[Web4lib] UKSG and NISO Release First KBART Recommendations for Improved OpenURL Data Supply

[Cynthia Hodgson]

UKSG and NISO are pleased to announce the first report by the KBART
(Knowledge Bases and Related Tools) Working Group, a joint initiative that
is exploring data problems within the OpenURL supply chain. The KBART
Recommended Practice (NISO RP-9-2010) contains practical recommendations for
the timely exchange of accurate metadata between content providers and
knowledge base developers. 

The KBART Recommended Practice, a report from Phase I of the KBART project,
provides all parties in the information supply chain with straightforward
guidance about the role of metadata within the OpenURL linking standard, and
recommends data formatting and exchange guidelines for publishers,
aggregators, agents, technology vendors, and librarians to adhere to when
exchanging information about their respective content holdings.

"Six years after NISO's ratification of the OpenURL standard (ANSI/NISO
Z39.88-2004), many stakeholders in the information supply chain still have a
limited understanding of how best to share data to maximize the value of
OpenURL linking," says Peter McCracken, NISO co-chair of the KBART Working
Group (Phase I). UKSG's co-chair (Phase I), Charlie Rapple of TBI
Communications, adds, "It was important for us to get back to basics and
provide step-by-step guidance to address some of the fundamental problems
that were occurring. With their track records for practical leadership and
their reach across the extended information community, UKSG and NISO have
been ideal project sponsors."

Sarah Pearson, E-Resources & Serials Coordinator at the University of
Birmingham, is taking on the role of UKSG co-chair for KBART's Phase II. "As
a librarian who has struggled with poor quality, outdated holdings data and
the frustration this causes our users, I'm pleased to see some really
practical guidance being made available. I hope to see widespread adoption
of KBART's recommendations as they will lead to more reliable access for
users, increased traffic for publishers, easier data management for vendors
and reduced administration for librarians."

The KBART Working Group will shortly embark on the project's Phase II, which
will build on the foundation phase to address more complex data issues,
including different types of content, emerging business models, and
customized licensing. The UKSG Committee and the NISO Discovery to Delivery
Topic Committee are in the final stages of approval.

For more information, to review the KBART Recommended Practice, or to find
out how to get involved in future phases of KBART's work, please visit
www.uksg.org/kbart or www.niso.org/workrooms/kbart.

About KBART

KBART (Knowledge Bases And Related Tools) was set up following the 2007
publication of the UKSG research report "Link Resolvers and the Serials
Supply Chain." Central to the efficient operation of the OpenURL is the
knowledge base, which consists of data supplied by content providers
including publishers. The report found that a lack of awareness of the
OpenURLs capabilities and requirements is impacting the quality and
timeliness of data provided to populate knowledge bases, and thus
undermining the potential of the sophisticated OpenURL technology.

UKSG partnered with NISO to commission the KBART Working Group to develop
guidelines for best practice and provide educational materials. The core
NISO/UKSG Working Group consists of representatives from libraries,
knowledge base developers, publishers, intermediaries and other content
providers, and is supported by a monitoring group of interested parties. Its
Phase I report (KBART Recommended Practice (NISO RP-9-2010) and guidelines
have been widely reviewed and tested by a wider group of information supply
chain stakeholders. For more information, visit www.uksg.org/kbart or
www.niso.org/workrooms/kbart.

This announcement was cross-posted.

Cynthia Hodgson
NISO Technical Editor Consultant
National Information Standards Organization
Email: hodgsonca at verizon.net
Phone: 301-654-2512