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EEBO Z39.50 Configuration Information

Overview

Z39.50 is a standard for searching a remote database and retrieving records.

It is a specialised protocol which is entirely separate from the HTTP protocol which is used to access a web site. A customer needs to obtain a "Z39.50 client" application in order to perform such searches, and then configure it using the details given below. A Z39.50 capability is often part of an integrated application which is used to draw together results from many sources.

This document describes how a customer's technical support staff can configure a Z39.50 client to search EEBO.

Note that the details are necessarily described using the terminology from the Z39.50 standard itself, which may appear technical and unfamiliar. However, the configuration mechanism for a given application may provide a more user-friendly approach.

Enabling Z39.50 Access

Z39.50 searching is not initially enabled for all customers.

The about your subscription page will indicate whether the 'Z39.50 Access' option has been activated for your account.

A customer wishing to use Z39.50 should contact our Technical Support team to request that the Z39.50 subscription option be enabled.

Connection Details
Host name Port number Database name
eebo.chadwyck.com 210 eebo

Authentication is by a username and password which are provided when a connection is made to the Z39.50 server at the start of a session.

The username and password are the same as those used on the EEBO Password Login page.

These details are supplied as a single string separated by a forward slash, i.e. "username/password", although a given Z39.50 client may hide this implementation detail from the user.

Query Types

The Z39.50 standard allows for different types of query each with different syntax and semantics for the search.

Our server only supports the "Type 1" or Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) query described in the standard.

This consists of a boolean combination of search terms, such as: Author = 'Shakespeare, William' AND Publication Date > 1620.

Each search term specifies a value (e.g. 'Shakespeare, William') that is being searched for, along with the attribute that this value is being compared against.

The specification of the attribute consists of several types of information, taking from a pre-defined set of allowable values, which detail exactly what comparison is being performed:

  • Type 1 - Use - e.g. as Author, Title, Date
  • Type 2 - Relation - e.g. Equals, Less Than, Greater Than
  • Type 3 - Position - e.g. First in Field, Any position in Field
  • Type 4 - Structure - e.g. Phrase, Word, Number
  • Type 5 - Truncation - e.g. No Truncation, Right Truncation
  • Type 6 - Completeness - e.g. Matches Entire Field, Matches Part of Field
Supported Attributes

Our server supports a subset of attributes from the "bib-1" set used for bibliographic queries.

These attributes correspond to searchable fields in EEBO: either for keyword searches on words and phrases; or numeric searches on 4-digit dates.

These are summarised in the following table:

EEBO Search Field BIB-1 Attribute
Type 1 - Use Type 2 - Relation Type 3 - Position Type 4 - Structure Type 5 - Truncation Type 6 - Completeness
Record Keyword 1010 (Body-of-text)
1016 (Any)
1035 (Anywhere)		 3 (Equals) 3 (Any) 1 (Phrase)
2 (Word)		 100 (None)
1 (Right)		 1 (Part of field)
Author 1 (Personal-name)
1003 (Author)
1004 (Author-name-personal)		 3 (Equals) 3 (Any) 1 (Phrase)
2 (Word)		 100 (None)
1 (Right)		 1 (Part of field)
Title 4 (Title) 3 (Equals) 3 (Any) 1 (Phrase)
2 (Word)		 100 (None)
1 (Right)		 1 (Part of field)
Subject 21 (Local-subject-index) 3 (Equals) 3 (Any) 1 (Phrase)
2 (Word)		 100 (None)
1 (Right)		 1 (Part of field)
Date 30 (Date)
31 (Date-of-publication)		 1 (Less than)
2 (Less than or equal)
3 (Equals)
4 (Greater than or equal)
5 (Greater than)		 3 (Any) 109 (Number) 100 (None) 1 (Part of field)
Imprint 59 (Name-geographic-place-publication) 3 (Equals) 3 (Any) 1 (Phrase)
2 (Word)		 100 (None)
1 (Right)		 1 (Part of field)

Note that, because Z39.50 is geared towards remote searching of bibliographic catalogues (as opposed to full text databases), then the attributes for general keyword searching (i.e. "Body-of-text", "Any" and "Anywhere") correspond to the 'Record Keyword' on the EEBO Advanced Search page.

Format of Output Records

Our server can return search results in the following formats:

  • USMARC
  • MARC-XML
  • SUTRS (Simple Unstructured Text Records)

For the USMARC and MARC-XML output, the fields that are returned are as follows:

MARC Tag and description Subfield Corresponding EEBO Field(s)
100 Main Entry - Personal Name $a Author
245 Title Statement $a
$b		 Title (initial part)
Title (remainder)
260 Publication, Distribution etc. $a
$c		 Imprint
Date
300 Physical Description $a Pages
310 Current Publication Frequency $a Publication Frequency
500 General Note $a Notes
510 Citation/References Note $a
$c		 Bib name /
Bib number
533 Reproduction Note $c
$n		 "UMI (Early English Books)"
UMI collection / Reel number
540 Terms Governing Use and Reproduction $a (Standard copyright statement)
650 Subject Added Entry - Topical Term $a Subject
700 Added Entry - Personal Name $a Other Authors
730 Added Entry - Uniform Title $a Additional Title
856 Electronic Location and Access $u (Durable URL of single image set;
or page listing multiple image sets)
Example Output Record
USMARC Format
*000  CONTROL:
           nab         5
*100  MAIN ENTRY - PERSONAL NAME:
      indicators:  <1 >
      $a  Field, John, d. 1668, (publisher.)
*245  TITLE STATEMENT:
      indicators:  <00>
      $a  The spie,
      $b  communicating intelligence from Oxford.
*260  PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC.:
      indicators:  <  >
      $a  [London] : Printed according to order for I.F.,
      $c  1644
*300  PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
      indicators:  <  >
      $a  v.
*310  CURRENT PUBLICATION FREQUENCY:
      indicators:  <  >
      $a  Weekly
*500  GENERAL NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $a  Reels listed in chronological order of serial publication; holdings
          dispersed throughout collection.
*500  GENERAL NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $a  Imprint from colophon; place of publication from Nelson and Seccombe.
*500  GENERAL NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $a  Reproduction of the originals in the British Library.
*500  GENERAL NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $a  By Durant Hotham. Cf. Nelson and Seccombe.
*500  GENERAL NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $a  Title from caption.
*510  CITATION/REFERENCES NOTE:
      indicators:  <0 >
      $a  Thomason /
      $c  E.39[16]
*510  CITATION/REFERENCES NOTE:
      indicators:  <0 >
      $a  Thomason /
      $c  E.37[10]
*510  CITATION/REFERENCES NOTE:
      indicators:  <0 >
      $a  Thomason /
      $c  E.35[24]
*510  CITATION/REFERENCES NOTE:
      indicators:  <0 >
      $a  Thomason /
      $c  E.34[15]
*510  CITATION/REFERENCES NOTE:
      indicators:  <0 >
      $a  Thomason /
      $c  E.38[2]
*510  CITATION/REFERENCES NOTE:
      indicators:  <0 >
      $a  Thomason /
      $c  E.33[27]
*510  CITATION/REFERENCES NOTE:
      indicators:  <0 >
      $a  Thomason /
      $c  E.33[2]
*510  CITATION/REFERENCES NOTE:
      indicators:  <0 >
      $a  Thomason /
      $c  E.31[12]
*510  CITATION/REFERENCES NOTE:
      indicators:  <0 >
      $a  Thomason /
      $c  E.30[20]
*510  CITATION/REFERENCES NOTE:
      indicators:  <0 >
      $a  Nelson and Seccombe /
      $c  609
*533  REPRODUCTION NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $n  Note that this search result lists only the first ten of the 23
          bibliographic references and 22 UMI reel positions that are present in
          the Early English Books Online record.
*533  REPRODUCTION NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $c  UMI (Early English Books) :
      $n  Thomason Tracts / 7:E.40[14]
*533  REPRODUCTION NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $c  UMI (Early English Books) :
      $n  Thomason Tracts / 7:E.39[16]
*533  REPRODUCTION NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $c  UMI (Early English Books) :
      $n  Thomason Tracts / 7:E.38[2]
*533  REPRODUCTION NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $c  UMI (Early English Books) :
      $n  Thomason Tracts / 7:E.37[10]
*533  REPRODUCTION NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $c  UMI (Early English Books) :
      $n  Thomason Tracts / 6:E.35[24]
*533  REPRODUCTION NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $c  UMI (Early English Books) :
      $n  Thomason Tracts / 6:E.34[15]
*533  REPRODUCTION NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $c  UMI (Early English Books) :
      $n  Thomason Tracts / 6:E.33[27]
*533  REPRODUCTION NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $c  UMI (Early English Books) :
      $n  Thomason Tracts / 6:E.33[2]
*533  REPRODUCTION NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $c  UMI (Early English Books) :
      $n  Thomason Tracts / 6:E.31[12]
*533  REPRODUCTION NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $c  UMI (Early English Books) :
      $n  Thomason Tracts / 6:E.30[20]
*540  TERMS GOVERNING USE AND REPRODUCTION NOTE:
      indicators:  <  >
      $a  Electronic data copyright (c) ProQuest Information & Learning Company.
          Terms and conditions apply to the use of this material.
*650  SUBJECT ADDED ENTRY - TOPICAL TERM:
      indicators:  <00>
      $a  Great Britain -- History -- Civil War, 1642-1649 -- Periodicals.
*700  ADDED ENTRY - PERSONAL NAME:
      indicators:  <1 >
      $a  Hotham, Durant, 1619?-1691, (editor.)
*730  ADDED ENTRY - UNIFORM TITLE:
      indicators:  <0 >
      $a  Spy, communicating intelligence from Oxford
*856  ELECTRONIC LOCATION AND ACCESS:
      indicators:  <40>
      $u  http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&res_id=xri:eebo
          &res_dat=xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&rft_id=xri:eebo:imagesets:53403977
MARC-XML Format
<?xml version="1.0"? />
<collection xmlns:marc="http://www.loc.gov/MARC21/slim">
  <record>
    <leader>00000nab 22000005u 4500 </leader>
    <datafield tag="100" ind1="1" ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Field, John, d. 1668, (publisher.) </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="245" ind1="0" ind2="0">
      <subfield code="a">The spie, </subfield>
      <subfield code="b">communicating intelligence from Oxford.
        </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="260" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">[London] : Printed according to order for I.F.,
        </subfield>
      <subfield code="c">1644 </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="300" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">v. </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="310" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Weekly </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="500" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Title from caption. </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="500" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">By Durant Hotham. Cf. Nelson and Seccombe.
        </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="500" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Reproduction of the originals in the British
        Library. </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="500" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Imprint from colophon; place of publication
        from Nelson and Seccombe. </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="500" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Reels listed in chronological order of serial
        publication; holdings dispersed throughout collection. </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="510" ind1="0" ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Nelson and Seccombe / </subfield>
      <subfield code="c">609 </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="510" ind1="0" ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Thomason / </subfield>
      <subfield code="c">E.30[20] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="510" ind1="0" ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Thomason / </subfield>
      <subfield code="c">E.31[12] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="510" ind1="0" ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Thomason / </subfield>
      <subfield code="c">E.33[2] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="510" ind1="0" ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Thomason / </subfield>
      <subfield code="c">E.33[27] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="510" ind1="0" ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Thomason / </subfield>
      <subfield code="c">E.34[15] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="510" ind1="0" ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Thomason / </subfield>
      <subfield code="c">E.35[24] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="510" ind1="0" ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Thomason / </subfield>
      <subfield code="c">E.37[10] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="510" ind1="0" ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Thomason / </subfield>
      <subfield code="c">E.38[2] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="510" ind1="0" ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Thomason / </subfield>
      <subfield code="c">E.39[16] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="533" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="c">UMI (Early English Books) : </subfield>
      <subfield code="n">Thomason Tracts / 6:E.30[20] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="533" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="c">UMI (Early English Books) : </subfield>
      <subfield code="n">Thomason Tracts / 6:E.31[12] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="533" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="c">UMI (Early English Books) : </subfield>
      <subfield code="n">Thomason Tracts / 6:E.33[2] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="533" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="c">UMI (Early English Books) : </subfield>
      <subfield code="n">Thomason Tracts / 6:E.33[27] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="533" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="c">UMI (Early English Books) : </subfield>
      <subfield code="n">Thomason Tracts / 6:E.34[15] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="533" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="c">UMI (Early English Books) : </subfield>
      <subfield code="n">Thomason Tracts / 6:E.35[24] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="533" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="c">UMI (Early English Books) : </subfield>
      <subfield code="n">Thomason Tracts / 7:E.37[10] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="533" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="c">UMI (Early English Books) : </subfield>
      <subfield code="n">Thomason Tracts / 7:E.38[2] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="533" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="c">UMI (Early English Books) : </subfield>
      <subfield code="n">Thomason Tracts / 7:E.39[16] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="533" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="c">UMI (Early English Books) : </subfield>
      <subfield code="n">Thomason Tracts / 7:E.40[14] </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="650" ind1="0" ind2="0">
      <subfield code="a">Great Britain -- History -- Civil War,
        1642-1649 -- Periodicals. </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="700" ind1="1" ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Hotham, Durant, 1619?-1691, (editor.)
        </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="730" ind1="0" ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Spy, communicating intelligence from Oxford
        </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="856" ind1="4" ind2="0">
      <subfield code="u">http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2003&amp;res_id=xri:eebo
        &amp;res_dat=xri:pqil:res_ver=0.2&amp;rft_id=xri:eebo:imagesets:53403977
        </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="540" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="a">Electronic data copyright (c) ProQuest
        Information &amp; Learning Company. Terms and conditions apply to
        the use of this material. </subfield>
    </datafield>
    <datafield tag="533" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
      <subfield code="n">Note that this search result lists only the
        first ten of the 23 bibliographic references and 22 UMI reel
        positions that are present in the Early English Books Online
        record. </subfield>
    </datafield>
  </record>
</collection>
References

The specification for the Z39.50 standard is available at: http://www.loc.gov/z3950/agency/document.html

The "bib-1" attribute set is defined at: http://www.loc.gov/z3950/agency/defns/bib1.html