My understand was that ISNI comes out of the publishing world -- 
primarily commercial publishing. The Wikipedia article puts it:

" The ISNI allows a single identity (such as an author's pseudonym 
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudonym> or the imprint 
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imprint> used by a publisher 
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publisher>) to be identified using a 
unique number. This unique number can then be linked to any of the 
numerous other identifiers that are used across the media industries to 
identify names and other forms of identity."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Name_Identifier

The interesting thing about the numbers listed by Eric is that although 
there is overlap, each has some identities that the others don't. AFAIK, 
ORCID will not include people who died before the system was developed, 
and ISNI may not include folks whose works are long out of print. Also, 
the maintenance of them differs: ISNI is assigned by an agency (as is 
LCNA), while ORCIDs are considered to be under the control of the 
identified person.

kc

On 6/4/14, 9:20 PM, David Lowe wrote:
> Been tracking the ORCiD/ISNI thing for a few months now.  Here was a nice graphic that I think this group will appreciate of how CU-Boulder sees ORCiDs across their systems from a recent ORCiD event:
>
> [cid:[log in to unmask]]
>
>
>
> Individual academics (especially grant-related folks) should get and use ORCiDs, which either the individual can register for or their affiliate institutions may assign in batches with an institutional membership.  An ISNI, in contrast, may be assigned to an individual, often for rights-tracking purposes, as in the case of recorded performances.  Also ISNIs can be given to organizations ("corporate bodies," in catalogerese) while ORCiDs are only for individuals.
>
> --DBL
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Eric Lease Morgan
> Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2014 3:55 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] orcid and researcherid and scopus, oh my
>
>
>
> On Jun 4, 2014, at 3:32 PM, Jodi Schneider <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
>
>
>
>> However, I believe that ISNI is bridging between these various sources
>> -- certainly including LC and VIAF [1], and also ORCID [2].
>> [1] http://www.isni.org/content/data-contributors
>> [2] From
>> http://orcid.org/content/what-relationship-between-isni-and-orcid
>> "ORCID identifiers utilize a format compliant with the ISNI ISO standard.
>> ISNI has reserved a block of identifiers for use by ORCID, so there
>> will be no overlaps in assignments."
>
>
>
>
> I'm glad ISNI's have been mentioned. Thank you.
>
>
>
> I had not heard about ISNIs until very recently, and I was both embarrassed as well as surprised. Sure, I've read the Web pages, [1] but what are ISNIs? How are they different from other identifiers, and is it just my imagination or have they simply not become as popular here in the 'States as they are in Europe, and why?
>
>
>
> [1] ISNI - http://isni.org/
>
>
>
> -
>
> Eric M.
>

-- 
Karen Coyle
[log in to unmask] http://kcoyle.net
m: 1-510-435-8234
skype: kcoylenet