**With apologies for cross-posting**


CIMI News Release: October 15th, 2002
Release of CIMI XML Schema for SPECTRUM and Open Implementers Call for Alpha
Test Period

The CIMI Consortium (www.cimi.org) is pleased to announce the public release
of Version 1.5 of the CIMI XML Schema for SPECTRUM, and the launch of an
Open Implementers call to participate an Alpha Test Period.

The CIMI Schema will enable museums to encode rich descriptive information
relating to museum objects, including associated information about people,
places and events surrounding the history of museum objects, as well as
information about their management and use within museums. The CIMI Schema
will be useful for migrating data, the sharing of information between
applications, and as an interchange format for OAI (Open Archives Initiative
at www.openarchives.org) metadata harvesting.

The CIMI Schema is based on the SPECTRUM, the data and collections
management standard for museum collections. SPECTRUM was developed by mda
(www.mda.org.uk) and has been widely implemented in museums internationally.

The Schema has been tested by CIMI members and data from a variety of museum
databases has been successfully encoded. Implementers from across the museum
and XML communities are now invited to review and/or use the CIMI Schema in
order that it can benefit from real-life use in projects. This Alpha Test
Period will encompass the following stages:

Stage 1 Freezing the CIMI Schema for use during the Alpha Test Period until
June 2003, in order that implementers can make use of a stable product and
so that CIMI can gather feedback from its use.

Stage 2 After June 2003, CIMI intends to hold at least one Implementers’
Forum to evaluate feedback arising from the use of the CIMI Schema during
its first release and to address issues of how the community can manage the
ongoing extension and refinement of the CIMI Schema in the future.

Stage 3 Review of the Schema following the Implementers’ Forum and public
release of Version 2 of the Schema in November 2003.

The CIMI Schema and its supporting documentation are available for download
at: http://www.cimi.org/wg/xml_spectrum/index.html.

Further information about the CIMI XML Schema for SPECTRUM and its
development is available at http://www.cimi.org/wg/xml_spectrum/index.html.

Questions about the CIMI Schema can  be addressed to the CIMI XML Project
Manager, Alice Grant at [log in to unmask]


Alice Grant Consulting
www.alicegrant.com
Fengate Farm, Fengate Road, West Pinchbeck
Spalding, Lincolnshire, UK PE11 3NE
T: +44(0)1775 640282 F: +44(0)1775 640969 M: 07932-023143