This EPSIG entry is organized in three parts: (a) 1996-1997 links to EPSIG Home Page; (b) the first is a November 1994 update describing EPSIG as a new collaboration as of Spring 1994; (c) the second is a description of EPSIG written in 1992, much of which remains substantially accurate or relevant. The first part represents a hasty attempt at update. [some detail needed]
| Last modified: July 15, 1998 |
| Electronic Publishing Special Interest Group (EPSIG) |
EPSIG in 1996-1997
- EPSIG WWW Home Page
- Links on the Contacts page
- See also: ISO 12083 - Notes from Meetings, 5/12/97. The SGML Resource Center. [local archive copy]
- EPSIG Documents 1996 - From GCA
EPSIG in 1994
New management
In (about) early 1994, the sponsorship of the Electronic Publishing Special Interest Group (EPSIG) was transferred from OCLC [Online Computer Library Center] to management under three collaborating entities. These are: the Association of American Publishers (AAP) [supplies direction for SGML requirements of the AAP membership], the Graphic Communications Association Research Institute (GCARI) [organizational management], and McAffe & McAdam, Ltd [technical direction]. The most visible element of the new EPSIG's charter is to be the "voice" of "ISO12083:1993", reporting on implementation, modification, and evolution. The EPSIG Tutorial Series and EPSIG Roundtable Series have been continued as forums to assist in ISO 12083 training and education. Membership categories and annual fees have remained (for 1994) about the same: $50 subscriber, $200 individual membership; $500 corporate membership; $1000 implementing membership.
New Newsletter
The publication of EPSIG News under the direction of OCLC ceased apparently with EPSIG News 6/1 (Spring 1993), and resumed with EPSIG News 7/1 in "Spring 1994" under a significantly different look. The newsletter contents are more directly related to the implementation "ISO12083" standard -- successor to the AAP/EPSIG (NISO) standard. The ISSN disappeared from the newsletter (has it changed?). The newsletter subtitle became The Newsletter for ISO12083:1993, Application and Implementation Information (appears on issues 7/1 and 7/2) -- despite the (apparent) reality that ISO 12083 will not be published in final form as ISO until 1995. The new newsletter editor is Robin Canami of McAffe & McAdam, Ltd. The four annual issues of EPSIG News are now said to be available in electronic format (in SGML, with accompanying DTD).
Current EPSIG Addresses
EPSIG Membership Office, c/o GCARI
P.O. Box 25707
Alexandria, VA 22313-5707
Tel: +1-703-519-8184
FAX: +1-703-548-2867
EPSIG News Editor
c/o McAffe & McAdam, Ltd
Tel: + 1-410-838-1913
EPSIG in 1992 (-1993)
EPSIG (Electronic Publication Special Interest Group) is collaboration between the AAP (with 250 member firms in the US) and OCLC (Online Computer Library Center), serving 11,000 libraries. EPSIG was invited by the AAP to carry out development and promotion of the EPSIG/AAP "Electronic Manuscript Standard" for the preparation, publication and interchange of electronic manuscripts. The primary goals of EPSIG are to: (1) Promote the adoption and proliferation of the Electronic Manuscript Standard; (2) Organize and present tutorials and technical programs; (3) Provide an information clearinghouse for documents pertaining to the Standard, EPSIG, and electronic publishing; (4) Provide electronic mail to EPSIG members; (5) Provide a toll-free helpline to provide advice and assistance with the Standard; (6) Publish a quarterly newsletter; (7) Publish and sell current and future EPSIG manuals related to the Standard; (8) Coordinate standards input from members as revisions to the Standard are required.
As of late 1991, electronic discussion group lists were set up for committee work on the Math and Tables specifications in the EMS. The final versions of this committee work will be submitted to be balloted as an amendment to ANSI/NISO Z39.59-1988. For the committee work on Math, contact William B. Wolff of the American Mathematical Society: PO BOX 6248, Providence, RI 02940; Tel: (1 401) 455-4010, FAX: (1 401) 331-3842; Email (Internet): wbw@math.ams.com. For Tables, contact Paul Grosso of ArborText: 349 Daly Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA K1N 6G8; Tel: (613) 233-2435, FAX: (613) 722-5706' Email (Internet): pbg@arbortext.com.
See further concerning the details of the electronic forum in Paul Grosso's note, "First Meeting of Math/Tables Update Committee Held," EPSIG News 4/4 (December 1991) 1-2, or Paul Grosso, "AAP Tables and Math Committee Report, October 22, 1991," <TAG> 20 (December 1991) 11-12.
EPSIG's newsletter EPSIG News is published quarterly (ISSN: 1042-3737), and receipt of EPSIG News is a benefit of subscriber status. EPSIG members receive discounts on SoftQuad and Software Exoterica software products. EPSIG Members also receive discounts at SGML conferences sponsored by the GCA. EPSIG promotes the EMS (American National Standard for Electronic Manuscript Preparation and Markup. (ANSI/NISO Z39.59-1988)) as well as several Guides and instructional materials pertinent to electronic document preparation and data interchange.
EPSIG News (ISSN 1042-3737) is the newsletter. EPSIG publishes this quarterly newsletter EPSIG News in support of the ANSI/NISO manuscript standard Z39.59-1988, and more generally in support of SGML. EPSIG News is mailed to members (annual dues 200 US dollars) and subscribers (annual dues 50 US dollars). Articles carried in EPSIG News (especially press reports and major product announcements) are also sometimes printed in <TAG> and/or the SGML Users' Group Newsletter. EPSIG News accepts advertising for SGML services and products, as well as classified advertising.
Address: [now obsolete] EPSIG (Electronic Publishing Special Interest Group); Attention: Betsy Kiser, EPSIG Manager, MC 278; c/o OCLC; 6565 Frantz Road; Dublin, OH 43017-0702 USA; TEL: (614) 764-6195; FAX: (614) 764-6096; Email (Internet): bnk@rsch.oclc.org.
Description of the AAP/EPSIG Standard, predecessor to ISO 120 83.
American National Standard for Electronic Manuscript Preparation and Markup. (ANSI/NISO Z39.59-1988). Published for NISO (National Information Standards Organization) by Transaction Publishers (New Brunswick, NJ), 1991. xv +167 pages. ISBN: 0-88738-945-7. ISSN: 1041-5653. An earlier form of the document was published simply as: the Standard for Electronic Manuscript Preparation and Markup. (ANSI/NISO Z39.59-1988). 1987, 1988. This document was developed over several years as the "AAP Standard," was later promoted to by EPSIG/AAP as "the Electronic Manuscript Standard" or simply as the "Standard," and is now a NISO publication. The AAP/EPSIG application is SGML-conforming, and provides a suggested tagset for authors and publishers. The standard is said to "represent the first industry wide application of SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language, ISO 8879). The standard defines the format syntax of the application of SGML publication of books and journals. The standard achieves two goals. First, it establishes a standard way to identify and tag parts of an electronic manuscript so that computers can distinguish between these parts. Second, it provides a logical way to represent special characters, symbols, and tabular material, using only the ASCII character set usually found on a standard keyboard." The standard is available for $75 (75 US dollars) from Transaction Publishers or from NISO: Transaction Publishers, Department NIS091, Rutgers--The State University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, TEL: (1 908) 932-2280; FAX: (1 908) 932-3138; NISO is at National Information Standards Organization, P.O. BOX 1056, Bethesda, MD 20827, Tel: (1 301) 975-2814, FAX: (1 301) 869-8071; Email (Internet): niso@enh.nist.gov (or BITNET) niso@nbsenh. Discounts are available for purchase of multiple copies.
