ISO 1086:1991

Overview

ISO 1086:1991 is an international standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that specifies the requirements for the information printed on the title leaves of books, including the presentation and arrangement of such information. This second edition revises and replaces the earlier 1975 edition to provide enhanced guidance applicable to a broader range of book types, including monographs, collectanea, atlases, theses, congress proceedings, and technical reports.

By standardizing the title leaf content, ISO 1086:1991 facilitates accurate citation and cataloging by various stakeholders such as librarians, booksellers, documentalists, authors, indexers, and database producers. The standard also ensures clarity in bibliographic descriptions and supports interoperability across libraries and documentation services worldwide.

Key Topics

• Scope: Applies to books printed horizontally and read left to right, covering both single volumes and multi-volume monographs or collections.

• Title Leaves Defined: Typically includes two pages-the half-title (faux-titre) and the title page-with specific information on each to aid identification.

• Essential Information for Title Leaves:

  • Full names of authors or corporate authors, with hierarchical order for collectives
  • The book’s main title, subtitle, and any parallel titles in different languages or scripts
  • Names of scientific editors and other contributors with clearly defined roles
  • Edition statements and printing details
  • Publisher names and corresponding locations
  • Copyright notices indicating the copyright owner and the year of protection
  • International Standard Book Number (ISBN) or International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) where applicable
  • Completed printing (colophon) details when not end of publication
  • Accompanying materials such as audiocassettes, disks, or errata
  • Cataloguing in Publication (CIP) data on the verso of the title leaf, if available

• Additional Specifications:

  • Special instructions for series and collections, including titles and numbering
  • Requirements for translated works, including original work details and transliteration standards
  • Multi-language publications guidelines for presenting titles and subtitles
  • Guidance tailored for specific document types like theses, conference proceedings, and scientific reports

• Terminology and Definitions: The standard provides precise definitions for terms such as author, editor, edition, printing, half-title, verso, and recto to ensure consistent understanding.

Applications

ISO 1086:1991 is essential for professionals involved in the production, distribution, cataloguing, and management of printed books and related documents. Its practical applications include:

• Publishers: Ensuring that title leaves conform to international bibliographic standards for ease of identification and citation.
• Libraries and Information Centers: Facilitating standardized cataloguing, metadata extraction, and indexing in bibliographic databases.
• Booksellers and Distributors: Providing unambiguous referencing information that aids sales, inventory control, and customer inquiries.
• Authors and Editors: Assisting in the proper attribution and clear presentation of intellectual responsibility.
• Translators and Multilingual Publishers: Managing complex publication arrangements with parallel titles and clear distinctions between original and translated works.
• Documentation and Archival Services: Supporting long-term preservation and retrieval by standardizing initial publication data.

Related Standards

• ISO 2108 (International Standard Book Number - ISBN): Complements ISO 1086 by defining the numbering system for book identification.
• ISO 3297 (ISSN - Serial Publications): Provides the numbering system for serial publications relevant for series or collections referenced in title leaves.
• ISO 2384 (Presentation of Translations): Offers guidelines for the presentation of translated works, which support the multilingual aspects in ISO 1086.
• ISO 5127 (Information and Documentation Vocabulary): Supplies terminology definitions that align with those used in ISO 1086 for clarity and consistency.
• ISO 5966 (Presentation of Scientific and Technical Reports): Covers documentation requirements for technical publications, sometimes referenced by ISO 1086.
• ISO 7144 (Presentation of Theses and Similar Documents): Provides specific instructions for academic works, complementing the chapter concerning theses.
• ISO 7275 (Presentation of Titles of Collections): Details on how to present titles and numbering in collections, aligning with ISO 1086’s collection-specific guidance.
• ISO 832 (Bibliographic References - Word Abbreviations): Standardizes abbreviations used in edition statements and other bibliographic references on title leaves.

For publishers, librarians, and information professionals, adhering to ISO 1086:1991 ensures that title leaves of books provide comprehensive, clear, and standardized bibliographic information critical for identification, citation, and cataloguing. The standard supports the global management of bibliographic data in printed book collections and enhances interoperability across information systems.