Fun with Z39.50
Part One
From: Steve Johnson
To: listserv-submit@bookwhere.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2001 8:13 PM
Subject: New York State Library
The New York State Library Catalog is not at present in the host file for Bookwhere 2000. The Z39.50 server is running, however, and I had no difficulty configuring Bookwhere 2000 version 2.1 to connect and download records.
Information on the New York State Library Z39.50 server is available at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/faq/z3950.htm
In brief, the database name is unicorn, the domain name is nysl.nysed.gov, and the port number is 2200.
In addition to book and state archives, the New York State Library Catalog includes records of the Historical Documents Inventory, a statewide survey of archives and manuscripts in New York State carried out in the mid-nineteen eighties. Although clones of these records are also accessible on RLIN via the RLIN AMC gateway at Library of Congress, as near as I can determine, only RLIN members can download records in Marc communications format from the RLIN AMC file. Anyone can download Marc records from Excelsior, including non-RLIN institutions which contributed records to HDI and are now creating automated systems for their archives.
Steven Johnson
Librarian and archivist
Bronx Zoo Library
Wildlife Conservation Society
sjohnson@wcs.org
Part Two
Date: Fri, 1 Mar 2002 17:42:59 -0500
From: "Johnson, Steve"
To: METRO-L
Subject: RE: NYPL Z39.50 Server Interface is Now Accessible
Following the recent announcement of Z39.50 server implementation at New York Public Library, I was delighted to find how easy it was to add the NYPL server to a Bookwhere 2000 v2.1 host file. Making a connection and downloading records required adding only the most basic information to a database entry for a new host, NYPL:
IP Address 149.123.129.10
Port number 210
Database name Innopac
ProCite 5 required just a little more work: the information above plus the following information added to the Database Properties Sheet for a database called Innopac:
Fieldname fieldtype use
Any Generic 1016
Anywhere Generic 1035
Author Author Last Name M 1036
Title Generic 4
Subject Generic 21
I did not add the ISBN or ISSN fields to the property sheet.
Configuring Reference Manager and Endnote should be similar, but I haven't yet tried to add NYPL to their host files.
I would appreciate comments on anything substantial I missed in my haste to implement a client. I found the process is much easier and faster than I expected, given the long list of fields and characteristics in the documentation.
Steve Johnson
Bronx Zoo Library
Part Three
Helpful comments by Terry Reese, author of MarcEdit
In the Current News item dated 2005 February 11, Terry Reese provided a handy discussion of Z39.50 client configuration and the role of Persistent or Stateless connections. Terry's helpfiles can also be useful for anyone who has puzzled over customizing the definitions in Bookwhere.
Updated: 2005 June 14, added link to comments by Terry Reese. 2003 February 7, linked fixed. 2002 March 1, created.