Home → Cataloging in NC Cardinal → Bibliographic Cataloging → Add a Title Record via Z39.50 Import

4.3. Add a Title Record via Z39.50 Import

Last Updated 12/13/2023

Searching for and Importing a Title Record via Z39.50

A thorough catalog search must always be performed using the Advanced Search screen or via Z39.50 before importing a new bibliographic record. Even though you (or an Item Cataloger in your library system) have already searched the NC Cardinal database for your item, you should always double check for a match before importing. Keep in mind that other catalogers in the consortium are regularly adding bibliographic records, too. 

To search for and add a title record via Z39.50, follow these steps:

1. Click Cataloging → Import Record from Z39.50
2. Select at least one Service in addition to the Local Catalog in the Service and Credentials window in the top right panel. Always check the Local Catalog source when searching for records to import via Z39.50.

3. Enter search terms in the Query window in the top left panel.

4. Click Search.

5. The results appear in the lower window.

6. If a record exists in NC Cardinal, you will see “native-Evergreen-catalog” under the Service column. If you see “native-Evergreen-catalog” among the results of a Z39.50 search, look at the MARC record to see if it is indeed a match. An easy way to do this is to highlight the result line and click on the View MARC tab. To return to the previous display, click Results View. You may also highlight the record and click the Show in Catalog button.

7. If a bibliographic record already exists within NC Cardinal, do not add or import a new or additional record. If the existing bibliographic record does not meet the standards as outlined in the NC Cardinal MARC Templates, overlay or edit the existing record to bring it up to the minimum standards recommended. Always check the MARC Editor box and ensure that the record you are bringing in/overlaying is accurate and meets Cataloging Best Practice standards.

Import from Z39.50 screen:

After a thorough search when there is no existing record, import a new record into NC Cardinal from the Z39.50 window:

1. Highlight the record you want to import. Make sure that the MARC Editor button is checked.
2. Click the Import button.
3. The new record will display in the Marc Edit screen. Make any necessary changes so that the record conforms to NC Cardinal standards.
4. Click Import Record.

Overlay from the Z39.50 screen:

When an existing brief or incomplete record in the NC Cardinal catalog needs to be upgraded, overlay with a better record from the Z39.50 window:

6. Highlight the record you want overlaid. Make sure that the MARC Editor button is checked.
7. Click the Mark local results as overlay target button.
8. Then highlight the record you want to overlay the local catalog record with.
9. Click the Overlay button (NOT the IMPORT button).
10. The new record will display in the Marc Edit screen. Make any necessary changes so that the record conforms to NC Cardinal standards.
11. Click Overlay Record.

Libraries by Search Field

Under Services and Credentials you will find a list of libraries from which you can select when performing searches using the Z39.50 interface.  Each library provides different search fields, and many of them overlap with one another.  Below you will find a list of these search fields followed by the various libraries that offer them.

It is important to consider which libraries you select, because if you perform a search using a field that even one of those selected libraries does not offer, the search can, and likely will, fail (the search will continue ad infinitum).  For example, if you perform a search using the ISSN field while having Duke selected as one of your libraries, the search will always fail.

Note that A/V Access and OCLC have been excluded from this list, as you need a username and password in order to access them.  The other libraries require no such additional login information.

Most Common Fields:

Author – all

ISBN - all

ISSN – all except Duke

Title – all except Sacramento Public Library

List of Fields:

 Any

• Duke
• UNC-Chapel Hill
• University of Virginia
• Vancouver Public Library

Author – all

Author-name personal – Duke

Call Number – Sacramento Public Library

Conference name – UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Virginia

Corporate name – UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Virginia

Date – Duke

Date of Publication - Duke

Dewey Classification (DC) – UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Virginia

ISBN - all

ISSN – all except Duke

Item Type

• Local Catalog
• Cuyahoga County PL
• Harris County (TX) Public Library
• SEO (Serving Every Ohioan)
• Yale University

Keyword

• Local Catalog
• Colorado Unified Catalog
• Sacramento Public Library

LC call number – University of Virginia, Vancouver Public Library

LC subject heading – Vancouver Public Library

LCCN

• Colorado Unified Catalog
• Cuyahoga County PL
• Harris County (TX) Public Library
• Library of Congress
• OHIOLINK
• SEO (Serving Every Ohioan)
• UNC-Chapel Hill
• University of Virginia
• Vancouver Public Library
• Yale University

Material-type – Duke

Personal name – Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Virginia

Pub Date - Local Catalog

Publication Date

• Colorado Unified Catalog
• Cuyahoga County PL
• Harris County (TX) Public Library
• Library of Congress
• OHIOLINK
• SEO (Serving Every Ohioan)
• UNC-Chapel Hill
• University of Virginia
• Vancouver Public Library
• Yale University

Publisher

• Local Catalog
• Harris County (TX) Public Library
• Library of Congress
• OHIOLINK
• SEO (Serving Every Ohioan)
• UNC-Chapel Hill
• University of Virginia
• Vancouver Public Library
• Yale University

(No pub date version:  Milwaukee Public Library, Sacramento Public Library)

Subject - Local Catalog, Sacramento Public Library

Subject heading (other)

• Duke
• UNC-Chapel Hill
• University of Virginia
• Vancouver Public Library

TCN – Local Catalog

Title – all except Sacramento Public Library

Title Control Number

• Colorado Unified Catalog
• Duke
• Harris County (TX) Public Library
• Library of Congress
• Milwaukee Public Library
• OHIOLINK
• Sacramento Public Library
• SEO (Serving Every Ohioan)
• UNC-Chapel Hill
• University of Virginia
• Vancouver Public Library
• Yale University

Title key – Vancouver Public Library

Title series – UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Virginia, Vancouver Public Library

Title uniform – UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Virginia

UPC

• Local Catalog
• Duke
• Library of Congress

Video Search Tip

Searching for records for video materials like DVDs or Blu-Rays can be hit-or-miss when using Z39.50.  One recommended strategy is to enter the UPC number into the ISBN search field rather than the UPC search field.  When searching by UPC in the UPC field, you will rarely receive any results.  However, you will regularly receive results when you search for the UPC number using the ISBN field.