niso

NISO (the National Information Standards Organization) is a U.S.‑based, nonprofit association that develops, maintains, and promotes standards and best practices for the creation, dissemination, and use of information. Formed in 1939 as the Z39 Committee of the Library of Congress, it later merged with other standards activities and adopted the name NISO in 2001. Its members include libraries, publishers, vendors, and scholarly societies, guided by a board of directors and volunteer committees.

NISO’s work spans bibliographic description, metadata, identifiers, and electronic resource management. Notable standards published or endorsed by the organization include the Z39.50 protocol for information retrieval, the ONIX family of XML formats for book and serial metadata, the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) registration framework, and the emerging ANSI/NISO Z39.88 (the Linking Open Data model). The organization also contributes to international standards development through participation in ISO/TC 46 and other working groups.

In addition to standards, NISO provides guidance documents, white papers, and educational resources, and it hosts an annual conference that brings together stakeholders to discuss emerging issues in publishing, libraries, and information technology. Funding for its activities comes from membership dues, standards sales, and conference revenues. By fostering interoperable standards, NISO aims to improve access to information, support efficient data exchange, and enhance the reliability of scholarly communication worldwide.