The ISNI International Agency (ISNI-IA) is delighted to announce that Bowker, a founding member of ISNI, has rejoined our community as an ISNI Registration Agency. Bowker's return marks a pivotal milestone for the ISNI standard and global name identification, empowering stakeholders across the book industry and beyond by facilitating rights management, marketability, and discoverability.
Following its separation from ProQuest, Bowker has redefined its strategic direction, aligning closely with ISNI's mission to resolve name ambiguity in search and discovery across the global supply chain. Bowker is well-positioned to support the book industry's increasing demand for ISNI adoption—helping to ensure that published works can be unambiguously attributed to their creators wherever they are described.
Tim Devenport, Executive Director of ISNI-IA, welcomed Bowker's return, stating,
"We're delighted to be welcoming Bowker back into the fold. As a founding member, Bowker played an instrumental role in shaping the ISNI standard, and their expertise will be invaluable as we continue expanding ISNI's reach and impact."
Beat Barblan, General Manager at Bowker, added,
"Rejoining ISNI at this crucial time allows us to support the publishing community—from authors and agents to publishers and booksellers—with advanced identification solutions. We are excited to once again contribute to ISNI's growth and help streamline the supply chain with greater precision and efficiency."
Strategic Initiatives and Industry Impact
As an ISNI Registration Agency, Bowker will showcase its commitment to our industry, helping the stakeholders leverage ISNI to ensure accurate attribution across the supply chain and minimize confusion caused by name ambiguity. Its efforts will focus on promoting the widespread adoption of ISNI and integrating the unique, persistent identifiers into its existing suite of services, making it easier for publishers, retailers, and authors to benefit from enriched metadata and enhanced visibility.
A major initiative in Bowker's roadmap is the development of an online ISNI assignment portal, set to launch later this year. This platform will offer seamless assignment services to individuals and organisations across the book industry and broader creative sectors worldwide.
Bowker's re-engagement with ISNI comes at an opportune moment, coinciding with the Book Industry Study Group's (BISG) efforts to establish a nationwide ISNI workflow in the United States. Until now, the U.S. lacked a dedicated ISNI Registration Agency for the book industry, and Bowker is stepping up to fill this critical gap.
A Legacy of Commitment to ISNI
Bowker's relationship with ISNI dates back to 2010, when it was part of ProQuest and collaborated with ISNI's five other founding members and ISO to establish the ISNI International Agency and launch the ISNI standard. Bowker's contributions to ISNI's initial data loads, website creation, and technical infrastructure underscore its deep-rooted dedication to advancing industry standards.
Looking ahead
Bowker's renewed engagement with ISNI represents a significant step forward in the collective effort to improve data accuracy and transparency across the publishing ecosystem. By leveraging ISNI's capabilities, Bowker aims to enhance the visibility of authors and their works, strengthen rights management, and further support the publishing community in navigating an increasingly complex global landscape.
About Bowker
Bowker provides products and services that make books easier to create, discover, evaluate, and experience—connecting publishers, authors, and booksellers with readers. From essential identifiers like ISBNs and barcodes… to editing and copyright protection assistance… to marketing and publicity tools, Bowker offers a wide range of resources to help authors publish and promote their titles.
About the International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI):
ISNI is the ISO-certified, global standard number for identifying the millions of contributors to creative works and those active in their distribution, including researchers, inventors, writers, artists, visual creators, performers, producers, publishers, aggregators, and more. As ISO 27729, it is part of a family of international standard identifiers that also includes identifiers of works, recordings, products, and rights holders in all repertoires, e.g. DOI, ISAN, ISBN, ISRC, ISSN, and ISWC.