he Institute of Information Science (IZUM) is a public institution established by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia as an information infrastructural service for Slovenian science, culture and education. Along with other agents of information activities in the country, it ensures Slovenia an entrance to the streams of the modern world's information society. This defines its mission; its functions are specified in the Foundation Act, passed by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. According to the Research and Development Act, it is defined as a public infrastructural institution and registered as a research organisation as well. According to the Librarianship Act, it is defined as a library information service in the COBISS.SI national bibliographic system.

IZUM performs the following activities:

• in its field of work, co-ordination of the development and operation of the shared bibliographic system and services,
• co-ordination of the development and application of standards for computer support to meet the requirements of the shared bibliographic system and services,
• software development and maintenance to meet the requirements of the shared bibliographic system and services,
• determination of the suitability of library staff for shared cataloguing purposes, in co-operation with the National Library,
• planning and maintenance of the central computer and communications capacity to enable the functioning of the system,
• organisation of access to foreign databases and services based on the agreements with their providers,
• organisation of professional training and counselling in the fields covered by the national shared bibliographic system,
• preparation of fundamental principles from its field of work for the work of the National Council for Librarianship,
• development, organisation and maintenance of the information system for monitoring research activities in Slovenia,
• research, development and counselling in its field of work,
• other tasks based on the adopted long-term development guidelines and annual Action Plans.

On the scientific and professional basis, IZUM co-operates with similar organisations worldwide; in accordance with the guidelines of its founder, it has also expanded its activities abroad.

The activities of IZUM are mainly engaged in the development and operation of the COBISS system and services (Co-operative Online BIbliographic System and Services), which represents the core of the library information system in Slovenia and of library information systems in some other countries linked in the COBISS.Net network (Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Albania).

IZUM develops the Information system on research in Slovenia - SICRIS (Slovenian Current Research Information System), which not only includes data on research organisations, researchers and research projects, but also supports the development of similar systems (E-CRIS) in other countries.

On the basis of consortium agreements with foreign e-resource providers, IZUM provides users in Slovenia with free access to different foreign databases and services (Web of Science, OCLC FirstSearch, ProQuest, etc.).

Extensive educational activity and well-established relations with users of IZUM's products and services are an integral part of understanding the information society as well as its development.

IZUM performs its activities for the users in the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of the annual Action Plan, which is mainly financed by the Slovenian Research Agency. IZUM carries out part of its activities on the basis of special agreements with direct users or subscribers to the services from Slovenia and abroad.

Source: http://home.izum.si/izum/o_IZUMu/about_IZUM.asp#1