The Profile
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1. Introduction to the Profile
This document identifies a subset of specifications from the Z39.50 Information Retrieval Protocol (ANSI/NISO Z39.50/ISO 23950) for use in Z39.50 client and server software. Conformance to this profile's specifications will improve international or extranational search and retrieval among library catalogues, union catalogues, and other electronic resource discovery services worldwide. The profile will evolve as the environment and the standard change, and is intended to facilitate global resource sharing.
This profile builds upon the experience of other profiling efforts addressing interoperability for library catalogue searching and the development of virtual union catalogues. In particular, the following efforts informed the profile:
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ATS-1 Profile
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CENL Profile
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DanZIG Profile
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MODELS Profile
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ONE Profile
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The Z Texas Profile
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Virtual Canadian Union Catalogue Profile
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U.S. National Z39.50 Profile
An earlier document by Carrol Lunau and Joe Zeeman, Z39.50 Basic Searching of Bibliographic Systems: A Discussion Document, outlined the issues and need for an international profile for searching library catalogues.
The structure of the profile is modular and allows the future specification of separate but compatible functional requirements involving a range of applications useful to librarians and library users. The profile is structured into Functional Areas that group similar functional requirements, Z39.50 specifications, and levels of conformance. Z-clients and Z-servers may claim conformance to the profile at one or more Conformance Levels within one or more Functional Areas.
This release of the profile defines four Functional Areas:
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Functional Area A for Bibliographic Search & Retrieval, with Primary Focus on Library Catalogues:
A definition of a core set of searches (and the associated attributes and attribute combinations) required for basic search and retrieval mechanisms needed by library users and a definition of additional searches required for more precise searches to support other information retrieval needs.
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Functional Area B for Bibliographic Holdings Retrieval and Search:
A definition of search and retrieval requirements to provide bibliographic and holdings information adequate to identify a library's holdings.
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Functional Area C for Cross-Domain Search & Retrieval:
A definition of searches and retrieval mechanisms to address cross-domain information retrieval.
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Functional Area D for Authority Record Search & Retrieval:
A definition of a core set of searches and retrieval mechanisms for searching for authority file records from online catalogues.
Other functional areas may be defined in future releases of this profile such as a functional area for union catalogue updating and a functional area for item order and document delivery.
In addition, Conformance Levels are specified separately for each Functional Area, but generally:
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Conformance Level 0 defines requirements for a limited number of searches to improve semantic interoperability, and is intended to encompass as many existing Z39.50 products as possible; conformance with Level 0 may require the reconfiguring of existing implementations.
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Conformance Level 1 defines requirements to improve semantic interoperability; these requirements can be configured in systems currently under development. It is anticipated that those specifying new or enhanced Z39.50 systems should require adherence to at least this Conformance Level.
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Conformance Level 2 defines a number of functions which may be currently infeasible to require across the board but towards which effort should be directed.
Each Conformance Level defines required Z39.50 client and server specifications and behavior.
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