International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
If the ISSN did not exist, someone would have to invent it!

The U.S. ISSN Center, part of the international ISSN Network, assigns International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSN) to serials published in the U.S. The ISSN is a standard identifier for serials (e.g., journals, magazines, newsletters, newspapers, annuals) whether published in print, online or other media. Each medium version is assigned a separate ISSN.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

|| ISSN General Information ||

View our updated brochure explaining the resources of the U.S. ISSN Center (PDF, 1005 KB)

ISSN is for Serials and other Continuing Resources
The ISSN explained in detail, including:

• Advantages to using the ISSN
• Instructions for obtaining an ISSN
• Definitions
• Frequently Asked Questions About ISSN

What's in a Name?
Presentation guidelines for serial publications (prepared by the Serials Section of ALCTS, American Library Association).

|| Special Topics ||

Searching in WorldCat
Your publication is now searchable by the title or the ISSN number as soon as the ISSN has been assigned.

Read more about searching

||About Uplink ||

The U.S. ISSN Center has a new ISSN request system, "ISSN Uplink."

With an ISSN Uplink account you can:

• View and store your current and prior requests • Apply and submit applications online • Add team members to your account and copy them on communications • Track the progress of an application • Have a trackable history of all applications submitted and ISSN assigned

For further information, please review the ISSN Uplink Fast FAQs

Manage My Teams Create and manage publisher teams (PDF document, 145K)

Filling out an application (PDF document, 173K)

Update Publication Status Instructions for publishers (PDF document, 103K)

CONSER Instructions for CONSER members (PDF document, 107K)

View my Applications Instructions for viewing Applications (PDF document, 152K)

|| News ||

On November 30, 2017, the ISSN Network reached an historic milestone:

Read more news