NISO x BISG Forum @ ALA: Accessibility Standards & the Future of Inclusive Publishing
The 18th annual NISO x BISG Forum, The Changing Standards Landscape, will take place on Friday, June 27, 2025, in conjunction with the American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition in Philadelphia.
This year’s Forum program, Accessibility Standards and the Future of Inclusive Publishing, examines how evolving standards are shaping the development, distribution, and discoverability of accessible content.
Through a series of panel discussions and focused talks, the forum will explore the current state of accessibility in publishing, the technical and organizational infrastructure required to support inclusive practices at scale, and the strategic role of libraries in advancing equitable access.
By convening stakeholders from publishing, libraries, standards organizations, and technology service providers, the program aims to surface shared challenges, highlight innovative solutions, and identify pathways for greater alignment across the ecosystem.
“The NISO BISG Forum reflects the best of what our community can achieve together—thoughtful, collegial conversations that drive innovative approaches to some of the industry’s most pressing challenges. We’re proud to continue this long-standing collaboration with NISO, creating a space where stakeholders can align around practical solutions for a more inclusive publishing future,” said Brian O’Leary, Executive Director of the Book Industry Study Group.
The forum provides a structured setting to assess progress, examine practical approaches, and consider the future of accessibility through the lens of standards development and implementation.
Sessions include:
- Opening Remarks
- Laying the Groundwork for Inclusive Publishing
- Progress Assessment: How Far Are We from Delivery?
- Vendor Perspectives: A Conversation on Content Conversion
- Innovation at Scale: OverDrive’s Vision for Accessible Content
- Current Tools and Future Directions in Accessible Publishing
- Library Publishing Futures
- Open Q&A and Group Discussion
Previous Forum topics have included:
- AI in Publishing (2024)
- Diverse & Sustainable: A Conversation About How Book Publishing Evolves (2023)
- The Book: Usage, Economics, and the Future (Function, Format, and the Future) (2022)
- Interoperability: Enabling Better Discovery (2021)
- Interoperability: From Silos to An Ecosystem (2020)
Friday, June 27, 2025
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM (EDT)
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 123
1101 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 United States
This event is FREE to all registered attendees of the American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition. There is no additional cost to attend the NISO x BISG Forum. No registration required.
PLEASE NOTE: This is an in-person event only. Streaming will not be available to those not attending on site.
National Information Standards Organization (NISO) is a nonprofit membership organization that identifies, develops, maintains, and publishes technical standards to manage information.