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niso-l: Press Release: Z39.50 to ballot

niso-l: Press Release: Z39.50 to ballot

Press Release: Z39.50 to ballot

Cecilia Preston (cpreston@info.berkeley.edu)
Fri, 2 Sep 1994 14:20:54 -0800 

Message-Id: <9409022120.AA03139@briet.berkeley.edu>
Date: Fri, 2 Sep 1994 14:20:54 -0800
To: Niso-l@cni.org
From: cpreston@info.berkeley.edu (Cecilia Preston)
Subject: Press Release: Z39.50 to ballot

For Immediate Release                         Contact:  Patricia Harris
                                                         (301) 975-2814

NISO TO BALLOT REVISED INFORMATION RETRIEVAL PROTOCOL

BETHESDA, MD (September 1, 1994) --  The National Information Standards
Organization (NISO) announced that a revised Z39.50 Information
Retrieval: Application Service Definition and Protocol Specification  is
ready for ballot by NISO voting members and consideration as an American
National Standard.  The ballot period will close Novermeber 30, 1994.

Since its introduction in 1988, Z39.50 has become an essential part of
today's information retrieval services and systems, including the
automated bibliographic systems of libraries and commercial information
providers.  The standard makes it possible for any library with Z39.50
complianat software to extend its reach beyond its own collections to
tap the resources of remote compliant information servers.  It allows
users to conduct searches of remote systems with the familiar commands
and displays of the users' local system.

Z39.50 - 199x adds several new services and facilities, and includes
numerous enhancements.  These new features include:

       >   Capability to better search multiple databases by
       enabling the combination of attributes from different
       attribute sets within a single query.  Further, it allows
       grreater flexibility in the definition of attribute sets.

       >   The ability  to  request  specific portions of a
       document (such as captions, images, or section headings); to
       request documents according to specific variants; and  to
       request only the most relevant pertinent portions of a
       document.

       >   New services and facilities such as scan (i.e., used to
       scan terms in a list or index), sort (i.e.,  for sorting  a
       result set), explain (i.e., a client can search and retrieve
       details of the available databases  a server), and extended
       services (i.e., services that relate to or support
       information retrieval such as document ordering, requests
       prints of a result ser, and defining a periodic query).

       >   Speeds retrieval of a large number of records by
       allowing a server to respond to a present request with
       multiple consecutive response messages without intervening
       requests; also supports large records such as images though
       new segmentation features.

       >   Enables a client and server to agree to use a particular
       language (i.e. French, German), and/or character sets during
       a session.

Z39.50-199x is available for review in from the NISO Press for $45 per
copy.  Orders should be sent to: NISO Press Fulfillment, PO. Box 338,
Oxon Hill, MD 20750-0338. Telephone: 301-567-9522, Fax:  301-567-9553.

Z39.50-199x is also available electronically via anonymous FTP from the
Library of Congress.  Details on how to access the electronic version
are available on the Library of Congress gopher server at
<marvel.loc.gov>.  When connected:

     Select:   Libraries and Publishing
     Select:   Z39.50
     Select:   About Z39.50-199x Ballot Text

                                 * * * *

The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) is a non-profit
organization that develops and promotes consensus-approved standards
used in library services, publishing and many other information-related
industries.  NISO standards address the communication needs of these
industries in areas such as information retrieval, preservation of
materials, information transfer, forms and records, identification
systems, publication formats, and equipment and supplies.

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