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4.1. Add a Title Record via Z39.50 Import
Last Updated 02/02/2026
Searching for and Importing a Title Record via Z39.50
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Z39.50 allows catalogers to search the NC Cardinal Catalog along with records from external catalogs. Catalogers may edit local records from the Z39.50 inteface, or overlay brief local records with more thorough external records. When a local record does not exist, catalogers may import one from an external catalog.
Z9.50 is a cataloging service that allows libraries to access the catalogs of other libraries to search and retrieve MARC records. Records discovered through Z39.50 may be imported into NC Cardinal's catalog to create new holdings, or overlay existing records.
Always perform a thorough catalog search before importing a new bibliographic record. Keep in mind that other catalogers in the consortium are regularly adding bibliographic records, so new records are always appearing.
Searching Z39.50
To create a query in Z39.50, follow these steps:
- From the Cataloging menu, select Import Record from Z39.50
- Select Local Catalog in the Service and Credentials pane. Always check the Local Catalog source when searching for records to import via Z39.50.
- Select 1-2 aditional libraries in the Services and Credentails pane.
- If you have selected OCLC or A/V Access, input your credentials for these services.
- Enter search terms in the Query pane.
- Click Submit.
The results appear in the lower window.
NOTE: Remember that you should search for each title in several different ways. Check the Services and Credentials window to ensure that you have checked “Local Catalog.”
Query Result List
If a record exists in NC Cardinal, you will see “native-Evergreen-catalog” under the Service column. If a bibliographic record already exists within NC Cardinal, do not add or import a new or additional record.
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.
- Select the result line by checking the box for the record you want to view.
- Click on the View MARC button at the top.
- Check the major identifying fields, such as the 020 and 245, and confirm that the format is a match for the item you have in hand.
- To return to the previous display, click Close.
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.
NOTE: The columns displayed in the Z39.50 screen can be customized. Use the column picker to select the information, then resize and drag the columns to display as you wish. When you finish arranging the screen, click the List Actions button at the far left and select Save List Configuration from the pull-down menu.
Import from Z39.50 screen
If there is no local record, catalogers may import a new record into NC Cardinal from the Z39.50 window:
- Highlight the record you want to import. Make sure that the MARC Editor button is checked.
- Click the Import button.
- The new record will display in the Marc Edit screen. Make any necessary changes so that the record conforms to NC Cardinal standards.
- 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:
- Highlight the record you want overlaid. Make sure that the MARC Editor button is checked.
- Click the Mark local results as overlay target button.
- Then highlight the record you want to overlay the local catalog record with.
- Click the Overlay button (NOT the IMPORT button).
- The new record will display in the Marc Edit screen. Make any necessary changes so that the record conforms to NC Cardinal standards.
- 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.