Digital Talking Book Standard Seeking Comments

[Janina Sajka]

The U.S. Library of Congress' sponsored committee to define a standard
for Digital Talking Books has published its proposed standard. Based on
the W3C's XML and SMIL, this proposal is published at this time in order
to solicit public comment. All comments recieved will be considered by
the committee, and incorporated in the proposed standard, as
appropriate, before the proposed standard is forwarded to members of the
National Information Standards Organization (NISO). If NISO members
approve, the final version will become a formal NISO standard, most
likely sometime in May.

Your comments on this proposed standard are welcome through March 20,
2001. You will find the document (both in HTML and PDF) at:

	http://www.niso.org/Z3986.html

Please send your comments by email to the Committee Chair:

	<mailto:mmoo at loc.gov>Michael Moodie

Your comments will be reviewed by NISO's Digital Talking Book Committee:

<A HREF="commitaq.html">NISO Standards Committee AQ </a>

This is the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped (NLS/BPH) sponsored committee which has worked for the past
several years under the NISSSSSSO process (and in cooperation with the
international DAISY Consortium) to develop the File Specifications for
the Digital Talking Book.

Additional information about Digital Talking Books, including
user requirements, and rights management requirements
specifications, can be found at:

	http://www.loc.gov/nls/niso

A complete overview of Digital Talking Books and how they may converge
with mainstream electronic books is available in an American Foundation
for the Blind (AFB) White Paper entitled "Surpassing Gutenberg," which
can be found at:

	http://www.afb.org/ebook.html

Please circulate this solicitation as appropriate.


-- 

				Janina Sajka, Director
				Technology Research and Development
				Governmental Relations Group
				American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)

janina at afb.net
(202) 408-8175
http://www.afb.org/gov.html


The invention of the printing press has been named the crowning achievment
of the past millenium. Yet, electronic publishing will soon eclipse it.
Read our White Paper: "Surpassing Gutenberg" available at:

	http://www.afb.org/ebook.html

Are you developing software? Make it accessible to blind computer users.
Read http://www.afb.org/technology/accessapp.html to learn how.