Accessing distributed cultural heritage information

The consortium for the Computer Interchange of Museum Information (CIMI) is leading an international effort to provide search and retrieval of cultural heritage information. A primary aspect of CIMI's work uses ANSI/NISO Z39.50, an American protocol for information retrieval. Z39.50 allows uniform access to existing and emerging digital collection and the vast repositories of cultural heritage information resources. CIMI's application of Z39.50 in the networked cultural heritage information environmental is breaking new ground in distributed and integrated access to textual and nontextual digital collections.