This presentation provides an introduction to the use of Uniform Resource Names (URNs), specifically URN:NBNs, as persistent identifiers, using Finland as an example.
URN:NBN identifiers are currently in use in 13 European countries, with the national library providing services and coordination. However, as there is no organization overseeing the use of URNs on a global level, there used to be little international cooperation in this area, and the profile of URN:NBNs has remained relatively low. The situation has started to evolve with the publication of a URN:NBN landscape report (https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2024052134041) and the launch of the URN:NBN Network in 2024.
The National Library of Finland has been providing a national URN resolution service since 2007. The ease of implementation and cost-free nature of URNs has led to the wide adoption of URN-based persistent addresses in Finland.