Institutional Identifiers in the Journal Supply Chain

Abstract

Current codes and identifiers for institutions (e.g., ISIL, SAN, DOI, MARC) are inadequate for providing metadata and linkage between institutional components of the journal supply chain. Ringgold, Inc. is collaborating with publishers, agents, aggregators, libraries, to remedy this as an independent and trusted agency to provide identifiers that can be used for the successful transmission of information between organizations to expedite the delivery of e-content to subscribers. The presentation summarizes the work of a pilot project involving UK subscribers (including British librararies), reporting on how the identifier is working there, its effects on publishers and suppliers, and its evolution to expanding coverage to institutional subscribers in North America.