Identifier

Definition

A numeric or alphanumeric string or a URL that identifies the item in a particular context.

Where Can the Identifier Information be Found?

Identifier information can be found in several places including:

Item Types

Information Sources

For text

  • a title page

  • a documentation page

  • the cover of a report or book

For webpages or online resources

  • a website

  • a URL

For any item type

  • a library catalog record

  • an OCLC record

  • local accession records

  • the physical item

  • accompanying or supplementary material

How Identifier Works in the Metadata Form

Screenshot of identifier element in metadata editing system.
Parts:

  1. Identifier type – drop-down menu

  2. Identifier – text field

Repeatable?:

Yes - to include multiple identifiers, click ‘Add’ to repeat all field parts

Required?

No (more information)

How Should the Identifier be Filled in?

Guidelines

Examples

  • Enter the identifier exactly as it is found on the item or record

M1500.G68 A4

  • Include one or more relevant identifiers when they are available

  • Include additional identifiers if they aid information-gathering
b2695683
50684665
Z232.A56 J67 1853z

  • For Local Control Numbers include the Institution code followed by an underscore ( _ ) before the number

  • Local practice (within UNT Digital Projects) is to change some punctuation of locally-assigned numbers when they are used as filenames during scanning (see About Unique Identifiers)
Original: 76-085.071
Local Control Number: PBPM_76-085-071

LCCN - Library of Congress Control Number

  • If the appropriate identifier type is not on the list, choose “other” and notify the metadata administrators.

OTHER - Other

Other Examples

Book: The Forgotten Colony: San Patricio de Hibernia: The History, the People and the Legends of the Irish Colony of McMullen-McGloin

  • CALL-NO: F392.S237 H43 1981

  • UNTCAT: b2047410

  • ISBN: 0890152934

  • ISBN: 9780890152935

  • LCCN: 88103244

  • OCLC: 18258092

Journal issue: Chemical Literature, Volume 27, Number 1, Spring 1975

  • ISSN: 0364-1929

  • OCLC: 1553979

Department of Agriculture pamphlet: Production of pumpkins and squashes.

  • SUDOC: A 1.35:141

  • OCLC: 68565990

  • UNTCAT: b3064507

Architectural Drawing: Birdseye Perspective from Northwest, Restoration Legation de France, Austin, Texas, For Daughters of the Republic of Texas

  • LOCAL-CONT-NO: FRLM_810-1169

Music score: Ballet du Temple de la paix

  • CALL-NO: M1520.L87 B3

  • OCLC: 23032723

  • OTHER: LWV 69

  • RISM: RISM A/I, L 3049

  • UNTCAT: b1373221

Congressional report: Merit Pay for Elementary and Secondary School Teachers: Background Discussion and Analysis of Issues

  • CRS: 83-541S

  • LOCAL-CONT-NO: 83-541S 1983-09-14

Map: Location and Depths of the Artesian Wells of the Black and Grand Prairies of Texas

  • OCLC: 25650057

Office of Technology Assessment report: Informing the Nation: Federal Information Dissemination in an Electronic Age

  • SUDOC: Y 3.T 22/2:2 In 3/9/sum.

  • OCLC: 18605251

  • REP-NO: OTA-CIT-397

Comments

  • Identifiers provide information needed to retrieve a file from the storage system, to access a bitstream within a file, or to locate a physical object.

  • Library of Congress Control Numbers should be verified as current, then normalized by:

    • zero-padding the right-most number if necessary to make it 6 digits long

    • removing all spaces and punctuation

    • examples:

Original

Final

12-35651

12 035651

12035651

2001-214515

>>

2001 214515

>>

2001214515

sc 85-7042

sc 85 007042

sc85007042

Glossary of Identifier Qualifiers

Code

Name

Definition

ARK

Archival Resource Key

A persistent, unique number systematically assigned to an item for archival purposes

BRAC-NUM

BRAC Number

A document identification number assigned to items held by the Base Reassignment and Closure Commission (BRAC)

CALL-NO

Call Number

An alphanumeric code assigned to each item in a library to classify and indicate its location on the shelves

CASI

Center for AeroSpace Information Number

A document identification number assigned to items held by the Center for AeroSpace Information (including NASA/NACA technical reports)

CRS

CRS Report Number

A number assigned to Congressional Research Service reports

DOI

Digital Object Identifier

The string used as an identifier by the DOI System for an intellectual property entity

GOVNO

Government Document Number

Designates documents published by government agencies, excluding more specific identifier types, e.g., SuDoc and TxDoc numbers

GRANTNO

Grant Number

A number assigned to a grant by the granting agency

ISBN

International Standard Book Number

A unique, machine-readable identification number for books

ISBNs are defined in ISO Standard 2108

ISSN

International Standard Serial Number

An eight-digit number whch identifies periodical publications, including electronic serials

LCCN

Library of Congress Control Number

Coded numbers assigned by the Library of Congress to item records

LOCAL-CONT-NO

Accession or Local Control Number

Accession numbers assigned by a museum, archive, or special collection, or local numbers used by a collector to identify elements of a personal collection

OCLC

OCLC Accession Number

The unique identification number listed in the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) WorldCat record as part of their worldwide cataloging and interlibrary loan database

OSTI

Office of Scientific & Technical Information Report Number

A document identification number assigned to items published or held by the U.S. Office of Science & Technology Information

PAT-NO

Patent Number

A number assigned to a patent application by the patent office

REP-NO

Report Number

A publisher-supplied number identifying a report, usually within a series of similar reports

A report number may be a standard technical report number formulated to the ANSI/NISO Z39.23 standard, or a less standardized number designed to work within an organizational scheme of the issuing agency’s publications

RISM

RISM Number

A unique identifier within Répertoire International des Sources Musicales (RISM), the International Inventory of Musical Sources

SERIESNO

Series Number

A sequence number assigned to a publication that is part of a series or serial, but is not a Report Number

SUDOC

SuDoc Number

Superintendent of Documents Classification (SuDoc) numbers are assigned to federal documents to group government publications by authoring agencies

TXDOC

TxDoc Number

Texas Document Classification (TxDoc) numbers are assigned to Texas state documents as unique identifiers for publications of teh state government

UNTCAT

UNT Catalog Number

The bibliographic record number for a specific UNT library record

URL

Uniform Resource Locator

The global address of the document or resource on the World Wide Web

URN

Uniform Resource Name

A persistent resource identifier (including PURLs)

UUID

Universally Unique Identifier

An identifier used in software construction

OTHER

Other Identifier

Used for identifiers that do not fit into another category

Resources

More Guidelines: