 |
 |
 Find a Library | About ALG | Pathways to Australian Information |
|
 For Libraries |
Online Exhibitions |
Contact ALG
|
|
The Directory of Z39.50 Targets in Australia is currently undergoing redevelopment. When completed the service will allow Australian organisations with Z39.50 target services to register these services, describe connection parameters and document supported search attributes. The information entered here is freely available to anyone. Other sites can use the information contained in this directory to configure Z39.50 clients.
A limited service is available at present. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause our users.
The Z39.50 Information Retrieval Standard
Z39.50 is an international information retrieval standard (ANSI/NISO Z39.50 or ISO 23950 "Information Retrieval: Application Service Definition and Protocol Specification") that specifies a set of rules and procedures to enable communication between computer systems, including those that operate on different hardware and use different software. Z39.50 can facilitate a wide range of library functions that require database searching, including cataloguing, interlibrary loan and reference. It can be used with bibliographic databases as well as with other types of databases such as those containing images and the full-text of documents.
The standard was developed to overcome problems associated with multiple database searching resulting from different menus, command languages and search procedures. The Z39.50 standard can be implemented so library patrons can use the familiar interface of their local system to search both the local library catalogue and any remote database systems that support the standard. In this way, users need to master only one search interface. Another feature of Z39.50 is that it can allow the simultaneous searching of multiple databases.
A related project that will in the future make use of the information collected by this survey is ZedWeb, the Web to Z39.50 Gateway Service project. This project aims to develop a service that integrates Australian Z39.50 servers and provides a single web-interface to access the information contained in the underlying databases. While not supporting immediate access to actual resources (eg books, journals), ZedWeb will provide access to bibliographic information about those resources such as is contained in library catalogues and citation indexes.
Information input into the Directory will be immediately and freely available to all who use the Directory, with the details of each library's server being presented as a web page. Any changes to your information after this date can be made online. It is planned that this Directory will be a single source of information on the capabilities and characteristics of Z39.50 servers throughout Australia, and therefore an invaluable resource.
Please direct comments or queries about the Directory of Z39.50 Targets in Australia to ALG Administration.
Links to more information about Z39.50
See also:
Last modified: September 15 2004.
| | Find a Library | | About ALG | | Pathways to Australian Information | |
| | For Libraries | | Online Exhibitions | | Help | | Contact ALG |
