The Critical Component: Standards in the Information Exchange Environment

While most of us are generally unaware how critical they are, standards make twenty-first century libraries, information services, and publications of all kinds work. In this environment, everyone working with systems, circulation, resource sharing, digital initiatives, preservation, collections or special collections, and even public services can benefit from learning more about standards.

An improved understanding of standards, on which librarians rely, will lead to greater application and adoption of these technologies. By better understanding how standards are developed, more librarians can turn to the standards process when they have ideas for how to improve their work. The Critical Component: Standards in the Information Exchange Environment paints a complete picture of information standards in 11 chapters and 9 case studies, which provide:

• an overview of standards and their benefits to libraries and other cultural organizations
• the process of developing, approving, and maintaining formal standards
• players in the information landscape
• basic standards concepts
• specific purposes of standards, including identifiers, description, discoverability, and preservation
• an overview of how new standards are marketed and adopted
• ways that individuals can get involved in standards work
• a look at the future of standards

The ongoing educational, research, and entertainment missions of libraries and other cultural organizations rely on standards that underlie interoperability and data exchange, unique identifiers and authority control, ontologies, barcodes, patron management, resource sharing, discovery, web-based services, software, digital collections, preservation, metadata management, bibliographic control, and resource layout. Greater understanding of and appreciation for these information standards that permeate our work and our institutions will only help us and our institutions.