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Contents 1 ZedNext Wiki: Working Web pages for the Z3986 Advisory Committee. 1.1 Overview 1.2 Highest Level Goals 1.3 Timeline 1.4 Nearby, more detailed reading 1.4.1 Authoring and Interchange 1.4.2 Distribution 1.4.3 Source Code Repository (schemas, specs, issue tracker) 1.4.4 2008 Requirements Gathering 1.4.5 Agenda and Minutes of Z3986 Advisory Committee

ZedNext Wiki: Working Web pages for the Z3986 Advisory Committee.

Overview

ZedNext is the colloquial term for the NISO Z39.86 standard revision that started during the autumn of 2008, and is expected to be published in the end of 2011.

When published, ZedNext will be the successor to the text format defined in the ANSI/NISO Z39.86-2005 standard.

As opposed to the 2005 version, which was mostly a bugfix-oriented update to the 2002 version, ZedNext is a major redesign of the DAISY standard, marking a paradigm shift in our approach to authoring and distribution of accessible materials in general, and DAISY in particular.

Highest Level Goals

The Z39.86 maintenance committee has defined a set of high-level design goals to guide us through the revision process:

Improve and Extend the User Experience

Some of the new features added to ZedNext are evolutionary and focus on improving existing DAISY functionality. These enhancements will mainly benefit the current DAISY ecosystem.

Other new features are added that extend the DAISY functionality to new domains. These revolutionary features are being designed to benefit users both inside and outside the existing DAISY community.

Separation of concerns - authoring and distribution

By establishing a distinct separation of concerns between authoring and distribution, we assure that the specified formats and protocols are maximally effective for the task at hand.

Explicitly Support Materials Beyond the Book

While DAISY's scope initially was about print books, today it is used for a wide variety of content such as newspapers, magazines, consumer medical information, audio tour guides, conference proceedings, corporate documentation, emergency preparedness, museum exhibits, and much more. In both the authoring and distribution contexts, this heterogenity must be embraced.

Low Entry Threshold

ZedNext must be designed so that it provides a low entry threshold for all stakeholders (tool providers, producers, distributors, end users). Complexity should be avoided where possible. New advanced (and therefore potentially costly) features should not be mandatory for tool providers to implement/support. An open source set of tools, with a business-friendly license, should me made available to reduce the time-to-market for implementors.

Align with the Mainstream Publishing Industry

ZedNext must be aligned with the (progressive parts of the) mainstream publishing industry. This goal requires both standards harmonization and format bridge-building efforts.

Allow for Innovation (while protecting interoperability)

ZedNext should, where possible without having a negative impact on interoperability, include optional extension points that allow for new features and/or functionality to be included.

Timeline

Refer to Revision Timeline

Nearby, more detailed reading

Authoring and Interchange

• Introduction to the Z39.86 Authoring and Interchange Framework
• Z39.86 Authoring and Interchange Working Group Main Page
• User Portal

Distribution

• Z39.86 Distribution Design Goals
• Z39.86 Distribution Working Group Main Page

Source Code Repository (schemas, specs, issue tracker)

• http://code.google.com/p/zednext/

2008 Requirements Gathering

• Requirements Gathering Web pages (see scripts under Utilities)
• ZedNext Requirements Taxonomy

Agenda and Minutes of Z3986 Advisory Committee

• Minutes of Z3986 Revision Meetings - Starting April 2008
• Minutes of Z3986 Advisory Committee - prior to April 2008