Z39.50 Protocol - Librarians Portal

About the Z39.50 Gateway

Z39.50 is a national and international (ISO 23950) standard defining a protocol for computer-to-computer information retrieval. Z39.50 makes it possible for a user in one system to search and retrieve information from other computer systems (that have also implemented Z39.50) without knowing the search syntax that is used by those other systems. Z39.50 was originally approved by the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) in 1988.

About the development and maintenance of Z39.50 "Information Retrieval (Z39.50): Application Service Definition and Protocol Specification", and to ANSI/NISO Z39.50. The Library of Congress is the Maintenance Agency and Registration Authority for both standards, which are technically identical.

What is a Z39.50 Standard?

A standard represents an agreement on how to do something or carry out some activity to arrive at predictable results. All standards published by the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) are developed by a consensus process that draws on the expertise of implementers and vendors, product developers, and users of those products; they are approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Z39.50 is a NISO standard that defines specifications for protocols—rules and procedures— to promote communication between different systems. It was established by consensus and is publicly available to encourage widespread use. Z39.50 is one of many NISO standards that address the application of both traditional and new technologies to information management, retrieval, and storage. The goal in developing and using technical standards in information services, libraries, and publishing is to make information systems easier to use and less expensive to operate. The adoption of these standards by those who develop and sell products and services offers the prospect of expanded domestic and international markets domestically and abroad. Consumers benefit from the adoption of standards as an assurance that products and services from varied sources meet a certain level of quality.

How does Z39.50 work?

Z39.50 operates in a client/ server environment, acting as a common language that all Z39.50-enabled systems can understand. It is an Esperanto-like language that bridges the many “languages and dialects” that different information systems “speak.” For Z39.50 communication and inter operation to take place, both the client and the server must be able to speak the Z39.50 language. Most Z39.50 implementations use the standard TCP/IP Internet communications protocol to connect the systems and Z39.50-compliant software to translate between them for search and retrieval. To the users this all happens behind the scenes; they simply see their familiar search and display interface. To achieve this interoperability, Z39.50 standardizes the messages that clients and servers use for communication, regardless of what underlying software, systems, or platform are used. Z39.50 supports open systems, which means it is non-proprietary, or vendor independent. A client system that implements the Z39.50 protocol allows communication with diverse servers, and a server system that implements the protocol is searchable by clients developed by different vendors. Without having to know how the server works, the user performs a search through the Z39.50 interface on the client. Z39.50 governs how the client translates the search into a standard format for sending to the server. After receiving the search, the server uses Z39.50 rules to translate the search into a format recognized by the local database, performs the search, and returns the results to the user’s client. The client’s user interface software processes the results returned via Z39.50 with the goal of displaying them as closely as possible to the way records are displayed in the user’s local system.

Implications of Z39.50 Protocol for the Libraries

The Z39.50 Protocol is becoming the main communication standard between various library systems. The implication for the library and the information services is becoming important work and will result into effective system as Z39.50 enabled after few years.

OPACS

Z39.50 Protocol to web gateways has been around for a few years. They allow OPACS to be available through web. Z39.50 Protocol provides access any and all of the world’s major library catalogues or just locates sources with a single search.

Cataloguing

Original cataloguing was expensive and time-consuming for libraries. Because of Z39.50 searching for and downloading bibliographic records is becoming simple and efficient since multiple sources can be searched simultaneously and records easily compared. Currently libraries are often “looked in” via service agreement and proprietary software to a b biographic utility Z39.50 Protocol will allow user to establish relationships with a variety of sources without penalties.

Union Catalogues

Union Catalogues – combined catalogues of several libraries have been a valuable tool for decades within group of otherwise separate libraries wanting to co-operate for the inter-lending, cooperative purchase and general service. But they were difficult and expensive to manage. The Z39.50 allows libraries within dissimilar catalogues to be grouped together without having to physically replicate their databases. A user may sit at OPAC screen and search several catalogues simultaneously. Useful material and its location can be displayed with no additional work.

Inter Library Loan

Because of Z39.50 it is possible to search multiple catalogues with a single query and easy to locate documents. The extended service of Z39.50 allows systems to arrange for delivery, including account information and billing of the item to the enquirer. Liberians in future will be able to search and order items in one operation and deal directly with library which serves their needs, due to Z39.50.

CD-ROM access

The steady migration of CD-ROM information provides the web based service; CD will be feature of library services for some time. CD-ROM having practical problem of different software interfaces and searching database separately. The Z39.50 will make it possible to search each database with single familiar interface and additionally several other databases at the same time. It also solves the problem of using different clients.

Selective Dissemination of Information

Due to Z39.50 user may identify useful library and information resources and setup a SDI profile using single interface. Searches can be automatically run when required and the results downloaded from the database to a specified destination.

Web Searching and Filtering

Searching the web is frustrating for many times, because many different searches engines and interfaces. By adding an optional Z39.50 interface to the search engines much of the frustration and time consumption could be reduced. Unwanted areas of web could be attacked through an extended service. Each library could set its own filter parameters on the Z39.50 client used to access major search engines.

NISO Standards Series: ISSN 1041-5653

Z39.2-1994 (R2001) Information Interchange Format

Z39.7-1995 Library Statistics

Z39.9-1992 (R2001) International Standard Serial Numbering

Z39.14-1997 Guidelines for Abstracts

Z39.18-1995 Scientific and Technical Reports — Elements, Organization, and Design

Z39.19-1993 (R1998) Guidelines for the Construction, Format, and Management of Monolingual Thesauri

Z39.20-1999 Criteria for Price Indexes for Printed Library Materials

Z39.22-1989 Proof Corrections

Z39.23-1997 Standard Technical Report Number Format and Creation

Z39.26-1997 Micro-publishing Product Information

Z39.32-1996 Information on Microfiche Headers

Z39.41-1997 Printed Information on Spines

Z39.43-1993 (R2001) Standard Address Number (SAN) for the Publishing Industry

Z39.47-1993 (R1998) Extended Latin Alphabet Coded Character (ANSEL)

Z39.48-1992 (R1997) Permanence of Paper for Publications and Documents in Libraries and Archives

Z39.50-1995 Information Retrieval (Z39.50): Application Service Definition and Protocol Specification

Z39.53-2001 Codes for the Representation of Languages for Information Interchange

Z39.56-1996 Serial Item and Contribution Identifier (SICI)

Z39.62-2000 Eye-Legible Information on Microfilm Leaders and Trailers and on Containers of Processed Microfilm on Open Reels

Z39.64-1989 (R1995) East Asian Character Code for Bibliographic Use

Z39.66-1992 (R1998) Durable Hardcover Binding for Books

Z39.71-1999 Holdings Statements for Bibliographic Items

Z39.73-1994 (R2001) Single-Tier Steel Bracket Library Shelving

Z39.74-1996 Guides to Accompany Microform Sets

Z39.76-1996 Data Elements for Binding Library Materials

Z39.77-2001 Guidelines for Information About Preservation Products

Z39.78-2000 Library Binding

Z39.79-2001 Environmental Conditions for Exhibiting Library and Archival Materials

Z39.82-2001 Title Pages for Conference Publications

Z39.84-2000 Syntax for the Digital Object Identifier

Z39.85-2001 The Dublin Core Metadata Element Set

Z39.86-2002 Specifications for the Digital Talking Book

ANSI/NISO/ISO 12083 Electronic Manuscript Preparation and Markup