FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2004

WASHINGTON, DC - A new version of the Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections is now freely available for download from the National Information Standards Organization (NISO). The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) transferred maintenance of the Framework to NISO in September 2003; the update is the first product of NISO's advisory group formed to contribute to the document's further development.

The Framework provides a set of high-level principles for identifying, organizing, and applying existing knowledge and resources to collections of digital resources. For each category of Collections, Objects, Metadata, and Projects, the Framework defines general principles relating to quality and provides a list of supporting resources such as standards, guidelines, best practices, explanations, discussions, clearinghouses, and case studies. Originally prepared in 2001 under the auspices of the IMLS, the Framework has earned wide recognition in the library and museum communities and the endorsement of the Chief Officers of State Library Associations as well as the Digital Library Federation.

NISO's advisory group that developed the update is composed of experts from the digital resources community: Priscilla Caplan, chair (Florida Center for Library Automation), Grace Agnew (Rutgers University), Rebecca Guenther (Library of Congress), Ingrid Hsieh-Yee (Catholic University), and Leonard Steinbach (Cleveland Museum of Art). The Advisory Group will continue to aggressively reexamine the Framework. Readers are invited to send their comments and suggestions to nisohq@niso.org on how to improve and expand the Framework.

About NISO
NISO, a non-profit association accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), identifies, develops, maintains, and publishes technical standards to manage information in our changing and ever-more digital environment. NISO standards apply both traditional and new technologies to the full range of information-related needs, including retrieval, re-purposing, storage, metadata, and preservation. NISO Standards, information about NISO's activities and membership are featured on the NISO website http://www.niso.org.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent Federal grant-making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation of learners by helping libraries and museums serve their communities. The Institute fosters leadership, innovation, and a lifetime of learning by supporting the nation's 15,000 museums and 122,000 libraries. The Institute also encourages partnerships to expand the educational benefit of libraries and museums. To learn more about the Institute, please log onto: http://www.imls.gov