Z39.50 Profile for Easy Search and Copy Cataloguing

Author: Jan Pokorný,  Charles University Computer Centre, Czech Republic

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Abstract

The main purpose of the JIB Z39.50 profile definition, which was discussed on ZIG focus group meeting in State Technical Library in February 2004, was adjustment of minimal requirements for Z39.50 attributes settings of Czech catalogues and bibliographic databases so that information resources can be easily and correctly searched. The profile makes an effort to create technical specifications for resources which met the requirements to be able to be inquired with uniform inquiry and to return comparable results.

Czech catalogues and databases are rather heterogeneous so it is not easy to find out the common base for Z39.50 attributes definition. We have decided to define the least requirements:

• the definition describes settings of only five basic fields which are used for searching most often
• the definition concerns search only (SEARCH, PRESENT), not functions of update (UPDATE)

This minimum should be a condition of cooperation with other systems at national level.

The profile definition is based on experiences gained during running of the Uniform Information Gateway in which, thanks to integration of nearly all Czech Z39.50 resources, most of known problems and issues of parallel searching was approved. Z39.50 servers running in Czech libraries are varied and they have various capabilities to be inquired and to search. Our experiences bring out that significant improvements can be achieved by progressive unification or at least by Z39.50 attributes settings convergency.

About the author

A graduate of Institute of Information Studies and Librarianship, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Charles University in Prague, department Information Science. Now a student of postgraduate studies at the same institute. In 1996-2001 he worked as a system administrator in State Scientific Library in Hradec Králové. From 2001 he has worked at Computer Centre of Charles University at department of library applications. He works on integration of information resources at Uniform Information Gateway project and he supports T-Series and Aleph systems.