Manager Dalia Smoriginienė
Tel: +370 5 2398649

Fax: +370 5 2496055

Email: isbnltu@lnb.lt

The Lithuanian ISBN agency was established in 1992 and is run by the Centre of the Bibliography and Book Science within Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. The ISBN system is fully operational since 1993 and is mandatory for every publisher according to the Law of Mass Information of the Republic of Lithuania, which foresees the necessity of usage of ISBN, ISMN and ISSN for books, music publications and serials.

The administration of the ISBN and ISMN systems is carried out at three levels: international, national and publisher.

Lithuanian books use prefixes 9986 and 5 (which has been allocated to publishers by the Book Chamber of the former Soviet Union before the reestablishment of Lithuania's Independence). In 1999, due to the shortage of numbers, Lithuania was supplied by the new group prefix 9955 for the use within the ISBN system.

Publishing concentrates mainly on the printed matter, but it is also used for books on cassettes and electronic books - publications consisting of one or more files of monographic character available to the public online or in physical form (on CD-ROM or diskette etc.). The electronic book may be available in various formats.

Till present the Agency has registered and keyed in the local database about 1700 book publishers, about 250 of them are authors - publishers, who use collective numbers. Annually ISBN's are assigned to approximately 4000 titles. Approximately 95 % of books carry ISBNs, excluding printed materials of ephemeral character or advertising matter and the like. Agency is checking the books with invalid ISBNs and informs the publishers about the mistakes. Data with both correct and invalid ISBNs reflects in a e-bulletin "Ekspresinformacija" (Expressinformation) and a monthly current bibliography "Bibliografijos žinios" (Bibliographical News).

In 1994 Lithuanian ISMN Agency has been established as a subdivision of the ISBN agency. It has 84 printed music publishers in its records. 605 music publications are recorded in the local database. Approximately 80% of the music publishers active on the market today are using ISMNs.

In 1994 the Lithuanian version of the International standard LST ISO 2108:1994 "Information and documentation -International Standard Book Numbering (ISBN)" was published. In 1998 LST ISO 10957:1998 "Information and documentation-International Standard Music Number (ISMN)" was issued too. The standards offer guidelines on the systems.

As ISBN can be incorporated in the 13-digit bar code, publishers are able to apply to the Association "EAN Lithuania", which provides bar codes for all types of products, including published matter.

The Agency keeps close connection with publishers, International ISBN and ISMN Agencies, other organizations and individuals, advertises the system in the country's professional press.