Most Russian and foreign libraries place their information resources in the Z39.50-servers. What differs these servers from the usual WWW-servers is that they are accessed via Z39.50 network protocol. This makes usual browsers, like the Internet Explorer, useless for viewing information placed in the Z39.50-servers.
Some library systems developed the so-called gates (a software, which allows to use usual WWW-browsers to retrieve information in the Z39.50-servers) to get over this technological barrier.
However this approach has some disadvantages, e.g. the search forms interface and record view can be different in various gates. Besides, a gate is an additional link in the ‘client - Z39.50 server’ chain, and that causes the loss of the net interchange speed and increase in the network traffic.
Some other disadvantages become clear when professional librarians use a gate (e.g. in the work of the cataloguers on the electronic catalogues update). Some gates don’t allow you to view records in the RUSMARC communicative format, what makes them almost useless for the library cataloguers. Another disadvantage is that some gate forms of record view cannot provide the record details. Besides, you need to make a new query (and it is time-consuming) to change the record view form.
These problems can be solved by using browsers, developed especially for the Z39.50 Protocol. This very browser is the LibNavigator software (the Reader edition). The cataloguer edition in addition has the cataloguer atomized working place, which allows to increase labour productivity in filing the electronic catalogues.
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The Z39.50 protocol is defined by a corresponding standard (ANSI Z39.50-1995, ISO/FDIS 23950). Z39.50 is a protocol of application layer in a 7-layer reference model of system interaction, developed by the International Standard Organization (ISO), and thus can be applied in the nets of various types (e.g. TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, OSI), no matter what the transport layer is.
Its aim is to afford a ”client” computer an opportunity to search and get the information from other computer, acting as an information server.
The standard specifies a uniform query procedure of the information resource-servers, supporting library catalogues, for the client computers.
The Z39.50 standard also defines some computer interaction rules, which allow to unify the access to the various data bases. In other words the user working with only one application on the client computer, can search in the remote distributed data bases, which have different structure and information view formats.
There are many other protocols of applied layer apart from Z39.50 protocol, e.g. http and ftp.
The following features differ Z39.50 protocol from others:
- The information view type, designed in the protocol, doesn’t depend on the information resources, using this protocol.
- In other words the protocol is an abstract model of information view on every stage of the client-server interaction.
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The LibNavigator program is quite virusproof, as it doesn’t start itself the execution of the code received from the Internet. It is only vulnerable while browsing the full-text on-line documents, pictures, audio and video records in the Web, as potentially dangerous information may be downloaded.
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LibNavigator supports queries, retrieving, receiving and viewing in the following bibliographic record formats:
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Yes, you can add and remove resources in the preset resource list of the program. To perform this you must know the address of the needed resource, port number and database name. Operation sequence is given in the User’s Guide in the “Resource list modification” section.
If you want to update the entire resource list, you should download it from the site www.libnavigator.com and import it following the instructions of the User’s Guide.
If you want this resource to be available for other users, e-mail to support@libnavigator.com providing comprehensive information on the electronic catalogue (a server address and port number, database name, Cyrillic code table). The resource is likely to be added to the next version reset list and its address will be available at the LibNavigator website.
The new electronic catalogue addresses for enlarging the resources can be found by following ways:
- You can go to the LibNavigator site http://www.libnavigator.com where you can find regularly updated electronic catalogue list of the libraries, the members of Russian library associations and many other.
- Contact the administration of the library you are interested in by post, telephone or e-mail. The library may have the electronic catalogue, available on the Internet via Z39.50 Protocol. If there is one, ask for its electronic address, port number, database name and character encoding used.
- You can find links to many foreign resources at the Index Data company site at http://indexdata.dk/targettest/.
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The Z39.50 protocol defines the structure of a particular data base as a set of search attributes, i.e. reflects a real Data Base Management System (DBMS) structure to an abstract data base. Defined by a corresponding standard, BIB-1 attribute set is used for bibliographic and such-like systems. This set consists of 6 search attribute types (usage, truncation, structure, relation, position, fullness) and a set of diagnostic messages with OID (unique identifier) = {1.2.840.10003.3.1} and {1.2.840.10003.4.1} accordingly.
LibNavigator provides an opportunity to specify different attributes in the query. But some BIB-1 attributes are unknown to some Z39.50 servers. So if you make a query ISBN=5-09-001909-6 and a server cannot discern the ISBN attribute of usage, then in reply to the query it will send the "Unsupported attribute" diagnostic message to the program. The same will happen in case of using other attribute types (e.g. right truncation or word list structure).
If you get the "Unsupported attribute" diagnostic message, modify the query to suit you and not to cause a server error. If other attribute options are not acceptable, use the "on default" option.
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The ISO 2709 format, also known as MARC, is a standard bibliographic information view. The records in the ISO 2709 format have a fixed structure and consist of:
- record marker of 24 characters,
- data directory, consisting of 3 numerical marks for each data field, field size and initial symbol position, relating to the first data field;
- variable-length data fields separated from each other by a field divider.
The ISO 2709 standard doesn't limit the content of particular data fields, so this standard offers different bibliographic data view formats, such as USMARC, UNIMARC, RUSMARC, MARC21, UKMARC, DANMARC etc.
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The basket is meant for a convenient storage of found and selected records. It will reduce the time you spend on saving records. You can place all necessary useful records that you found to the basket. When the search is completed you can save them to the file for their further editing and records export to the Automatized Library Information Systems.
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While running the program you can face such a problem. Indeed, the performance of many catalogues is unstable due to some reasons: connection breaks, server failures etc. You can solve this problem by less frequent usage of faulty resources while searching or by deleting them from the resource tree.
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Your queries may be built incorrectly. We recommend you to reread the "Information search" section in "Running the program" chapter and the "Typical models of LibNavigator usage" chapter.
It is possible that you have made a spelling mistake while typing a query.
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Most Russian libraries will accept LibNavigator printed requisition for a book in the library loan or in the reading-room. However there may be libraries that use strictly regulated requisitions, but you can fill in a form on the basis of a typical requisition, printed in the Libnavigator program.
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The registration key has different key letters for different editions. So you cannot make use of the registration key of the Reader edition for the Professional edition and vice versa.
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Your queries may be built incorrectly. Try using not only a simple search form, but also a main and extended one for specifying data of the edition you need. We recommend you to reread the "Information search" section in "Running the program" chapter and the "Typical models of LibNavigator usage" chapter.
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LibNavigator v 1.1 does not give such opportunity. The version 2.0 has the "Favorites" scroll on the "bibliographic resources" bar, where you can add frequently used resources. You can add one resource or the whole branches of resources. You can find detailed information about adding/deleting resources in the User's Guide.
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