Z-Texas Meeting
Friday, November 10 2000
9:00 - 4:00
TLA Board Room
3355 Bee Cave Road, Suite 401
Austin, TX 78746-6763
(Bold purple text indicates work we said we
would do)
Attendees:
Virginia Allen, Lamar University, allen@library.lamar.edu
Teresa Ashley, Austin Community College, tashley@austin.cc.tx.us
Sharon Castleberry, Coppell Public Library, scastle@ci.coppell.tx.us
Esther Crawford, Rice University, crawford@rice.edu
Jack Drost, Rice University, drostj@rice.edu
Bob Gaines, Central Texas Library System, gaines@ctls.net
Holly Gordon, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, hgordon@tsl.state.tx.us
Cathy Hartman, University of North Texas, chartman@library.unt.edu
Rebecca Linton, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, rlinton@tsl.state.tx.us
Slavko, Manojlovich, University of Newfoundland/SIRSI, slavko@mun.ca
Connie Moss, Coppell Public Library, cmoss@ci.coppell.tx.us
Bill Mott, Epixtech, b.mott@epixtech.com
Allen Mullen, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, amullen@tsl.state.tx.us
Christine Peterson, Amigos Library Services, peterson@amigos.org
Beverley Shirley, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, bshirley@tsl.state.tx.us
Gail Wanner, Epixtech, g.wanner@epixtech.com
Sheila Williams, Euless Public Library, sheila.williams@pobox.com
Welcome/Introductions
- Welcome to Austin and thanks to the Texas
Library Association for hosting this meeting!
- Christine Peterson served as interim chair for this meeting as Bill
Moen was not able to attend and Bob Gaines had to leave early for another
meeting
From Last Meeting:
NISO American National Profile
- A committee was created Bill Moen is chairing it; Christine Peterson
is on it.
- Timetable states that this standard should be available by the end
of summer 2001.
- Next NISO meeting before ALA Midwinter -- January 10-11/Washington,
DC; next (and final) meeting in Dallas area March 15-April 15
- To keep up: www.unt.edu/zprofile/
IMLS grant
- Bill Moen received grant from IMLS for looking at standards/levels
of interoperability for Bath and Z Texas Profiles
- Two-year grant
Free Z Client
- Bob Gaines is working with Rob Bull; client is close to completion
- Looking for Z servers to include as targets within the client; North
Richland Hills Public Library is only target at this time
- Analogous to a "Z-Toaster;" should be so simple to use (to
search and retrieve MARC records) that most librarians can figure it
out
- Please contact Bob with Z server information
to include in client
Outstanding issues on Z Texas from last meeting:
- ZIG will give us a use attribute for Sears subject headings; number
has not been given yet
- Date of Acquisition for Level 3
- Checked with TSLAC Archives; not important at this time, so TZIG
will not pursue
- Discussion concerning the importance of date of acquisition for
archives and special collections; this is included in the CIMI Profile,
so it is possible that they can use CIMI instead of or in addition
to Z Texas.
- Form/Genre and Function for Level 3 -- already searchable via subject
field search, so will not pursue
- TIF is open to including money for Z39.50 re-mapping and indexing
in their future RFPs; we will look at draft language for future RFPs
later in meeting
- Indexing guidelines -- Bill Moen created a discussion list for this:
- listserv@unt.edu | subscribe libcatindexing yourname
- There is a lot of interest in this at the national level; it would
be best if Texas becomes part of that discussion by subscribing
to this discussion list. At this point, we will let others
handle it.
- It is very important to get Texas catalogers
and reference librarians on this list. Bill will start the
discussion soon.
- Chris contact Margery Tibbetts re: full-text indexing
- No answer from Margery, however other inquiries seem to indicate
that most everyone uses MARC-based data; we have some leads on other
places using GRS
- Do we want to deal with MARC only databases? Will discuss
later in the agenda
Discussion of Chair/Co-Chairs -- Bob Gaines
- Two new co-chairs to replace Bill Moen and Bob Gaines:
- Cathy Hartman, University of North Texas
- Christine Peterson, Amigos Library Services
Maintenance of TZIG Web Site -- Beverley Shirley
- TSLAC will continue to house the TZIG documents -- www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/projects/z3950/index.html.
However, with the increased load on TSLAC staff, additional help in
updating TZIG web pages will be needed.
- Beverley Shirley is the TSLAC contact.
Thanks to these volunteers:
- Esther Crawford, Rice University
- Virginia Allen, Lamar University (in
a couple of months)
- Sheila Williams, Euless Public Library
Maintenance of Z Texas Profile
- TSLAC will continue to house the Z Texas
Profile. However, we need someone to help maintain it, e.g., make
it come into compliance with the Bath and NISO American National Profiles.
Thanks to Teresa Ashley of Austin Community College, for your help!
Release 2.0 of Z Texas Profile
Possible changes to Bath -- Comment Period Ends
11/23/00
General Information:
- Bath Profile Maintenance Agency -- www.collectionscanada.ca/bath/ap-bath-e.htm
- Bath Profile -- www.ukoln.ac.uk/interop-focus/bath/
- Bath discussion list: listserv@infoserv.nlc-bnc.ca
| subscribe bath-profile-l your name
- Amendments to Bath Profile:
- Incorporates some of our Category 2 searches
- Changes of concern:
- Bath is adding numerous serial title searches
- Record syntax: XML gone in level 0 in both Functional Area
A (Bibliographic Search and Retrieval) and C (Cross-Domain Search
and Retrieval); current proposal:
- client: (unimarc or MARC21) and SUTRS
- server: (unimarc or MARC21) and SUTRS
- If no changes are made, to this proposal, TZIG decided
we will require Level 1 for both Functional Areas A and C for
clients
- Cathy Hartman and Christine Peterson
will send our concern to Bath list on behalf of TZIG.
- Individual comments are welcome --
please send them either to the Bath discussion list or Carrol
Lunau (see above)
- Teresa Ashley will include language in
Z Texas introductory section that states that TZIG can recommend
additions to the National Profile
- State document number search
- Would searching of all states' document numbers be helpful?
Because of inconsistency in classification systems used for
state-level document numbers, TZIG would prefer to have a search
just for the Texas State Document Number (086, first indicator
blank, subfield 2 "txdoc")
- Others states at NISO meeting would like to search their
own state's document numbers
- Christine Peterson will ask for another
new use attribute from Ray Denenberg (Library of Congress) for
Texas State Document Number; Cathy Hartman will write justification
for state-level searches
- TZIG created a single subject search that included both LC and
LC Children's Headings; NISO Profile will probably create two separate
searches; we will incorporate.
- Amendment 2 deals with retrieval of holdings; at this point, it
is minimal, but a step in the right direction; leave this section
for national/international groups
TSLAC/TRAIL Bath Implementation Status Report
TSLAC's online catalog (SIRSI) and TRAIL (searches Texas state agency
web sites) have implemented both the Z Texas and Bath Profiles. As far
as we know, this is the first implementation of either Profile.
- Allen Mullen (TSLAC) demonstrated TRAIL
- Can search both TRAIL and TSLAC library catalog
- TRAIL is set up to deal with any Z client; however, some of the
functions Z Texas allows you to do cannot be done by a server; for
example, your system may not be able to use all attributes; inconsistency
in indexing is also a problem
- Slavko Manojlovich (University of Newfoundland, SIRSI) worked with
both TSLAC and Blue Angel to make this work
- Both clients are searching two different databases -- MARC 21
and DC; had to map between two databases
- On SIRSI Unicorn, used indexing guidelines -- Bath level 0 and
1; had firewall problems; tried making interface look similar --
same labels; mapped very closely;
- At first, TRAIL had two different indexes -- one for TRAIL and
one for Bath; wouldn't do it again as it caused problems for
entry; definitely doable; we need more implementations; guidance
documents on how to do it
- Slavko is working on creating an Austin area virtual union catalog;
using it as a test for a possible state-wide version
- Problems: no response from some library Z servers so he
has had to contact vendors to see why they aren't working; second
problem is firewall problem; in order to make this work, libraries
need buy-in: why would they want to have a geographic area VUC?
- Allen Mullen -- need to start working on implementation; re-visit
why Z39.50 is good? for librarians? for users?
- Libraries believe they have a Z client and server, but don't
- UNT -- they get students from the North Texas area who want to
use the resources from their local libraries
- Create a tool-kit section of web site?
resources that will help when you are ready to implement on a local
level? Allen would help; Virginia to help in three months
- Holly -- demo SIRSI Z39.50 Profile searches of:
- Other Libraries
- Z3950 Sites
- TRAIL
- Now have to search library catalog and TRAIL separately; soon
will search both at same time under Z39.50 Sites
Possible Wording Change for Grants from Telecommunications Infrastructure
Fund
- Current wording in TIF grants is very generic -- usually only using
phrases such as library having to support "an http or Z39.50 connection
to the Internet" by the end of the grant period or purchasing a
"Z39.50 server module." In order to tighten up this
language and include funding for possible re-indexing and/or re-mapping
of databases to conform to the Z Texas Profile, Christine
Peterson will bring this language will before the TIF Library Working
Group for their possible adoption in the Glossary of future RFPs:
- Z39.50 Functionality -- includes client and/or server Z39.50 costs;
software, mapping, and re-indexing must conform to the current release
of the Z Texas Profile (see www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/projects/z3950/index.html
for profile as well as guidance documents)
- Possible language for Appendix B: TIF Minimum Specifications
- Z39.50 functionality for both clients and servers must conform,
as a minimum, to the Z Texas Profile. Libraries may purchase
the client and/or the server portion.
- Acceptable costs for Z39.50 clients include:
- Z39.50 client software or upgrade
- Acceptable costs for Z39.50 servers include:
- Z39.50 server software or upgrade
- Z39.50 server (includes hardware and operating system)
or upgrade
- Indexing or re-indexing of library database to conform
to Z Texas Profile standard
- Mapping or re-mapping of library database to conform to
Z Texas Profile standard.
Guidance Documents for Z Texas Profile
Using a list of guidance documents from prior meetings, the group discussed
what documents were necessary and who could work on them.
Include on web site a general section on Z39.50:
- Most of this has been done and can be linked
- Virginia Allen will find IMSLIC information
- Teresa Ashley will do basic search to find
documents for this section
- Cathy Hartman wrote an article for Mississippi
Libraries -- will check to see if we can link to it
- Christine Peterson will write an article
for North Texas Regional Library System -- will ask to link to it
- Also include:
Include on web Texas web site a tool kit section,
providing practical advice on implementation:
-
Allen Mullen (TSLAC) and Virginia Allen
(Lamar) will work on this
-
How to Talk to Your Vendor -- we think it
was done, but don't know where it is -- Christine Peterson will check
with Saralyn Shone
-
Z Texas Profile as a checklist -- originally
from Bill Moen, but will not do
-
List of Z servers in Texas -- will check
with Bob Gaines
-
Guidance on using Z39.50 with a firewall
-- the National Library of Canada is working on this; we can link
to them
-
Comparison of 10-12 vendors and their Bath
Level 0 conformance -- Slavko Manojlovich will be presenting; can
link to it when finished
-
Allen and Virginia will head these up:
-
List of strong subject areas in Texas libraries? Govt docs
has done it; IPEG (ILL Implementers Group) is looking at it
Library of Texas (LOT)
- One piece of the Library of Texas is the virtual union catalog. Z39.50
will most likely be the backbone of this project. After listening to
an overview of this project, we will discuss with TSLAC possible ways
the TZIG can aid in this implementation.
- TSLAC Library Resource Sharing Division (LRSD) will set up a committee
for each part of LOT; Deborah was originally to head the virtual catalog
committee, but she is leaving for LDD position; another person will
be selected. Rebecca Linton, Allen Mullen, and Beverley Shirley will
be working with us as needed
- Beverley Shirley demonstrated www.aclin.org
-- Colorado Virtual Library
- One idea of how LOT could look
- Search specific libraries; search across user-generated groups
of libraries; can include other non-MARC 21 databases
- Invitation for TZIG to participate: specifics
now known yet
- LRS is currently working on government information area with GODORT
librarians
- Will need as much time as you would like to give: meetings,
email, evaluation
- Need for customized interface -- usability engineers need to be
used
- Possibly our profile will need to be adjusted in order to allow
participation
- Circulation Interchange Protocol (CIP) should be involved; need
CIP, ILL, and Profile need all three in order to work
- Probably need multiple vendors to accomplish full vision of LOT
- Names of consultants for future needs? Wait
until LRS asks -- then email them names
- Virtual College of Texas -- some sort of communication needed
between them? LRS will check
- Issues yet to be determined: central server, mirrored sites?
Creation of Profile for Full-Text/Citation Databases
- The Z Texas Profile was specifically written for MARC databases. Because
of the proliferation of full-text and citation databases in this state,
a profile specifically for these types of data would be a great help.
We began the discussion of whether we wanted create such a profile.
Do we want to deal with MARC only databases? If so, there are
implementations we can use. Most non-MARC use GRS. The consensus
is that we need to broaden our scope to include non-MARC databases.
We would probably look to XML as a retrieval syntax instead of SUTRS
or GRS. According to Bill Moen and Slavko Manojlovich, we would
need to (not necessarily in this order):
- Decide on the requirements for full-text db searching
- Create DTD for XML
- Decide who needs to be at the table (probably a reconstitution of
this group)
- Decide definitely on MARC or XML or GRS or SUTRS for retrieval syntax
- List of databases to base this on? Desired access points?
- Full-text db only? Abstracting db? Indexing db?
- Concern: if full-text and multiple databases have same record,
which full-text record would you get (and which vendor gets that money)?
- Libraries could determine their own priority list of vendors'
databases and get the one they feel more comfortable with
- Discussion needs to continue -- will talk more at the next meeting
Next
Meeting
January 26, 2001 -- Rice University (Houston), 9:00am - 4:00pm
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