Please send status reports to rden@loc.gov

• Rob Bull Crossnet Systems Limited
  Crossnet released version 2.2 of ZedKit for UNIX in November 1999, offering additional PDU support and documentation. We have recently implemented our ZedLib server component for a number of customers linking to a diverse range of relational database schemas, in the GEO, GILS and CIMI profile scenarios. We have also recently integrated the UNIX version of ZedLib to relational databases using third party ODBC drivers.

  One other interesting product is our Z39.50 MARC converter proxy. This performs on-the-fly conversion of MARC records, and is successfully being used in a number of organisations in the UK performing UK to US MARC conversion. This product was co-developed with Oxford University Libraries Automation Service. It is very easy to use: run it on a machine and point it to the Z39.50 server, and you point your z39.50 client to the proxy. Other MARC conversion formats are possible as well.

  We are participating in the ONE-2 project and this project is in its implementation phase (http://www.crxnet.com/one2_status.html).

  We are also project managing the Malvine project, a virtual catalogue of metadata about manuscripts and letters, and this project has recently commenced its test phase (http://www.malvine.org).

• Ted Koppel, OCLC
  Cataloging access to the OCLC WorldCat database is available through the OCLC Z39.50 Cataloging service. The production server is at zcat.oclc.org:210, a test server is available at testenv.oclc.org:5666. A valid cataloging authorization is necessary for access to the production database; OCLC will provide access to the test server upon request.

  SiteSearch 4.1 commercial package released November 1999. Written in Java. Uses Z39.50 to access local and remote databases. SiteSearch uses (locally developed) Newton software (in version 4.1) for database building and retrieval. All databases available on FirstSearch are also available through Z39.50 target with proper FirstSearch authorization. Test server at tikal.dev.oclc.org; production server at z3950.oclc.org.

  OCLC WebExpress service, which will provide an easy-to-use integrated gateway to library resources, will be introduced in the second quarter of 2000. OCLC WebExpress consists of integration software, software updates, and access to a service center at OCLC providing documentation, training resources and a repository of database and server configurations for Z39.50 resources. WebExpress is designed as a low-cost, low-maintenance, easy-to-install gateway for smaller institutions.

  OCLC CJK Z39.50 Client is a Windows NT-based (version 4.0 with Service pack 3 or higher) Z39.50 Client component that can support CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) vernacular scripts on its Unicode platform. Via Internet, users can:

  • Search local Z39.50 servers by author, title, subject, ISBN, and ISSN;
  • Display records in full MARC or Labeled format;
  • View Chinese records (USMARC Fixed Field, Lang: chi) in either Wade-Giles or pinyin.
  OCLC CJK Z39.50 Client is packaged as part of the OCLC Access Suite, and is available to OCLC users without extra charge.

• Sebastian Hammer, Index Data
  ID has made new releases of most of its free packages. YAZ is at version 1.5 and now features encoders/decoders generated by our own ASN.1 compiler. This has lead to better diagnostic dumping of PDUs, and also the process of adding new protocol bits or entire protocols is pretty straightforward and quick. We now offer an optional "subscription-based" support framework for professional YAZ users. The Zebra indexing and search engine has been released in its first non-beta version. IrTcl has been updated to compile with the new YAZ. Our Z39.50 module for Apache is expected ready for its first real release sometime in the first quarter of 2000. In collaboration with Fretwell-Downing Informatics, we have released a information retrieval engine called Z'mbol - it'll index large databases of a variety of input formats, support many different profiles, and supports a host of Z39.50 facilities (including SORT and EXPLAIN). There's more information about all of this stuff at http://www.indexdata.dk/.

• Mark Hinnebusch, FCLA
  FCLA has moved a new Version 3 server into production. It supports search and scan. It supports all of the "usual" libraryland bibliographic queries, with or without right truncation, in general accepting either word or phrase structure attributes. The software currently runs on an NT system and has been ported and is in test on an AIX system. Currently, access is avaialble at pc-43.fcla.edu:210. Database names are the same as they have always been, and can be found at the LC search page.

  We are also now providing access to SQL tables through this server. Currently, these are a small subset of the data available from the Florida Museum of Natural History. This project is still in development and not yet ready for general availability.

• John Robert Gardner, ATLA-CERTR
  We're getting ready to implement SIM here, and are wokring on a parallel "race-track" of an Oracle system. See http://vedavid.org/xml/docs/ for my own papers on all this.

• Larry Dixson, Library of Congress
  LC implemented a new system (Voyager by Endeavor) on August 16, 1999. On that date, all LC cataloging activity began in the new system. The legacy system (MUMS) remained operational during a period of transition.

  MUMS was retired at 9:30 p.m. on January 11, 2000. The legacy system Z39.50 server is, of course, also no longer operational. Z39.50 clients must be reconfigured to access the Voyager server. Configuration information can be found on the LC Web server -- linked on Gateway page or on Maintenance Agency Test Server page.

  Known problems:

  • The character encoding problem found in Voyager Z39.50 records (i.e., diacritics and many special characters) is reported to have been corrected in version 99.1 of Voyager. LC will implement version 99.1 in late March or early April.
  • Authority records cannot currently be accessed via Voyager Z39.50. This is supposed to be available in Voyager's version 2000 (expected around October 2000).
  Please contact Larry Dixson (ldix@loc.gov) if you have questions or problems accessing LC's Voyager system via Z39.50.