RESEARCH it logo  SHARE it logo    VERSO logo

 

PAC ADMINISTRATION

Chapter 4. MANAGING RESOURCES

   

 

Creating or Editing a Z39.50 Site Definition

When you add a Z39.50 site to the available resources for your library or consortium, you are offered the option of selecting a default definition for the Host System, or manually entering a definition for the Host System. When you select to manually enter a definition for the Host System, you may select the specific services, record syntax, use attributes and indexes supported by the site, and specify the source tag for locations information for records retrieved from the site.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You must have the appropriate specifications for the Z39.50 site in order to create a new site definition or to modify an existing site definition.

To create or edit a Z39.50 site definition:

  1. From the Z39.50 Site Definition screen (see Adding and Editing Z39.50 Resources for details), click the Host System - Self Defined button.
    • The Site Definition screen displays in an additional browser window.

Site Definition Screen

Site Definition Screen

  1. Indicate the services supported by the Z39.50 target by selecting the appropriate checkbox(es) for Search, Present, Sort, Scan Browse and/or Explain in the Services Supported field.
    • A checkmark checkmark indicates the associated service is supported by the Z39.50 target.
    • An empty checkbox checkbox indicates the associated service is not supported by the Z39.50 target.
    • Clicking a checkbox repeatedly will toggle it on and off.

      NOTE: You must select at least one service type from the Services Supported field. You may select multiple service types if appropriate.

  2. Indicate the record syntax used by the Z39.50 target by selecting the appropriate radio button for USMARC, OPAC, SUTRS or Dublin Core(XML) in the Record Syntax Supported field.
    • You may select only one record syntax type.

      NOTE: In all cases where USMARC is supported by the Z39.50 target, select the USMARC radio button.

  3. Indicate the indexes supported by the Z39.50 target by selecting the appropriate checkbox(es) for All headings, Author, Title, Subject, Notes, ISBN, ISSN, and/or LCCN in the Use Attributes -- Indexes Supported field.
    • A checkmark checkmark indicates the associated index is supported by the Z39.50 target.
    • An empty checkbox checkbox indicates the associated index is not supported by the Z39.50 target.
    • Clicking a checkbox repeatedly will toggle it on and off.

      NOTE: You must select at least one index from the Use Attributes -- Indexes Supported field. You may select multiple indexes if appropriate. The Code Institution attribute should be selected in cases where a single Z39.50 site hosts multiple catalogs and it is desired to suppress certain catalog locations from display.

  4. For each selected index, indicate the attribute types supported by the Z39.50 target by selecting the appropriate checkbox(es) for Structure, Relation, Position, Truncation and/or Completeness, and selecting the desired value for each use attribute from the associated drop-down menu.

    NOTE: The Structure, Relation, Position, Truncation and Completeness checkboxes are disabled for the Code Institution use attribute.

    • A checkmark checkmark indicates the associated attribute type is supported by the Z39.50 target.
    • An empty checkbox checkbox indicates the associated attribute type is not supported by the Z39.50 target.
    • Clicking a checkbox repeatedly will toggle it on and off.
    • The default value for each attribute is shown in parentheses following the attribute name.
  5. Use the System Number Tag text box to specify the MARC Tag in records retrieved from the site that contains the system number for the record; enter 1, 001, 999c or 901-907, 910, 945-949, with subfield a-z, as appropriate.
  6. Select or specify the source for Locations Info for item records retrieved from the associated Z39.50 site:
    • To select a source for Locations Info, click the Locations Info checkbox, then select the desired definition from the associated drop-down menu.
    • To enter a definition for Locations Info, enter the appropriate MARC tag in the MARC Tag text box, then enter the appropriate subfield(s) in the Location, Call Number, Copy, Volume, Item, Status and/or Available text boxes, as applicable.
      • Enter subfields as a continuous list, with no spaces. Do not separate subfields with commas.
      • In cases where there are multiple occurrences of the Location, Call Number or Item subfield(s) in the specified MARC Tag, all occurrences of the subfield(s) are concatenated (in the order in which they appear in the bibliographic record).

        Example 1: The Call Number “J CD Audio Rowling” might be cataloged in the MARC holdings tag as “$cJ $iCD $iAudio $iRowling” (with the subfield “i” used 3 times for different parts of the Call Number).

        Example 2: A library may use multiple shelving locations and put each location in the $c of the MARC holdings tag, such as “$c Main Library $c Adult $c Fiction” providing a Location of “Main Library Adult Fiction.”

  7. Select the appropriate location normalization mode from the Location Normalization drop-down menu.
  8. If appropriate, select the Override Character Coding Schema checkbox, then use the Default all records to radio buttons to indicate the default coding for records retrieved from the associated Z39.50 site; either MARC-8 or UTF-8.
  9. When all desired information has been entered/edited, click the Submit button to save your changes, then click the Back button to close the Site Definition screen and return to the Z39.50 Database Definition screen.
    • If you enter an invalid System Number, an advisory dialog displays the message “Please enter a valid system number tag.” when you click the Submit button. Click the OK button to close the advisory dialog. Enter a valid system number, then click Submit.