Information Standards Quarterly (ISQ), NISO's quarterly print magazine, includes feature articles on timely standards-related topics, spotlight articles on a NISO member organization, updates on NISO activities, status of all NISO standards in development, and national and international library and information standards news. ISQ was first founded in January 1989, when it replaced the existing primary NISO publication, the Voice of Z39, which ran from 1979-1988.
The first issue of ISQ describes the publication as following:
"ISQ ... will continue the primary mission of Voice of Z39: keeping NISO members informed on the progress of standards development, deadlines, activities and other NISO information. It will also serve as an ongoing source of information on NISO and information standards for potential members of NISO, students, libraries and others." (January 1989)
In 2008, ISQ underwent a transformation of its own. When it was formed in 1989 it was intended to be produced "by a volunteer editor and editorial staff," rather than by NISO staff. Walt Crawford first served as editor for the publication, but in subsequent years and with NISO's own organizational changes, ISQ was once again managed primarily in-house. However, the first issue of 2008 (volume 20, number 1) was published with a new look, under the lead of Jay Datema, a new editor, who recruited an editorial board, and with a broader charge. ISQ now serves not only as a means to inform the information community of NISO work, but also provides NISO members and the community with articles that look more broadly at emerging trends, new topics, ongoing efforts, and other groups that impact standards development, both within NISO and in related areas.
In 2009, ISQ was further refined in response to reader feedback with a brand-new design and with Cynthia Hodgson, a long-time NISO consultant, serving in the primary role of Managing Editor, and with Todd Carpenter, NISO's Managing Director, providing leadership as Publisher to the magazine. At this time, the NISO ISQ website was also updated to include online tables of contents, and subscribers and NISO members can now not only download the full magazine online, but can also access ISQ's resource links online, as well.
ISQ is free to all NISO Voting and Library Standards Alliance members. If you are a member or non-member subscriber, you can download current and past issues of ISQ (subscriber or member username/password required for access).
If you are a non-member subscriber and have forgotten your password, contact NISO administrators to request your password.
- Publisher
Todd Carpenter, Managing Director, National Information Standards Organization - Managing Editor
Cynthia Hodgson, Technical Editor & Consultant, National Information Standards Organization - Editorial Board
- Marshall Breeding, Director for Innovative Technologies and Research, Vanderbilt University
- Priscilla Caplan, Assistant Director, Florida Center for Library Automation
- Helen Henderson, Vice President, Marketing & Strategy, Ringgold, Inc.
- Norm Medeiros, Associate Librarian, Haverford College
- Peter Murray, Assistant Director, New Service Development, OhioLINK
- Andrew Pace, Executive Director of Networked Library Services, OCLC
- Kristen Fisher Ratan, Assistant Director, Business Strategy, HighWire Press
- Kevin Thomas, Director, Information Technology, Wolters Kluwer Health
- Kate Wittenberg, Project Director, Client and Partnership Development, Ithaka/JSTOR/ARTstor