Application of Syndication to the Management of Bibliographic Catalogs

Abstract

Problem statement: The process of transmission of bibliographic records between libraries is a complex task, usually treated by the Z39.50 protocol. Approach: The objective of this research is to propose an alternative method to simplify this process, using the techniques of content syndication. Results: The computer program compares the feasibility of using different formats (ATOM, RSS1.0, RSS2.0 and MARC-XML) to convey and share library catalogs of various sizes (up to 1 millon records) between libraries. Tests have shown that smaller collections of 25,000 records, the time insertion/import catalogs is less than 1 min. Conclusion/Recommendations: The analysis suggests that syndication is a useful technique for the transmission and retrieval of bibliographic information.