9.1 KiB
Exa Web Search Findings - Bosnia Herzegovina ISIL Database
Date: November 18, 2025
Search Method: Exa AI deep web search
Key Findings
1. National and University Library Identifiers
The National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina (NUBBiH) has the following international identifiers:
From Library of Congress Authority File:
- LC Name Authority: n80096261 and no97043768
- VIAF ID: 133113499
- ISNI: 0000000122864705 and 000000012161793X
- Wikidata: Q22780
Multiple Name Variants:
- Nacionalna i univerzitetska biblioteka Bosne i Hercegovine
- Narodna i univerzitetska biblioteka Bosne i Hercegovine
- National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- NUBBiH (common abbreviation)
2. Archives of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Wikidata Entry: Q16112532
Official Name: Arhiv Bosne i Hercegovine
Type: National Archives
Location: Sarajevo (coordinates: 43°51'29"N, 18°24'49"E)
Website: https://arhivbih.gov.ba/en
Contact: info@arhivbih.gov.ba
Founded: December 12, 1947 (Archives Day in Bosnia-Herzegovina)
3. Bosnia in COBISS System
Key Information from COBISS.net:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina has 80 libraries in COBISS.BH system
- COBISS contact: vibbih@nub.ba (National and University Library)
- Phone: +387 33 275 344
- Two entities participate:
- Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (COBISS.BH)
- Republika Srpska (COBISS.RS - separate entity)
COBISS.RS Note: Republika Srpska has a separate library system:
- National and University Library of Republika Srpska (different from Federation's NUBBiH)
- LC Authority: no2005121017
- Located in Banja Luka (not Sarajevo)
4. ISO and ISIL Standards in Bosnia
Institute for Standardization of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ISBIH):
- Founded: 2004 by Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- ISO Member Body since 2004
- Publishes quarterly "Glasnik" with standards information
- Responsible for implementing ISO standards in Bosnia
ISO 15511 (ISIL Standard):
- Bosnia is an ISO member and should be implementing ISO 15511
- ISBIH would coordinate with NUBBiH on ISIL registry
5. NUBBiH Recent Activities (2017-2021 Annual Reports)
From CENL (Conference of European National Librarians) reports:
2020 Development:
- NUBBiH established DOI Agency (January 1, 2020)
- DOI (Digital Object Identifier) - ISO 26324:2012
- Crossref Registration Agency affiliation
- Shows commitment to international identifier standards
Regular Activities:
- Collecting, cataloging, processing, archiving library materials
- Scientific research in information science
- Associate member of University of Sarajevo
- International cooperation with library associations
COVID-19 Impact: NUBBiH maintained full functionality during 2021 pandemic
6. Bosnia Library Contact Information
Primary Contact (for ISIL inquiries):
- Email: vibbih@nub.ba (COBISS coordinator)
- Email: ured.direktora@nub.ba (Director's office)
- Phone: +387 33 275 312 / +387 33 275 350 / +387 33 275 344
- Address: National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo
Archives Contact:
- Email: info@arhivbih.gov.ba
- Phone: +387 33 206 492
- Address: Reisa Džemaludina Čauševića 6, 71000 Sarajevo
7. Country Code Ambiguity
Important Finding: Bosnia Herzegovina uses TWO country codes:
- ISO 3166-1 alpha-2: BA (officially recognized)
- ISIL Registry (slks.dk): Lists Bosnia as BO (unusual, may be legacy code)
Likely ISIL Format:
- Should be
BA-*(following ISO 3166-1) - May encounter
BO-*in older records - COBISS acronyms (e.g., NUBBIH, BUNSA) are NOT ISIL codes
8. No Public ISIL Database Found
Despite extensive searching:
- ❌ No public searchable ISIL database for Bosnia
- ❌ No downloadable ISIL registry CSV/Excel
- ❌ COBISS directory does not include ISIL codes
- ❌ Individual COBISS records: not checked (would require 80 manual lookups)
9. Related International Standards in Bosnia
ISSN Portal (portal.issn.org):
- Bosnia country code: BIH
- 2 journals found with ISSN from Bosnia
- Shows Bosnia participates in international identifier systems
DOI System (since 2020):
- NUBBiH is DOI Registration Agency for Bosnia
- Issues DOI identifiers for scientific publications
- Demonstrates Bosnia's commitment to persistent identifiers
Comparison with Similar Countries
| Country | Public ISIL Database | ISO Member | COBISS System | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bosnia | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (COBISS.BH) | Must contact NUBBiH |
| Serbia | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (COBISS.RS) | Entity of Bosnia + separate Serbia |
| Croatia | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | Left COBISS after Yugoslav breakup |
| Slovenia | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (COBISS.SI) | Original COBISS developer |
| North Macedonia | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (COBISS.MK) | Part of COBISS.net |
| Montenegro | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (COBISS.CG) | Part of COBISS.net |
| Albania | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (COBISS.AL) | Part of COBISS.net |
Pattern: Most COBISS countries do NOT have public ISIL databases. ISIL codes managed internally by national libraries.
Recommendations Based on Findings
Priority 1: Contact NUBBiH for Official ISIL Registry
Best Contact: vibbih@nub.ba (COBISS coordinator at NUBBiH)
Email Template (updated with findings):
Subject: Request for Bosnia and Herzegovina ISIL Registry
Dear National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
I am working on a global heritage institution database project and am
seeking access to Bosnia and Herzegovina's complete ISIL (International
Standard Identifier for Libraries) registry.
According to the Danish ISIL International Registry (https://slks.dk),
your institution serves as the Registration Authority for Bosnia's ISIL codes.
We have successfully extracted the COBISS.BH library directory (80 libraries)
but noted that ISIL codes are not included in the public COBISS listing.
We understand COBISS acronyms (e.g., NUBBIH, BUNSA) are not ISIL codes.
Could you please provide:
1. A complete list of Bosnia ISIL codes (CSV/Excel/database export)
2. Information about ISIL code format (BA-* or BO-* prefix?)
3. How many ISIL codes have been assigned in Bosnia
4. Whether ISIL codes are included in COBISS bibliographic records
We note that NUBBiH has recently established a DOI Agency (2020),
demonstrating Bosnia's commitment to international identifier standards.
We hope ISIL registry data can be similarly shared for research purposes.
Reference identifiers for verification:
- NUBBiH VIAF: 133113499
- NUBBiH ISNI: 0000000122864705
- NUBBiH Wikidata: Q22780
Thank you for your assistance.
Priority 2: Check Individual COBISS Records (Manual Fallback)
If NUBBiH does not respond, check individual library records in COBISS:
Example URL Pattern:
- https://plus.cobiss.net/cobiss/bh/bs/bib/search?db=nubbih
- https://plus.cobiss.net/cobiss/bh/bs/bib/search?db=bunsa
Process:
- Visit each library's COBISS catalog
- Look for institution information page
- Check for ISIL code in "About" or "Contact" metadata
- Time estimate: ~5 minutes per library × 80 = ~6.5 hours
Priority 3: Contact COBISS.net Central (IZUM Slovenia)
Alternative Source: IZUM (Institute of Information Science, Slovenia)
- Email: cobiss@izum.si
- Organization: Manages COBISS.net for all member countries
- Rationale: May have Bosnia ISIL data in central COBISS database
Question: Does COBISS.net maintain ISIL mappings for COBISS acronyms?
Data Validation
Confirmed Institutions with International Identifiers
| Institution | VIAF | ISNI | Wikidata | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National and University Library of BiH | 133113499 | 0000000122864705 | Q22780 | Sarajevo |
| Archives of Bosnia and Herzegovina | - | - | Q16112532 | Sarajevo |
| National and University Library of Republika Srpska | - | - | - | Banja Luka |
These institutions should be prioritized for ISIL code lookup as they are the most prominent heritage institutions in Bosnia.
Next Steps
- Immediate: Email vibbih@nub.ba requesting ISIL registry
- Follow-up (1 week): If no response, contact ured.direktora@nub.ba
- Escalation (2 weeks): Contact Danish ISIL registry (ISIL@slks.dk)
- Manual fallback (4 weeks): Begin individual COBISS record lookups
- Alternative (concurrent): Contact IZUM Slovenia for COBISS.net-wide ISIL data
Useful Links Discovered
- COBISS.BH: https://bh.cobiss.net/en/
- COBISS Library List: https://bh.cobiss.net/en/libraries/
- COBISS Catalog: https://plus.cobiss.net/cobiss/bh/en
- NUBBiH: https://nub.ba
- Archives BiH: https://arhivbih.gov.ba/en
- CENL Reports: https://www.cenl.org (search "Bosnia")
- ISBIH (Standards): https://isbih.gov.ba
Search Completed: November 18, 2025
Tools Used: Exa AI deep web search (3 queries, 26 results)
Conclusion: Bosnia ISIL database exists but is NOT publicly accessible. Direct contact with NUBBiH required.