You are here

Keep WISCAT Working Smoothly by Updating Connections to your Catalogs

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Have you ever received a WISCAT request for an item in a collection you don't lend out via ILL -- genealogy, new materials, etc.? Have you ever seen a title from your library display in WISCAT as not lendable, but you know it's available and you'd be willing to lend it? It may be time to update the Z39.50 connection to your catalog!

Z39.50 is a protocol for connecting ILL software to catalogs and transmitting live shelf status of materials. WISCAT relies mainly on these live Z39.50 connections to function, while a much smaller portion of records are in the Union Catalog and don't display live shelf status. Not sure whether there is a live connection between your library or system catalog and WISCAT? Click on the stacked canister icon to the left of the search bar (see image below) and see a list of all live connections. 

WISCAT search screenshot with stacked canister highlighted to indicate reviewing/selecting search resources.

In order for these connections to function properly, the WISCAT team needs up-to-date location and status information from your catalog so that when a WISCAT search returns  one of your bibliographic records, WISCAT is able to identify which collection of materials that item comes from in your library, whether or not that collection is lendable, and whether or not a particular item is available on the shelf. If these locations or statuses are incorrect, out of date, or incomplete, you may be getting requests for items you don't lend, or you may not be getting requests for items that borrowers in Wisconsin are looking for. 

Spreadsheet showing a portion of a Z39.50 configuration update.
A Z39.50 configuration update sent to the WISCAT team by Molly Lawlor at OWLS

Codes and locations vary widely based on local cataloging methods and the ILS platform in use at your library or system. If you have questions about your catalog's current Z39.50 configuration, please contact us


Written by Gail Murray, Resources for Libraries & Lifelong Learning

Tags

 

WI Libraries for Everyone

Stay informed on our latest news!