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A website that allows vendors to share information about their implementations of the
NISO Circulation Interchange Protocol (ANSI/NISO Z39.83, Parts 1 and 2). NCIP
addresses the need for interoperability among disparate circulation, interlibrary loan, and
computer-based applications.
At this time, the following vendors have indicated their use of NCIP by signing up for the
registry: Auto-Graphics, Ex Libris, Innovative Interfaces, Inc., and Rapid Radio. The
registry is linked from the NCIP website (www.niso.org/workrooms/ncip) and from the
The registry allows vendors to enter information about their implementations of Version 1
of the standard, now deprecated but still widely used, and Version 2 of the standard, the
current version of the standard adopted in 2008. Vendors may participate in the standard’s
By making this information publicly available, libraries will be able to see which vendors
currently support NCIP, which version(s) of the standard are supported, and which
messages in the standard are supported. In 2010 the NCIP Standing Committee defined
two sets of core messages for accomplishing essential tasks: the Resource Sharing and the
Self-Service. All required messages must be enabled for a vendor to claim support for a
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core message set. Depending on the role the vendor is playing in the transaction, the vendor
Consultant, College Center for Library Automation), who, with Mary Jackson (Product
Manager, Resource Sharing, Auto-Graphics) developed the Drupal-based registry for the
committee, noted, “The new registry builds on years of work on NCIP. It is a key next step
to help libraries better understand which vendors provide NCIP, which NCIP messages are
supported, and how those might in turn support what the library needs in order to more
make this registry available and look forward to seeing its growth.”
Rob Walsh, President of EnvisionWare, the Maintenance Agency for NCIP, as well as co-
chair for NISO’s Discovery to Delivery Topic Committee, which provides oversight to the
NCIP Standing Committee, added, “This is a wonderful step forward for NCIP. The
registry is just one of the tools that the Standing Committee has been working on to
support NCIP implementers and users. By making this information more broadly
available, the community will be able to make better informed decisions to help meet their
The NCIP Standing Committee is working to develop additional user tools. For more