book trades in all countries understand how identifiers inter-relate and where development work remains to be done.”
To view and download the Roadmap of Identifiers, please visit www.bisg.org/standards/index.html. Again, comments and suggestions for improvement are encouraged. All correspondence concerning the document can be sent via email to info@bisg.org.
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About the Book Industry Study Group, Inc.
The Book Industry Study Group (BISG) is the industry’s leading trade association for policy, standards, and research. Membership consists of publishers, manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, librarians, and others engaged in the business of print and electronic media. For over 25 years, BISG has provided a forum for all industry professionals to come together and efficiently address issues and concerns to advance the book community.
The member-driven organization uniquely represents all segments of our industry from publishers and e-publishers to paper manufacturers, libraries, authors, printers, wholesalers, retailers and e-tailers, as well as organizations concerned with the book community as a whole.
Learn more about BISG at www.bisg.org.
The one-page Roadmap provides a graphic presentation of the various identifiers as they are assigned to the spectrum of intellectual properties – digital, physical and abstract. All are national and/or international standards, or in the process of becoming so.
“The creation and assembly of textual works can involve a number of creators or contributors and a number of created elements,” the document states. “In a similar way, the distribution of these works can involve a variety of manifes¬tations and distribution methods.”
Over the past few decades, the document goes on to explain, identifiers have been defined to allow consistent reference to these contributors, elements, manifesta¬tions, and distribution processes. “It is increasingly useful to establish linkages between these identifiers where there are relationships that can be exploited, either commercially or for intellectual benefit,” the document states.
Book Industry Study Group Executive Director, Jeff Abraham, said he believes the Roadmap of Identifiers will take the industry a long way toward defining and using both the ubiquitous and the obscure identifiers. “By placing them all on the same one-page document, we really get a chance to see how all the pieces – whether familiar or untested -- fit together to provide a complete picture,” Abraham explained. “It’s a powerful explanatory model.”
The Roadmap of Identifiers went through an extensive comment and revision period before being released today in version 2.0. Future editions are expected and comments and suggestions for improving the current model are encouraged from all interested parties.
One party to provide considerable input and critique to the initial version was Book Industry Communication (BIC) in the UK. “We have been delighted to provide input,” said BIC Executive Director, Brian Green. “Unique identification is the key to a more effective supply chain, and this great piece of work will help book trades in all countries understand how identifiers inter-relate and where development work remains to be done.”
To view and download the Roadmap of Identifiers, please visit www.bisg.org/standards/index.html. Again, comments and suggestions for improvement are encouraged. All correspondence concerning the document can be sent via email to info@bisg.org.
# # #
About the Book Industry Study Group, Inc.
The Book Industry Study Group (BISG) is the industry’s leading trade association for policy, standards, and research. Membership consists of publishers, manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, librarians, and others engaged in the business of print and electronic media. For over 25 years, BISG has provided a forum for all industry professionals to come together and efficiently address issues and concerns to advance the book community.
The member-driven organization uniquely represents all segments of our industry from publishers and e-publishers to paper manufacturers, libraries, authors, printers, wholesalers, retailers and e-tailers, as well as organizations concerned with the book community as a whole.
Learn more about BISG at www.bisg.org.