From: Cynthia Hodgson <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2013 12:20:11 -0400

The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) and the UKSG
announce the release of a draft for public comment of a revision to
the Knowledge Bases and Related Tools (KBART) Recommended Practice.
Issued in 2010, the original recommended practice provided all parties
in the information supply chain with straightforward guidance about
metadata formatting to ensure the exchange of accurate metadata
between content providers and knowledge base developers. Building on
the initial recommendations, the draft revision focuses on the more
granular, complex issues that cause problems in metadata supply,
including consortia-specific metadata transfer, metadata transfer for
open access publications, and metadata transfer for e-books and
conference proceedings.

“Since the first Recommended Practice was issued, over 50 publishers
and content providers have endorsed KBART and demonstrated their
commitment to good quality metadata provision,” states Magaly
Bascones, Data Manager at Jisc Collections and Co-chair of the KBART
Working Group. “The endorsement process requires submission of a
sample file and verification by the KBART Working Group. With this
endorsement, users can be assured that the providers’ metadata is
trusted and has the required level of granularity without the
burdensome task of title-by-title checking.”

“The experience of the endorsing publishers and feedback from a survey
of libraries and consortia identified the areas of focus for this
expanded KBART revision,” explains Chad Hutchens, Head of Digital
Collections and Digital Resources Librarian and Co-chair of the KBART
Working Group. “Following the public comment period, the KBART Working
Group will make any needed revisions and finalize the recommendations
for publication. Also available is a KBART Information Hub on the NISO
website that provides supporting materials about KBART, including the
KBART Glossary, endorsement information, a registry of knowledge base
supply chain contacts, and background information on OpenURL and
knowledge bases.”

“Following the publication of the KBART Phase II Recommended Practice,
the project will transfer to Standing Committee status within NISO,”
states Nettie Lagace, NISO’s Associate Director for Programs. “This
Committee will be responsible for managing the endorsement process,
providing ongoing education and promotion of KBART, and maintaining
the Information Hub.”

The KBART Phase II draft is open for public comment through October 4,
2013. To download the draft or submit online comments, visit the KBART
Information Hub at: www.niso.org/workrooms/kbart.

Cynthia Hodgson
Technical Editor / Consultant
National Information Standards Organization
[log in to unmask]