NISO Z39.86 Maintenance Agency Advisory Committee Terms of Reference

Introduction

The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) in the USA has named the DAISY Consortium, registered as an Association in Switzerland, as the official Maintenance Agency for the ANSI/NISO Z39.86 Specifications for the Digital Talking Book Standard. NISO process requires an "Advisory Committee" to be established to oversee the Standard. This document defines the Terms of Reference for this Advisory Committee.

DAISY Consortium Meets the Following Criteria:

1. has communicated to the NISO Board a willingness to maintain the Standard
2. has the worldwide recognition as the technical leader in the Standard
3. has the DAISY Board's approval to use resources for maintenance of the Standard
4. has the communication infrastructure to promote the Standard
5. has the technical ability to maintain technical documents
6. has agreed to regular reporting to NISO

Advisory Committee Objectives

The objectives of the Advisory Committee are twofold. One set of activities governs maintenance of the current Standard, while another set of activities addresses the need to keep the Standard current and up-to-date. The strategic direction of the Standard is the highest level activity of the Advisory Committee.

Maintenance Activities:

• resolve issues identified in the current release of the Standard
• release updates to the Standard that resolve issues that are determined to be errors
• track issues that are identified to be possible requirements for future standards development
• review guidelines and sample content developed in support of the Standard

Activities to Keep the Standard Current and Up-to-date:

1. track technology and publish trends that could influence the future direction of the Standard
2. recommend exploration of revisions to the Standard
3. collect requirements for revisions to the Standard
4. analyze requirements and determine if a revision of the Standard is to be recommended
5. participate in working groups for the revision of the Standard

DAISY Consortium Board of Directors Relationship to NISO Process

The DAISY Consortium's vision is in harmony with the vision of NISO. The DAISY Consortium wishes to conduct its standards activity through an accredited national agency. The DAISY Consortium Board of Directors, in keeping with the DAISY Mission, will drive the development of standards, the implementations, and the promotion of the standards. As the maintenance agency, the Committee is expecting that the NISO Z39.86 Advisory Committee report to the DAISY Board of Directors, as well as the NISO Board of Directors, on a regular basis. It is expected that reports are provided to both organizations simultaneously.

NISO Z39.86 Advisory Committee

Composition

The Advisory Committee will have at a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 15 voting members. No company or organization may have more than 2 voting members on the committee. The Advisory Committee will elect one representative as Chairperson.

In addition, experts may be approved to participate in Committee activities, but these experts do not have the right to vote on matters that come before the Committee.

Eligibility

Any company or organization worldwide may request their representative be accepted as a voting member or as an expert.

Note: NISO and the DAISY Consortium will announce the Call for Participation to their organizations.

Nomination

To be accepted for consideration, a nomination must be received with the following criteria:

1. the name of the company or organization the person represents
2. a statement that the representative has the financial support to actively participate in the Committee's activities
3. a statement that work time has been allocated for the activity
4. the curricula vitae of the representative

Terms of office

The Advisory Committee has been maintaining the Standard for the past 5 years. At the beginning of each calendar year, representatives will be asked to affirm their participation for another year. New representatives must agree to serve for at least 2 years. Representatives may resign at any time, but it is expected that advance notice will be given to the Committee to ensure continuity and maintenance of the minimum number of Committee representatives.

Appointment to the Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee will review nominations submitted for consideration. A recommendation will be provided to the DAISY Board, along with a current list of Advisors and their affiliation. The DAISY Board will determine if an applicant will be authorized to serve on the Advisory Committee. This will allow the DAISY Board to control proper balance of representation of the Advisory Committee. In the event where the maximum number of Advisors are already in office, a person accepted will be placed in a queue for an open seat. The person may act as a Participating Expert on the Committee until a seat becomes open.

Process and Good Standing for Voting

The Advisory Committee will conform to the policy and procedures established by the DAISY Consortium, which is in harmony with NISO process. This can be found on the DAISY Web site.