[PADG:1461] NISO Standards Committee to revise Library Statistics Standard

["Marilyn Geller" <marilyn.geller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bethesda, Md., USA ? (October 12, 2001) NISO, the National Information
Standards Organization, has announced the formation of a committee to revise
ANSI/NISO Z39.7-1995, the Library Statistics Standard.  The committee will
recommend incorporating improvements based on the existing survey
instruments in use by nationally recognized U.S. library data collection
programs.  They are also charged to review the revised base standard in
light of evolving methods of measuring electronic network performance,
vendor and publisher-based use statistics, reporting methods, and service
quality measures; and to advise NISO on how best to integrate new measures
into Z39.7 and/or suggest other appropriate approaches (such as nationally
supported best practices or guidelines) that over time might lead to the
development of national consensus standards.

The Library Statistics Standard was first released in 1968, and revised in
1983 and 1995. With each revision the standard has grown and changed. When
the 1995 edition of the Library Statistics Standard was released, the
committee that developed it acknowledged that the standard did not address
two important emerging areas: measurement of electronic resources and
performance measures. It was recommended that these issues be examined at
the next five-year review point.

The Committee is chaired by Denise Davis, Director, Statistics & Surveys
US National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS).
Committee members are: Brian Auger (Howard County Public Library), John
Carlo Bertot (Florida State University, SIS), Dianne Carty (Massachusetts
Board of Library Commissioners), Oliver Pesch (EBSCO Publishing), Sue
Phillips (University of Texas at Austin), Sherrie Smith (Arizona State
University Libraries), Patricia Stevens (OCLC, Inc.), Maurice Travillian
(Maryland State Dept. of Education), Ann Carlson Weeks (University of
Maryland), and Peter Young (Library of Congress).

About NISO:
NISO is the only U.S. group accredited by the American National Standards
Institute to develop and promote technical standards for use in information
delivery services providing voluntary standards for libraries, publishers
and related information technology organizations.  All NISO standards are
developed by consensus under the guidance of experts and practitioners in
the field to meet the needs of both the information user and the producer.
For information about NISO?s current standardization interests and
membership possibilities, please visit the NISO website at
http://www.niso.org.

For additional information contact NISO Headquarters at (301) 654-2512.
Email: nisohq@xxxxxxxx