Adding Databases to the Z39.50 Server File

Each Z39.50 server offers one or more databases. For a server to be accessible to your staff and patrons through the Z39.50 client (which provides the remote search feature of Sierra, ILL, and WebPAC), it must have one or more accessible databases.

To make a Z39.50 server's databases accessible, add the databases to the server's entry in your Innovative Z39.50 server file.

To add databases to a server entry in the Z39.50 server file:

1. If necessary, add an entry for the server.
2. Choose the Z39.50 server file option in Admin Corner. The Z39.50 SERVERS screen displays:

                                   Z39.50 SERVERS

      1 > RLIN
      2 > OCLC FirstSearch Databases
      3 > Univ. of Calif. MELVYL system
      4 > Univ. Wisconsin-Madison (NLC code)
      5 > Indiana Univ (NOTIS)
      6 > Penn State University
      7 > CARL Systems
      8 > Library of Congress
      9 > Acadia University
______________________________________________________________________________
Select server to edit or
A > ADD server        Z > Z39.50 Server     Q > QUIT
D > DELETE server     M > MOVE line
Choose one (1-9,A,D,Z,M,Q)

3. Choose the server entry's number. The system displays a screen similar to the following:

                      SERVER - Some University



_______________________________________________________________________________
E > Edit server information               Q > QUIT
A > ADD database
M > MOVE line
Choose one (E,A,M,Q)

4. Choose A > ADD database.

   When you select this option, the system prompts for the following information:

   Code for database	This code, also referred to as "Server's Name for Database," identifies each of the databases available on the server and must be unique. You can obtain this information by contacting the administrators of the Z39.50 server or consulting published references. A maximum of 61 characters may be entered here. Scoping by Z39.50 Databases If your library has acquired Scoping and scopes by Z39.50 databases, you must use the following format: Code for database: INNOPAC:<scope> Where <scope> represents the entry in the Scope Menu file. This entry must have "INNOPAC" preceding the scope to identify the Innovative server. For example: Code for database: INNOPAC:West Library You can choose to block certain scopes from being searched. Contact Innovative to set up blocking certain scopes from being searched.
   Display name for database	This is the name that appears in the list of databases available on the server presented to users of the Z39.50 client program. A maximum of 50 characters can be entered here.
   Type of query: 1	This controls the nature of requests sent to the server. At present, the InnovativeZ39.50 client program supports only query type 1. Accept the presented default value by pressing Enter.
   Do you want to input information to display on the search menu now? (y/n)	When a user selects this database for searching, the system presents a menu of available searches (e.g., Author, Title, Subject, etc.). Enter 'y' to enter text to appear at the bottom of this search menu. Enter text at a later time by using the E > EDIT information on search menu option on the DATABASE screen. The Full Screen Editor is used to input text. In the full screen editor, there is a brief menu of two choices (^E and ^F) at the top of the screen along with a message indicating whether you are in "OVERWRITE" or "INSERT" mode. The caret (^) denotes that the control key must be held down while the menu choice letter is being pressed (e.g., ^F means <CTRL>F). Do not confuse this shorthand notation with the ^ symbol that is located "above" the numeral 6 on the keyboard. You must press the control key (i.e., <CTRL>).

   After entering the above data, the system displays the DATABASE screen. For example:

                             SERVER - Some University
                            DATABASE - Sample Database
   1 > Server's Name for Database: sampdb
   2 > Name to Display to Public:  Sample Database
   3 > Type of Query:              1
   4 > Data Format:MARC 215 >Type Of Updating            NONE
   
   6 > G > REQUEST ITEM ALLOWED:   NO
       Searches allowed:
   
   _________________________________________________________________________
   Key a number or
   A > ADD new type of search                             Q > QUIT
   E > EDIT information on search menu
   Choose one (1-6,A,E,Q)

   If there are default search attributes for any index on this server, they appear under the Searches allowed portion of the screen. You can override any of these defaults for each database mounted on the server with the A > ADD new type of search option.

5. Quit and save your changes.

Options that you might need to customize are explained in the following sections.

Data Format

In the Z39.50 standard, a client can specify the format in which the server returns the data. In practice, most servers will only accept requests for data to be returned in MARC 21 format or, in some cases, OPAC format (which is MARC 21 format plus holdings data).

A specific Z39.50 server may be requested to send records to your Z39.50 client program in either one of these formats. The data format is officially known by a numeric Object Identifier that your client program sends to the remote server when a search session is initiated.

By default, MARC 21 requests are made, but this may be changed by keying the number of the Data Format option and selecting the format from the list:

                          SERVER - Sample Server
                         DATABASE - Sample Database
1 > MARC 21  1.2.840.10003.5.10
2 > UKMARC   1.2.840.10003.5.11
3 > UNIMARC  1.2.840.10003.5.1
4 > OPAC     1.2.840.10003.5.102
6 > SUTRS    1.2.840.10003.5.101
7 > XML      1.2.840.10003.5.109.10
8 > OTHER    (you type in the object identifier)


_____________________________________________________________________
Key a number or
Q > QUIT
Choose one (1-8,Q)

Select the data format by keying the appropriate number. If the data format the remote server wants to send you is not in this list, select OTHER. The system prompts:

OTHER OID:

Enter the Object Identifier exactly as it is provided to you by the administrator of the remote Z39.50 server.

Type of Updating

This option is no longer in use and should be set to "NONE".

G > REQUEST ITEM ALLOWED

If the library has acquired Interlibrary Loan (ILL), this option is used to specify whether a patron is allowed to REQUEST an item displayed from the database provided by the remote Z39.50 server. The request writes brief Bibliographic data taken from the retrieved record to the files used by ILL.

By default, requests are disallowed, but this may be configured separately for each available database by selecting this option and replying Y to the system's prompt. The system will change the REQUEST ITEM ALLOWED value to "YES" and place the following items on the menu:

6 > Patron types (0-1999):
7 > Message Line 1:
8 > Message Line 2:
9 > Message Line 3:

Patron types (0-1999):

Select Patron types to specify a range of patron P TYPE codes to be allowed to request items. The range is specified as a list of numbers separated by commas (e.g., 1,2,5,15), a beginning and ending value separated by a hyphen (e.g., 1-34), or a combination of the two (e.g., 1,3,5-12,34,37,51-63). To allow all patrons to request items, enter 0-1999. Note that you must enter a value for Patron types if you want to allow requesting of items.

Message Line 1:
Message Line 2:
Message Line 3:

You can enter a prompt of up to three lines using the Message Line 1: through Message Line 3: options. This prompt is presented to the patron when a request is being made, immediately before the patron's name and ID is requested.