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.
