OEB Publication Structure

International eBook Standards Body Updates Industry Specification

eBook Device and Software Vendors Praise New Standard

Boulder, CO, USA. August 20, 2001.

The Open eBook Forum (www.openebook.org) has released an updated version of the Open eBook Publication Structure Specification. Entitled `Publication Structure Specification 1.0.1,' the new industry standard for authoring reusable content for eBook devices and readers supercedes the 1.0 version of the OEB Specification.

The OEB Publication Structure (OEBPS) is an XML-based specification for the content, structure, and presentation of electronic books. Developed and maintained by the Open eBook Forum, a group of over 85 leading organizations involved in electronic publishing, the standards body and trade association includes Gold Sponsorship from Microsoft Corporation, Adobe Systems and Intertrust Technologies.

"The OEB Specification provides a single common format for authors, editors, publishers, and content owners who want their titles to be readable by a variety of electronic publishing systems and reading devices," stated Bob Bruce, OeBF Executive Director. "It has been widely adopted by many of the major ebook publishers and software manufacturers as the underlying interchange format supporting a variety of ebook reading devices," he added.

Version 1.0.1 of OEBPS, which is based on over a year of industry experience with 1.0, does not add additional features to the specification but only removes ambiguities and corrects errors. Version 2.0 of OEBPS, which will introduce new features and substantial enhancements -- particularly in the areas of presentation, linking and navigation, internationalization, and metadata -- is currently under development.

"Comprehensive specifications that achieve the goal of simultaneously supporting both interoperability and innovative functionality are absolutely critical if electronic publishing is going to deliver on its promises," said Allen Renear, Chair of the OeBF Publication Structure Working Group and Associate Professor of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. "The OEB Publication Structure has solidly established itself in ebook publishing as precisely what is needed to build a thriving industry."

For its work on the Publication Structure the Open eBook Forum received, in July 2001, the International Coalition of Access Engineers and Specialists Collaboration and Coordination Award, recognizing its "significant innovative technical contributions to the access engineering profession," and, in particular, its attention to "accessibility and open standards," and its coordination with The Daisy Consortium and the National Information Standards Organization (NISO).

The Publication Structure Working Group encourages all participants and interested parties to download copies of the OEBPS 1.0.1 specification from the Open eBook Forum web site. (http://www.openebook.org). Multiple formats are available.

About the Open eBook Publication Structure Specification version 1.0.1

For a list of Frequently Asked Questions, please visit:

http://www.openebook.org/oebps/oebps1.0.1/oebps1.0.1_faq.htm.

For electronic copies, and/or print-ready formats, please visit:

http://www.openebook.org/oebps/oebps1.0.1/download/index.htm.

About The Publication Structure Working Group

The Publication Structure Working Group is charged with maintaining and advancing the OEB Publication Structure. The chair is Allen Renear (GSLIS, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign); the vice-chair is Garth Conboy (Gemstar-TV Guide) and the scribe is Dorothea Salo (OverDrive). The Maintenance Sub-Group, tasked with the development of version 1.0.1 is chaired by Garret Wilson (GlobalMentor); the Development Sub-Group, tasked with the development of version 2.0, is chaired by Gene Golovchinsky (FXPAL) and Jerry Dunietz (Microsoft Corp).

About Open eBook Forum

The Open eBook Forum (OeBF) is an international, non-profit trade and standards organization. The Forum's mission is to promote the development of a thriving eBook market. To do this, it creates, maintains and promotes adoption of eBook standards and brings together all the participants in the eBook world by providing an inclusive forum for discussion of eBook related social, legal, and technical issues.

Contact:

Open eBook Forum, Boulder
Bob Bruce
Tel: 303/543-1060
Fax: 303/497-9105
Email: info@openebook.org

Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive. See "Open Ebook Initiative."

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