European expansion continues for ISSN network

The ISSN International Centre is moving from strength to strength with the opening of two new national centres this year. 

The 92nd national centre in the ISSN Network will open in Austria, coming shortly after the launch of the ISSN National Centre for Ukraine in mid-March. The Hauptverband des Österreichischen Buchhandels (the Austrian Publishers and Booksellers Association), in Vienna, will host the ISSN National Centre for Austria as from 1 April.

Gaëlle Béquet, director of the ISSN International Centre, described the move as ‘a great achievement for the ISSN Network to welcome Austria as a new member country and the Hauptverband des Österreichischen Buchhandels as a new ISSN Centre’. 

She continued: ‘Our Austrian colleagues are seasoned professionals who work closely with publishers and show great interest in serial identification activities. The ISSN International Center stands by ISSN Austria to achieve a smooth transition for the benefit of the publishing, scholarly and library communities of this country.’

Benedikt Föger, president of the Hauptverband des Österreichischen Buchhandels, added: ‘When looking at the way the Austrian Booksellers Association has professionally operated the Austrian ISBN Agency for years, our Association becoming the Austrian ISSN National Centre feels almost predestined. So, I was all the more pleased to learn that we meet all the criteria for joining the ISSN Community and I am very much looking forward to the opening of our own Austrian Centre on the 1st of April.’

Since 1975, the ISSN International Centre (ISSN IC) has coordinated the activities of the ISSN Network of 92 member countries, and is responsible for maintaining and publishing the ISSN International Register and its associated services available on the ISSN Portal (portal.issn.org).

The Austrian Publishers and Booksellers Association has been representing the interests of booksellers, publishers, delivery agents, publishing house representatives and antiquarian booksellers at home and abroad in a non-partisan and objective manner since 1859.