Hello,
There have been a few messages recently about creating lists of UK
z39.50 targets. There are several lists already in existence, but
they are dominated by US sites.
BookWhere keeps a good list at:
http://www.bookwhere.com/library.htm
Unfortunately it doesn't tell you what you need to know to set
up your own client. However, if you download the free trial
version of BookWhere it comes with all the databases listed
on the web page. You can then copy connection information
from the Options | Settings dialogue box. Use the Modify Host and
Modify Database buttons to get the details and click on Cancel when
you've done. (In my version of BookWhere there are six UK databases.)
The Library of Congress WWW to Z39.50 gateway also has a long list
of targets (very few UK) at:
http://lcweb.loc.gov/z3950/gateway.html
Again, they don't list the connection details, but they can be gleaned
from the URL's for the individual targets and from hidden variables
in the html. If you really want to know and have no other way of
finding out the details, then this may be the way to get them.
It's not always useless if you think you don't have all the information
needed to make a conection. I seem to remeber one target accepting
any database name and record syntax. All you needed was the host name
and port (which is often 210, failing that 2100) and it chucked USMARC
back at you whatever you asked for. (I think it was an INNOPAC target.)
While I'm here, the connection details for the COPAC z39.50 target are:
Address: z3950.copac.ac.uk
Port: 2100
Database name: COPAC
Record syntax: SUTRS
No username or password are required.
Full details can be found at:
http://copac.ac.uk/copac/z39.50/
Details about COPAC itself can be found at:
http:/copac.ac.uk/copac/
If anyone would like more information about the COPAC target, then
please email me at the address below.
Ashley.
--
Ashley Sanders [log in to unmask]
COPAC Project at Manchester Computing
http://copac.ac.uk/copac/
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