Z39.50 and all that

[Karen G. Schneider]

I have plowed through many documents related to Z39.50 as best I could, but
I still have these very basic questions:

1. how can one determine if a database can be adapted to be compliant with
Z39.50?  For example, some of us are looking at our mainframe library
catalog and wonder if its ugly but honest soul could be made Z39.50
compliant. For another example, we have all these little widgety
databases--SARA this and RCRA that--which it would be great to cluster
under a standard search umbrella.  How do we know?  What questions do we
need to ask?

2. When a vendor says (as vendors have said to me), "oh yeah, XYZ is Z39.50
compliant," what should my next questions be?  I am tempted to think my
first question should be, "which version?"--which I suspect some could not
answer--but perhaps there is a more direct question?

3. As my organization evaluates WWW server options, what can I offer in
terms of selection advice to facilitate a pathway toward Z39.50 for
information services?

thanks for any light you can shine!

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Karen G. Schneider * kgs at bluehighways.com * http://www.bluehighways.com/
Cybrarian * Columnist, American Libraries
Author, The Internet Access Cookbook (e-mail Neal-Schuman at icm.com)
These opinions strictly mine and those of Blue Highways