Established: 1993
Disbanded: 2020
Group Web Page: http://www.niso.org/home/
I. Purpose
The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) develops and promotes consensus-approved standards used in library services, publishing, and other information-related industries. NISO standards are American National Standards that address the communication needs of its membership in areas such as information retrieval, preservation of materials, information transfer, forms and records, identification systems, publication formats, and equipment and supplies. NISO standards are developed through voluntary committees where most of the research, discussion, and drafting takes place. Once the standard has been drafted, voting members review and approve or reject it. NISO's membership includes professional associations, libraries, publishers, corporations, and state and federal organizations. Many of the standards developed, approved and promulgated by NISO affect the way in which information about and in archival records is preserved and accessed. It is critical that archivists' views be represented in deliberations that ultimately affect our most basic professional practices. SAA is a voting member of NISO.
II. Number and Length of Appointments
A single representative is appointed for a two-year term and may serve successive terms. Given the range of work performed by NISO, the representative should have broad archival experience.
III. Duties
A. Circulate proposed standards to the Standards Committee, relevant component groups of SAA, and members with appropriate expertise; assist the Standards Committee in gathering and compiling comments from membership; cast SAA's vote on proposed standards.
B. Inform the SAA membership (through the Standards Committee, articles in Archival Outlook, and other means) of draft NISO standards coming up for vote and of the formation of committees or working groups to revise or develop new standards, thus encouraging SAA membership to become involved in standards work.
C. Represent archival interests at NISO annual meeting and in discussions relating to development and composition of committees to work on standards.
D. Serve as an ex officio member of SAA’s Standards Committee.
IV. Reporting Procedures
The representative reports to the Standards Committee after each NISO annual meeting, prepares an annual report for inclusion in the Standards Committee's annual report to the Council in accordance with established procedures, and reports to the Council when needed on other occasions.
V. Meetings
NISO holds a major annual meeting in various locations. Other meetings of working groups and committees are held as needed; the NISO representative, substitute, or other SAA members may be involved on one or more standards development committees. (Note: SAA does not fund attendance at NISO meetings.)
VI. Related SAA Bodies
A. Standards Committee
B. SAA/ALA/AAM Joint Committe on Archives, Libraries, and Museums
C. Preservation Section
D. Description Section
E. Electronic Records Section
F. Visual Materials Section
G. Metadata and Digital Object Roundtable
VI. Group Contact Information
National Information Standards Organization
3600 Clipper Mill Road
Suite 302
Baltimore, MD 21211
Phone: 301-654-2512
Fax: 410-685-5278
VII. Review Date
This charge should be reviewed five years after its date of approval.
Approved by the Council: January 1993
Revised: August 2013